World Cup 2022 Group B Preview

Group B Preview ~ World Cup 2022

USA – England – Iran – Wales (Rankings As Of Finals Draw, April 1, 2022)

USA National Team Profile:

FIFA World Rank: 16

Manager: Gregg Berhalter

World Cup Appearances: 11

Best Finish: 3rd Place (1930)

Odds to Win Cup: +10,000

Odds to Win Group B: +500

Odds to Qualify: -110

Group Stage Points Total O/U: 3.5

Group Stage Schedule:

November 21 vs. Wales

November 25 vs. England

November 29 vs. Iran

Can I just admit how hard it is to be an American growing up in the United States, and having to listen to another outlet talk about how good this team is again? If Lexi Lalas opens his mouth one more time I think I might have to puke all over him. Not only is he the biggest idiot on planet Earth, but anyone who is giving the US team a chance to do anything in Qatar can join him! Oh, did I just get you all flustered? 

The one thing Americans do best when it comes to what they call soccer is teaching everyone how to fold like a lawn chair. This is clearly the one sport that USA just hasn’t figured out, and that’s why you see an obnoxious +10,000 on this team to win the World Cup… Wait, I just said USA and winning the World Cup in the same sentence, so if you leave and never come back to read my other group stage previews, I understand!

The USMNT is usually good for a disappointment or two on a big stage when it comes to this sport, and that battle with Wales is going to be a big one. No one is expecting points to come from the bout with England unless a scoreless draw can be managed, but even that is a tall order.

England is infamous for taking first-halves at a turtle’s pace, so the time to create any type of magic will come early if it comes at all. USA has to worry about Iran just as much as any other team in this group, and there is no room to overlook them either. Iran wants to finally get that can’t get out of group stage taste out of their mouth, so this is one heck of an interesting group.

The USMNT is favored over Wales on the early lines being shown for the opening match of Group B play, so anything less than 3 points against Iran could be costly and why this team gets sent home early. 

Chelsea striker Christian Pulisic will likely feel the weight of the entire country on his shoulders knowing that the spotlight is on him. With 21 goals already to his credit, Pulisic is already tied for 7th all-time for the USMNT, and he is easily ahead of anyone else on this roster. 

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England National Team Profile:

FIFA World Rank: 5

Manager: Gareth Southgate

World Cup Appearances: 16

Best Finish: Champions (1966)

Odds to Win Cup: +700

Odds to Win Group B: -275

Odds to Qualify: -1500

Group Stage Points Total O/U: 6.5

Group Stage Schedule:

November 21 vs. Iran

November 25 vs.United States

November 29 vs. Wales

The England National Football Team is expected to fly out of this group with ease, as the oddsmakers have them as clear favourites to advance from Group Stage. All that is well and good but there is one number on everyone’s mind around the UK, and that’s 1966. 

Among the favourites to lift the trophy this year, England is on the big board behind Argentina, Brazil, and France with Espana not far behind. (Depending on your book and the time you see this, odds are always subject to variate)

There is a concern on the defensive side of the ball as the tournament gets set to kick off in November. There is news out of England that Gary Neville is possibly being approached to play right back, which is a position that was loaded just a few months ago. If you recall, there were too many right-backs for Southgate to find playing time for, and now injuries have led to major concerns just about a month away from the first kickoff match against Iran.

Keiran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been in the news recently about whether they will be asked to wear a jersey in Qatar. Of course, the English press will make the most out of all they can leading up to the event to make it look like the team is a mess.

Ultimately, it will all come down to how England navigates their way after the group stage when the big names come calling. There is zero value in a prediction of England advancing out of Group B, but I don’t think they will take all 9 points cleanly in this group. Someone will cause an issue, and it just might be a scrappy Wales team that would love nothing more to take on mighty England in the World Cup and beat them.

Iran will not challenge this team, and the USA always has major issues, at major events, getting major results themselves. England has made a deep run in both of the last two major tournaments, and the fans want to snap the long drought without holding this trophy. 

A run to the 2020 Euro finals that followed up the Final 4 showing in Russia is great to build on if a run to hoist the hardware happens.

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Iran National Team Profile:

FIFA World Rank: 21

Manager: Carlos Queiroz

World Cup Appearances: 6

Best Finish: Group Stage (5)

Odds to Win Cup: +50,000

Odds to Win Group B: +1800

Odds to Qualify: +350

Group Stage Points Total O/U: 2.5

Group Stage Schedule:

November 21 vs. England

November 25 vs. Wales

November 29 vs. United States

Iran is still in search of its first escape from Group Stage, this being the 6th appearance at the FIFA World Cup. According to the line setters, they’ll have to wait another 4 years, at least, as they are bottom feeders in this group and they’re not expected to advance again.

Having to open against England will also be a tall order, and they will be heavy underdogs in hopes of finding any type of result to begin the Finals in Qatar against the 5th ranked team on the planet.

Final call-ups for the National Team’s 26-man World Cup roster revealed a lot about how Carlos Queiroz plans on trying to get his team out of their first group stage. 

As long as Sardar Azmoun is healthy, we have to assume he will be asked to play a major role in any success of this team in Qatar. With 65 caps and 41 goals, Azmoun took part in the friendly against Senegal recently, and much was made about that roster being close to what we might see during Group Stage.

Does it all ultimately just mean that Iran is considered the odd man out in a group where they are simply overmatched? Well, I don’t think any major outlet will be calling for a big upset of England, so the outings against Wales and The United States will be crucial. The line setters are trying to tell us that Wales and the USMNT will be one of the two participants moving to the next round of the tournament, so it will be a big storyline if Iran finds points in Group B play at all.

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Wales National Team Profile:

FIFA World Rank: 18

Manager: Rob Page

World Cup Appearances: 2

Best Finish: Quarterfinals (1958)

Odds to Win Cup: +17,500

Odds to Win Group B: +550

Odds to Qualify: +120

Group Stage Points Total O/U: 3.5

Group Stage Schedule:

November 21 vs. United States

November 25 vs. Iran

November 29 vs. England

Wales had to go through the longest process of any Nation to end up with a spot in Qatar because of the issues with the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Their final UEFA qualifying match with Ukraine ended with Wales winning 1 – 0 on June 5, and the victory put the Wales ball in the pot for the final draw to be made.

Wales has not seen this stage since 1958, this being the second time that they are competing on this stage. They reached the quarterfinals that year but the process to get there this time around is just a bit different than it was then  All Wales did was draw all three of their group-stage matches in a tournament with only 16 Nations participating, and they went on to lose to Brazil, 1 – 0. 

Some guy named Pele scored the only goal, you might have heard of him. I grew up in New York and have been a Cosmos fan my entire life so I saw him play 3 matches here in NY myself. On top of that, I had the privilege of hosting the New York Cosmos team podcast from 2015 – 2017, and I met the dude so uh, there’s that!  

Anyway, that is not going to help us figure out what to expect from Wales, so enough about me!

Wales has the name everyone knows from his time in Real Madrid playing next to another little-known guy named Ronaldo. Gareth Bale seemingly takes a back seat to someone where ever he goes but yet here he is just one showing short of being the all-time leader in appearances with the National Team. Bale only sits one cap behind teammate Chris Gunter, who is also expected to be helping 

Wales will join England and escape the group stage, at least. One thing Bale can say is that with 40 goals he is the all-time leading goal-scorer for his Nation  Bale scored 6 goals in UEFA World Cup qualifying, and he knocked in the clinching goal against Ukraine in the 1 – 0 win to secure this spot in Qatar. It is safe to say that a lot hangs in the balance should Bale not be a major influence on this team in 2022. 

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World Cup 2022 Group B Predictions and Bets: (Bookmaker BetOnline)

Wales to advance to the Round of 16 at +120 1U

Iran Under 2.5 Points at -110 1U 

Wales Over 3.5 Points at -115 1U

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