The 2022 FIFA World Cup is in full swing and the final serving on Monday sees the United States take on Wales.
This particular clash is a must-win encounter for both sides involved. England are favourites to top Group B, meaning a winner between the U.S. and Wales would be a huge step towards qualifying for the Round of 16.
These nations have met just twice before, in 2003 and towards the end of 2020, both of them international friendlies. The Ahmed bin Ali Stadium is set to host the first competitive bout between USA and the Welsh Dragons.
Looking into the camps, USMNT is flooded with young talent which many expect to be the cornerstone of the national team for years to come. This ‘golden generation’ includes the likes of Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, and Sergino Dest. Only one player in the current group have previous World Cup experience, DeAndre Yedlin in 2014.
23-year-old Tyler Adams has been named USMNT captain for the World Cup, becoming the youngest skipper at the tournament for almost 75 years. The midfielder sealed a transfer to Premier League team Leeds United in the summer, on his way to becoming ‘Captain America’.
Tyler Adams will be USMNT’s captain at the World Cup.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 20, 2022
The 23-year-old will be their youngest at the tournament since 1950 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ug9miCZ745
USA boasts the second-youngest squad at the 2022 World Cup, with an average age of 24 years, and all but three of their 26 players are aged under 30. Only Ghana have a younger squad, on average, than the roster compiled by USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter.
Jesse Marsch, head coach of Leeds Utd where Adams and Brenden Aaronson currently play, has heaped praise on USMNT coach Berhalter for filtering in the younger group instead of clinging onto the aging players of yesteryear.
Marsch also thinks this tournament should lay the foundation for this generation of USMNT players, as the States prepare to co-host the World Cup in 2026.
Looking at the Welsh team, there is one particular player who the U.S. should be rather familiar with. Gareth Bale is currently signed to Major League Soccer (MLS) team Los Angeles FC. The 33-year-old joined the California-based franchise in the past summer after eight fruitful years as a Real Madrid player.
The Welsh Wizard was at the forefront for his country at each of the last two Euro tournaments, scoring three goals on route to the semi-finals in 2016.
He made his international debut back in 2006 and, more than a decade-and-a-half later, an appearance against USA would be his 109th in Wales colours – enough to become the joint-most capped player for his nation. Bale has scored a record 40 goals for the Dragons, 12 more than legendary striker Ian Rush.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Wales manager Rob Page has overseen the integration of the next-gen, with Bale one of six outfield players in the current squad to have also represented Cymru at Euro 2016. Veterans Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey are senior figures in the national team set-up, together with experienced defenders Chris Gunter and Ben Davies.
Another shared affinity between these two nations comes in the form of American celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, co-owners of Welsh club Wrexham AFC. The pair of Hollywood actors bought the club in late 2020.
In 2021/22, their first full season calling the shots at the third-oldest association football team in the world, Wrexham earned promotion to the National League – the fifth-tier on the English football pyramid.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney with a good luck message for Wales 🏴 🤣
— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) November 21, 2022
pic.twitter.com/OGASQ92ZR6
Kick-off between USA and Wales is at 22H00 local time (13H00 CT).
USA are favourites to win this particular encounter, at odds of +140; Wales are +220 to win; +200 for a draw. (Bet365)
