The United States Men’s National Soccer Team takes on Iran in its third and final match of the 2022 World Cup group stage Tuesday. Sitting in third place in the Group B standings, Team USA faces a “win or go home” situation in Qatar.
It’s a simple scenario for the USA ahead of its match with Iran, which starts at 2 p.m. ET. The USA advances to the knockout stage of the World Cup with a victory Tuesday. If the USA loses or ties Iran, the Americans are eliminated from the tournament.
The match between Wales and England can only affect whether or not the USA wins Group B. The result won’t impact the USA’s chances of staying in the World Cup for another match.
By defeating Wales, England would win Group B. An Iran win combined with an England tie or loss would result in the Iranians winning the group. If the USA beats Iran and England loses to Wales, the Americans win the group.
The odds suggest that the USA has a 50/50 chance to be one of the two Group B teams that reach the next round of the World Cup. The USA has +100 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to beat Iran. The odds of a tie are +230. Iran is a +300 underdog.
Iran has already pulled off one upset. Viewed as the weakest team in Group B, Iran defeated Wales 2-0 to move to second place in the group standings. Iran was a +280 underdog after losing 6-2 against England.
The USA overcame the odds by tying heavily favored England on the day after Thanksgiving. Wales tied the USA 1-1 on the strength of a penalty kick in the final 20 minutes of their World Cup opener.
If the USA wants to keep its World Cup hopes alive, another tie won’t be enough.
