There were three Concacaf qualifiers in three countries across seven days, a pair of red-eye flights, a long coaches meeting in Qatar, FIFA’s pomp and cringe and then multiple media interviews. That’s a lot to endure and absorb. But U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter still had enough energy to revel in Friday’s World Cup draw in Doha, not to mention the opportunities and challenges awaiting his young team in November. This was what the past three years—all that effort, planning and overhaul—were about. After missing out in 2018, the American men are back in the World Cup.
“I don’t even know what day it is. But I’m going on fumes and it’s a positive type of fumes that you’re going on. I’m at the World Cup draw. I’m not complaining right now about being tired,” Berhalter said Friday.
There are complications amid the relief and excitement, highlighted by the fact that the U.S. will play an undetermined opponent on Nov. 21, the World Cup’s opening day. Along with top seed and European Championship runner-up England and Asian heavyweight Iran, the Americans landed in Group B with the country that emerges from the Wales vs. Scotland/Ukraine playoff in June. Competing early in the World Cup eats into potential preparation time, which was already abnormally short. Clubs aren’t required to release their players until Nov. 14.
