Three days after getting most of its World Cup assignment, the U.S. men’s national learned a bit more about how it’ll be preparing for Qatar. There are just two international windows before the World Cup’s November kickoff, leaving room in the congested calendar for only six more international matches. Monday night’s Concacaf Nations League draw revealed two of those six opponents: El Salvador and Grenada, which the U.S. will meet in early June.
If the World Cup represents the sport’s grandest stage, then the Nations League is about development and bolstering soccer’s foundation. Launched in 2019, the biennial, three-tier tournament represents Concacaf’s effort to address the top-heavy nature of the 41-nation body, whose numerous smaller members lacked sufficient opportunities to play, improve, and attract fans and revenue.
Concacaf wisely injected some stakes by turning the Nations League into the Gold Cup qualifying competition—the U.S. will have to finish among the top two of its three-team League A group to guarantee its spot at the 2023 confederation championship—but it’s still largely a redundant exercise for the region’s top sides. That redundancy is especially impactful this year, as the Americans, who won the first Nations League title, will have limited leeway to schedule non-Concacaf opponents who might help prepare them for the World Cup.
