(Reuters) – Following is a statbox on the United States at the World Cup.
FIFA Ranking: 16
Odds: 100-1
Previous tournaments:
The United States have appeared in 10 World Cups. Their best performance was at the inaugural tournament in 1930 when they finished third. They reached the quarter-finals in 2002 courtesy of a 2-0 knockout win over Mexico in the last 16.
Their stunning 1-0 win against England in the 1950 group stage is among the greatest upsets in World Cup history. However, the success was short-lived and the U.S. failed to qualify for the next nine editions of the tournament.
How they qualified:
The pressure was on after the U.S. failed to reach the 2018 finals as they missed out for the first time in over 30 years.
Their latest campaign started slowly with draws against El Salvador and Canada before a 4-1 win over Honduras. They got the job done by scoring 21 goals in 14 games to finish third in CONCACAF qualifying behind Canada and Mexico.
Form guide:
The U.S. enjoyed a 3-0 romp over Morocco at home and held Uruguay to a 0-0 draw in June friendlies but their final two warm-ups raised serious concerns over their chances in Qatar.
They failed to produce a shot on goal in a 2-0 drubbing by Japan in September before Saudi Arabia held them to a 0-0 draw as the U.S. struggled to dominate their lower-ranked opponents.
The U.S. are expected to announce their World Cup squad on Nov. 9.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris)
