KANSAS CITY, Kan, (AP) — Two months after the World Cup draw, the United States discovered it can open the match in opposition to Wales on Nov 21.
“It’s full steam forward, concentrating on Wales,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter mentioned after Sunday’s 0-0 draw in opposition to Uruguay in a prep match.
At the draw on April 1, the U.S. was slotted to open Group B in opposition to Wales, Ukraine or Scotland, and to then play England 4 days later and shut the primary spherical in opposition to Iran on Nov. 29. FIFA postponed Ukraine’s playoff video games following Russia’s assault, and the Ukrainians gained 3-1 at Scotland on Wednesday earlier than shedding 1-0 at Wales on Sunday in a match that ended about three hours earlier than the Americans kicked off.
“My coronary heart goes out to Ukraine,” Berhalter mentioned. “The entire world was most likely behind Ukraine and wanting them to go to the World Cup.”
Wales is ranked 18th on this planet, three behind the U.S.
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“We know what their group’s about, and we’re going to have to put in efficiency,” American star Christian Pulisic mentioned.
U.S. gamers watched the final quarter-hour.
“To get to play a man like Gareth Bale I believe is one thing we will all be enthusiastic about,” defender Walker Zimmerman mentioned, referring to Wales’ profession scoring chief.
Jesús Ferreira failed to convert a pair of first-half probabilities as U.S. forwards stored up their goal-scoring struggles of their second of 4 World Cup warmup matches this month.
The Americans stretched their dwelling unbeaten streak to 25 matches since a September 2019 loss to Mexico. That’s one shy of the group report set from 2013-15.
Ferreira had the perfect American probabilities, a 15-yard shot saved by Fernando Muslera within the nineteenth after which an open header large a minute later. Haji Wright, who debuted Wednesday, changed Ferreira within the 61st.
American forwards have one aim within the group’s final 13 matches — by Ferreira in a 5-1 rout of Panama in a World Cup qualifier on March 27.
“The last go was a bit off,” Berhalter mentioned. “We’ll hold working with these guys.”
Edinson Cavani was large with an 8-yard shot for Uruguay within the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
In the United States’ first sport in opposition to a South American opponent since a 1-1 draw in opposition to Uruguay at St. Louis in 2019, midfielder Weston McKennie performed the primary half in his first begin for membership and nation since breaking two bones in his left foot with Juventus on Feb. 22.
Sean Johnson was in aim for the United States for the tenth time, the primary since January 2020, and he used his left shin to make a point-blank block on Darwin Núñez within the 61st.
“I’ve been ready fairly a while for a second like this,” the 32-year-old Johnson mentioned. “Would love to construct on it.”
Pulisic at 23 years, 71 days turned the seventh-youngest American to make 50 worldwide appearances after Landon Donovan (22 years, 28 days), Chris Henderson, Jozy Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley and Tony Meola.
The Fifteenth-ranked U.S. began proper again DeAndre Yedlin for Reggie Cannon, left again Joe Scally instead of Antonee Robinson and McKennie as a substitute of Brenden Aaronson.
Yedlin stood out in vibrant inexperienced hair. Scally acquired his first begin after making his debut in opposition to Morocco and shifted to the appropriate when Robinson changed Yedlin within the 62nd.
The U.S. wore jerseys with rainbow-colored numbers for Pride Month and wore orange armbands to elevate consciousness in opposition to gun violence.
In an odd twist, match officers allowed Uruguay to make seven substitutions, yet one more than guidelines permit.
Uruguay coach Diego Alonso modified 10 starters from Thursday’s 3-0 win over Mexico, maintaining solely defender Jose Giménez.
The U.S. performs One hundred and seventieth-ranked Grenada on Friday at Austin, Texas, in its World Cup sendoff, the primary of two CONCACAF Nations League matches, then is at No. 74 El Salvador on June 14.
No. 13 Uruguay performs South Korea, Portugal and Ghana in Group H.
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