The US Men's National Team has learned what teams (well, mostly) they'll be playing come November in Qatar.
Being slotted as the Pot 2 team in Group B, the USA will play against seeded team England, Iran from Pot 3, and the winner of the UEFA playoff that will be decided in June between Wales, Scotland, and Ukraine.
In terms of the possible draws, this is almost the best we could have hoped for. England is a very strong and talented side but of all the Pot 1 teams (other than hosts Qatar) they're arguably the one with the lowest basement, a giant that very often has suffered from feet of clay in major tournaments.
Iran is a very good side for Asia and should absolutely not be underestimated, though they're hardly world beaters. One thing to watch is that this tournament will feel almost like homefield advantage to them given their fans are just a quick jaunt across the Persian Gulf from home. There are also obvious geopolitical and cultural considerations in this matchup, so expect this game to be rather spicy.
The winner of the UEFA playoff is where things get interesting. Ukraine, Scotland, and Wales are all good teams, all around the same rough level of talent as the United States. Any of these teams could be a daunting proposition, though my personal preference is that we draw Scotland. Obviously it would be a feel good story if Ukraine made it, but I also don't think we want that smoke. Being invaded by Russia probably serves as the ultimate motivator for athletes, so expect Ukraine to be a dangerous foe if they make it to the tournament.
In terms of our outlook if we make it to the knockout rounds, we have a generally favorable draw. Were we to win the group, we'd have a good chance of playing hosts Qatar, one of the weakest teams in the entire tournament in the Round of 16. Were we to finish second, we'd likely have a daunting but not insurmountable matchup with (probably) the Netherlands.
Interestingly there's a small but non-zero chance we could play arch-rivals Mexico in the quarterfinals. We would have to finish second and beat the Group A winner, and Mexico would have to not only win their group with Argentina and Poland but also get past the Runners Up of Group D (probably Denmark).
