The two countries do not have diplomatic relations, however, it became known that Qatar allowed flights from Israel and the Palestinian lands to its country. This will be done only for the duration of the World Cup. Thus, residents of Israel will be able to fly to the matches on a direct flight without transfers and cheer for their favorite teams.
Brazil is considered the favorite, and the UK team is also in the top four. The team of Israel's main allies, the United States, is among the outsiders, but the team has already qualified for the World Cup, which is a rarity. Let's take a closer look at the US team.
While the US women’s soccer team have enjoyed great success in recent years, the same can’t be said of the men’s side. They have managed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals, but how far will they progress in Qatar?
It’s an important tournament for the United States Men’s National Soccer Team. Let’s not start imagining they can return home in late December wIth the World Cup. Even the most patriotic supporter knows that is just an American dream, predicted NJ sport betting experts. (Current US odds are +10000).
However, it is vital that a good display takes place in Qatar. The moment the 2022 World Cup ends, the US knows that they won’t need to be preparing for any 2026 World Cup qualifiers. That’s because along with Canada and Mexico, the US is one of the co-hosts for the next finals. That will put more pressure on them to perform just as was the case in 1994.
2022 could well be a stepping stone for the American team. Just qualifying is a step forward after the heartbreak of missing out in 2018. The progress that had been made in the past disappeared when they failed to make it to those finals.
They had to ensure that there wasn’t a repeat disaster but it proved to be a rather bumpy road to Qatar. The US team is highly ranked (currently 11th in the FIFA world rankings.
With a ranking like that, qualification should have been straightforward, especially with three automatic qualification places available. However, it all ended with them finishing in third place and with one major problem.
The US may have a high ranking but they have earned that through their home form. Their away results are simply appalling and that does not bode well for the World Cup in Qatar. In their qualifying group, the US won one away game. That was against a Honduras side that finished bottom of the group after failing to win a single qualifier.
That return was disappointing enough but the fact is the other six away matches produced just three draws. Even more worrying is the shocking statistic of just one goal scored in those six matches.
Hardly the form of a team that can go far in the World Cup finals. Those betting on the US in states such as New York or New Jersey may feel very nervous unless there is improvement.
The away day problem hasn’t got any better since the end of those qualifiers. Games against El Salvador and Saudi Arabia also failed to produce victories.Key players such as Christian Pulisic need to find form in Qatar.
Their group isn’t the easiest but it could have been worse. They take on England, hoping for a repeat of their famous World Cup win in 1950. The English team hasn’t won an international match since March. They’ve just been relegated from the Nations League and only scored from open play in one of their last six matches.
Wales have also just been relegated from the top flight in the Nations League. Could the excitement of a first World Cup since 1958 prove too much for them? The American side may benefit from being the first to play them in Qatar.
Their other group match is against Iran. That’s the final fixture and one they will most likely need to win to reach the last 16. Again, it’s a winnable match but those away day blues need to be sorted out..This article was written in cooperation with Evgeny Krinitsyn