The US men’s national team is one step closer to learning their third Group B opponent at the Qatar 2022 World Cup after Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 on Wednesday at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland.
Ukraine will now face Wales on Sunday (12 pm ET | ESPN+) at Cardiff City Stadium, with the winner earning a World Cup berth for November in a group containing the USMNT, England and Iran.
The playoff matches are contested within Path A in Europe’s second round of qualification, though were pushed back due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Blue and Yellow were originally scheduled to face Scotland in late March, when Wales knocked off Austria 2-1 to book passage to Sunday’s decisive match.
Against Scotland, Ukraine were paced by goals from West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko and Benfica forward Roman Yaremchuk before Artem Dovbyk iced things in second-half stoppage time. They had placed second in Group D during UEFA’s first round of qualification, one spot behind 2018 World Cup winners France.
USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter has voiced support for Ukraine, expressing as much after the World Cup draw on April 1 in Doha, Qatar.
“If Ukraine makes it there, it's a wonderful accomplishment,” Berhalter previously said. "I think if the people of Ukraine can get some hope by their team playing in the World Cup, it's amazing, and I think that it will be more of a celebration in my eyes than political ramifications. We're all pulling for Ukraine, we’re all behind them, supporting them, and we hope that the situation resolves as soon as possible.”
Navigating past Wales won’t be easy, as the Dragons have made runs at consecutive European championships. They boast an experienced side that’s led by forward Gareth Bale, midfielder Aaron Ramsey and defender Ben Davies, among others.
Wales played World Cup-bound Poland in a friendly on Wednesday, losing 2-1 after Charlotte FC striker Karol Swiderski scored a game-winning goal in the 85th minute.
USMNT's World Cup schedule
- Nov. 21 vs. UEFA Path A winner - 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
- Nov. 25 vs. England - 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
- Nov. 29 vs. Iran - 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
- 2022 World Cup Schedule
- 2022 World Cup times in USA and Canada
World Cup schedule
Rather than being held in the summer, the quadrennial event is being held during November and December. Qatar 2022 will be contested at eight stadiums across five cities.
The schedule breakdown is below:
- Group stage: Nov. 21 to Dec. 2
- Round of 16: Dec. 3-6
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 9-10
- Semifinals: Dec. 13-14
- Third place: Dec. 17
- Final: Dec. 18
