The USA won't fear playing England at the Qatar World Cup, says national team legend DaMarcus Beasley

• DaMarcus Beasley says the USMNT won't fear playing England at the Qatar World Cup.
• The USA was drawn in the same group as the Three Lions alongside Iran.

The United States won't fear playing England at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

That's according to USMNT legend DaMarcus Beasley, who told Insider that Gregg Berhalter's side will be disappointed if it doesn't make it out of its group at international soccer's biggest tournament later this year.

"It's a good draw," Beasley told Insider when asked about the US being drawn against England in Group B, which will be made up of Iran and one of either Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine.

"Whenever you get to a World Cup it's tough. It doesn't matter who you're playing, you know, it's one game, if the ball trickles your way, on your day, you can win, it doesn't matter who you're playing against.

"But yeah, it's a good draw for the for us, for the United States. I'm excited, obviously, to see the team play England in a World Cup game again.

"I will say that England has not yet beaten the United States at the World Cup. I have to say that."

The US and England have met just once at the World Cup before, at South Africa 2010 when they saw out a 1-1 draw – a game best remembered for England keeper Robert Green's mistake that resulted in Clint Dempsey canceling out Steven Gerrard's opening goal.

England has improved drastically in the years since, especially under the tutelage of current manager Gareth Southgate, reaching the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and then the final of last summer's European Championships.

The USMNT has improved too, however, in recent years, with Berhalter's young team winning the CONCACAF Nations League in 2020 and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2021.

And Beasley, who was an un-used substitute against England in 2010, expects his country to make it to the knockout stages in Qatar.

"I think that it's not a too big of an expectation for the US to get out of their group," he said.

"I know they're young, for almost all of them is their first World Cup and that's pretty unheard of for any country, but I hold them at a very high standard.

"I think with this group of players and the draw that they've been given, I see them getting out of there, and I think if they don't, that will be disappointing."

"The US, they're concentrating on themselves, they're not worried about anybody else," added Beasley. "They're young, they just want to play.

"It doesn't matter who that draw was, they could have gotten France, Brazil, and Switzerland, and they would be the same. They just want to go out there and play and show the world that, you know, the USA is growing in the footballing world."

Who of Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine will join the USMNT and England in its group in Qatar won't be decided until June.

Wales has already secured its place in the final play-off final of UEFA qualifying, where it will face the winner of Scotland versus Ukraine for a spot at the World Cup.

The game between Scotland and Ukraine was set for last month, however, was delayed as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and will now take place on June 1, with the final going ahead four days later.

Beasley hopes it's either Wales or Scotland who manage to book their place in Qatar because it will be better for the US.

14 of the players in the current USMNT set-up either play or have played in the UK, while all of the players in both the current Wales and Scotland squads have also done the same.

On the contrast, only three players in Ukraine's current set-up have ever played in the UK.

"They're all tough teams, but I think a big part of it is familiarity with the players that the US are playing against," said Beasley.

"Playing against Scotland or Wales, they have familiar players that they will be playing against, there'll be familiar with who they're up against, and I think that's going to help that young group of players for the US get through."

Beasley is the USMNT's seventh most capped player ever having made 126 appearances for the Stars and Stripes between 2001 and 2017.

The US take on either Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine in its opening game of the Qatar World Cup on November 21.