Many surprises have occurred as the World Cup moves forward over the next week.

From Argentina losing to Saudi Arabia, Neymar getting an ankle injury in the first game for Brazil, and the United States and England tying 0-0 on November 25. Yes, that might not sound like it was much of a game, but what made that match quite spectacular was that the United States did not just draw against England; they had them on their back heels for most of the game.

Many had low expectations for the U.S. coming into the game, and many thought they would lose to the sixth-ranked team in the world and the runner-up of the Euro 2021 tournament. However, they held on for a full 90 minutes and were able to keep the Three Lions goalless.

After their 1-1 draw with Wales, hopes were pretty low; now, hopes should be pretty high once more. Ok, yes, drawing to Gareth Bale and Wales was not the kind of start that the red, white, and blue wanted, but now tying England has brought the U.S. right back into talks of going on to the knockout round. 

As mentioned earlier, the U.S. dominated by getting pressure on England on their side of the pitch and getting many corner kicks (seven in total) that kept English defenders on constant watch for what was coming next.

Second, English striker Harry Kane didn’t get as many chances as he had hoped. Every fan of soccer knows what that man is capable of. You give him less than an inch on his best days, and he makes you pay.

What some teams worldwide have struggled to do for years, the U.S. made look easy. The U.S. also had more tackles and was elite on the counterattack. Yes, England had more shots on target and did a better job winning tackles and clearing the ball. However, the U.S. did better with pressure in the box. Watching the game made it easy to see the frustration on three lions manager Gareth Southgate’s face as the U.S. kept the ball near England’s box. 

This is a huge draw more than anything else because it keeps the United States’ World Cup hope alive and well. The next team they face is Iran, and all they need to do is beat them for the “Golden Generation” to earn their way to the knockout stages of the World Cup and will avoid the outcome that the host nation has already seen (the United States has since advanced after a 1-0 victory vs. Iran).

This huge World Cup dream is only possible because of their surprising performance against their rivals across the pond, England. The U.S. fans should be excited because, as they proved on the 25th, Team USA can go toe to toe with some of the best nations in the world and match them.