US World Cup hopes take hit after star player ruptures Achilles
The United States Men’s National Team has a decent chance to go as far as its ever gone in the World Cup, but they’ll have to do it without one of their best young stars.
Striker Patrick Agyemang, who has six goals in 14 appearances for the USMNT, ruptured his Achilles on Monday and has been ruled out for the tournament.
Agyemang was carried off on a stretcher while playing for Derby in the English second-tier, one tier below the Premier League. He was visibly emotional as he was taken off with his right leg strapped.
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The 25-year-old first represented the Stars and Stripes last year for training camp and friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica, scoring in both contests. He made the CONCACAF Gold Cup team last summer, where the United States lost to Mexico in the final.
Agyemang recently suited up for the United States last week against Belgium and Portugal, scoring against the former on March 28.
Team USA, one of three host countries, drew a favorable group back in December, as Paraguay, Australia and either one of the four teams in UEFA Path C, which includes Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo and Romania, stand in its way ahead of the knockout stage. The U.S. is the highest-ranked team of the group.
The USMNT has not had much success in the World Cup. The squad reached the Round of 16 in 2010 and 2014 but failed to qualify for the tournament in 2018. It returned to the Round of 16 four years ago but couldn’t advance out of the Copa América group stage on home soil last year.
After finishing in third place in the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the furthest they have made it since then is the 2002 quarterfinals.
Eleven of the 16 host stadiums are in the United States, including the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
The U.S. will open the tournament June 12 in Los Angeles against Paraguay on FOX.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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