The United States Rugby Team Did Not Qualify for the World Cup

Despite tying Portugal, the United States was unable to re-enter a competition in which they had competed for the previous six years.

The US men’s rugby team suffered a difficult defeat on Friday, drawing 16-16 with Portugal in Dubai. This meant they would be unable to compete in the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023.

Despite the fact that the World Cup is one of the rare occasions when rugby receives a lot of attention in the United States, the national team will not be there this year.

U.S. Rugby Team Fails to Qualify for World Cup

Despite appearing in the World Cup 21 times in 22 years, the United States has never performed well (3-22 overall). The United States has been in eight of the past nine World Cups in the last six years. Prior to 2007, Portugal has never qualified for a World Cup.

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Most people predicted a tight game because the US was rated 19th and Portugal was ranked 18th. This was demonstrated in the first half of the game. Portugal led Spain by a single point at the interval, 10 to 9. A.J. MacGinty, the captain and fly half for the United States, scored three penalty kick points. Portugal scored one try and one penalty kick, while the US had a man sent off (the rugby equivalent of the penalty box).

In the second half, Portugal scored a penalty kick to extend their advantage, but the United States scored to reduce the deficit. After some difficult play near the goal line, Kapeli Pifeleti pushed the ball across the line for a try, giving the US a 16-13 lead.

The game was advertised as a clash between the powerhouse United States and the quick-moving Portugal. The American defense was powerful and disciplined, and it confronted the Portuguese approach head on. However, it is critical that the United States does not extend its advantage.

Portugal also employed a trump card. In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker would be utilized to determine who would win. When there was no longer time, Portugal had one more chance to draw the game with a penalty kick. Samuel Marques kicked a field goal from 35 yards out. When the score was knotted at 16, the United States was eliminated from the World Cup.

It was Team USA’s third and last chance to make the playoffs. We will defeat Uruguay for the first time in October 2021. The United States lost the second game of the series 50-34.

The US had a second opportunity to play Chile in July. They appeared to be in good condition after winning the road game by one point. The United States lost by only two points in the replay, which was held in Glendale, Colorado, after leading 19-0. Chile qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

The United States will host the World Cup in 2031, which rugby enthusiasts in the country think would provide a significant boost to the sport. As a result, qualifying felt extremely vital for the United States.

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In a last-chance qualifier in Dubai, the US defeated Kenya and Hong Kong, both of which were plainly inferior, by a combined score of 96 points. Nonetheless, Portugal defeated the same opponents by a considerably larger score (113 points). This decision ultimately determined whether or not we would attend the World Cup.

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