Where do the USMNT land on the oddsmakers board? Why US fans should believe in this team 

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” The famous Jim Carrey line from Dumb and Dumber is usually reserved for the impossible, and when you look at the USMNT and what they are up against in this World Cup you might categorize their chance at lifting a first ever World Cup as impossible. But hear me out.

Just how long of a long shot?

Mauricio Pochettino’s side will kick off their World Cup campaign as the 13th favorites to win the World Cup, out of 48 teams. The USMNT have never won sport’s biggest tournament, but really not many other teams have either. There have only been eight teams to ever win the World Cup in the 23 editions of the tournament.

Brazil have the most wins with five, Germany and Italy have four each, Argentina have three, France and Uruguay have two and England and Spain have each won it once. All but one of those teams are in this tournament, with Italy crashing out of qualifying in the playoff against Bosnia Herzegonvia. Six of the seven teams are higher on the oddsmakers big board than the US side, with Uruguay coming in at 15th, two spots below the stars and strips.

Heading into the tournament, the U.S. national team are (+6000) which means they are 60 to 1 long shots to win it all in a tournament they are co-hosting with Mexico and Canada. The chance is slim, but history shows that this is far from an impossibility. So what I’m telling you is that, yes there is a chance, and way more than Lloyd had with Mary Swanson after giving her her brief case back full of IOUs at the hotel in Aspen.

Seahawks, Leicester, and Team USA

If you need proof, I’ll give you the most recent case of a long shot pulling off a title winning campaign. How about the Seattle Seahawks. After trading away DK Metcalf, and letting their one time franchise QB, Geno Smith, go last summer, they brought in Sam Darnold and came into the season at 60 to 1 odds. Exactly the same odds as the USMNT.

Need me to put it in soccer terms? Ok, well how about Leicester City. Remember them? Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, Claudio Rainieri? Would you believe if I told you that they were anywhere from a 2000 to 1 all the way up to a 5000 to 1 long shot to top Manchester City, and Manchester United and Liverpool and Arsenal and Chelsea at the start of the 2015 season. Just to put that in perspective, Haiti who are last on the big board is a 2500 to 1 long shot. Leicester had half the chance to win the Premier League that Haiti has to win the World Cup if you got the odds at 5000 to 1.

Need it in terms of a national team? No problem. The 1980 US Men’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics. Otherwise known as the Miracle on Ice team. They played their amateur players, going up against the top dogs in international hockey. A bunch of college kids beat go all the way to the gold medal match, beat the Soviets, and overcame 1000 to 1 odds.

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