Tag: World Cup 2022

Are these the USMNT World Cup kits? Weston McKennie hints they are (and he’s not a fan)

The USMNT may be going with an unorthodox look for the World Cup

The U.S. men’s national team may be going with an unorthodox look for the 2022 World Cup.

The team’s World Cup kits have yet to be revealed, but unconfirmed leaks were making the rounds on Monday and appeared to be at least mildly confirmed by none other than Weston McKennie.

The leak includes one white and one blue kit, which both feature the U.S. badge in the center of the kit with the Nike swoosh on the sleeve in a departure from the typical design.

When the “USMNT Only” Twitter account sent out a picture of the two kits on Instagram, McKennie replied: “Tried to tell them” along with a crying emoji.

The leaks got a further boost when a physical picture of the kits appeared.

Univision reporter Michele Giannone also said on Twitter it was his understanding that the leak was the real deal.

It should be noted, once again, that these are unconfirmed leaks at this point. McKennie has a bit of a reputation as a trickster, so his “confirmation” should also be taken with a grain of salt.

But there appears to be some smoke here. Stay tuned.

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FIFA to start 2022 World Cup a day early with Qatar vs. Ecuador

The World Cup is closer than you think

The World Cup is coming up even faster than it seems.

FIFA on Thursday confirmed reports that it would move the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar up a day, with the hosts now set to host Ecuador in a standalone opener on November 20.

Originally, the World Cup was set to open on November 21, with Senegal facing the Netherlands in the opening game of the tournament, and Qatar vs. Ecuador coming up later in the day.

That would have marked a break with tradition that has long seen either the host or the defending champion participate in the World Cup curtain-raiser.

However, FIFA—after what it calls “an assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a thorough consultation process and an agreement with key stakeholders and the host country”—has opted to return to that pattern, with Qatar now playing in the tournament’s first game, which will take place at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.

To go along with the change, FIFA has also changed the start time for that Senegal vs. Netherlands match, moving it from 1:00pm local time to 7:00pm. That will leave it nestled between the Group B doubleheader set for the same day, with England playing Iran at 4:00pm, and the U.S. men’s national team taking on Wales at 10:00pm.

FIFA added that there will be no change to the final date that clubs must release players to join their national teams, which remains November 14.

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Philipp Lahm is not going to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

“Human rights should play the biggest role in the awarding of a tournament”

Former Germany star Philipp Lahm has said he won’t be attending the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, citing human rights.

Qatar’s selection as host has been controversial from the start due to the country’s treatment of migrant workers, which was magnified by a report from The Guardian last year that said 6,500 migrant workers had died in the lead-up to the tournament.

There are also ongoing questions over the country’s treatment of women and the LGBT community.

In an interview with Kicker, Lahm, who is tournament director for Euro 2024 in Germany, said he would be passing on the chance to travel to Qatar later this year.

“I’m not part of the delegation and I’m not keen on flying there as a fan,” the ex-Germany international said. “I prefer to follow the tournament from home.”

“Human rights should play the biggest role in the awarding of a tournament,” Lahm added. “If a country is awarded the event that is one of the worst performers in this regard, you start to think about the criteria used to make the decision. That shouldn’t happen again in the future. Human rights, sustainability, the size of the country – none of that seems to have played a role.”

Lahm added that he expected to see the Germany squad traveling to Qatar to not keep quiet about the World Cup host.

“As a player, you can’t get around it anymore” the 38-year-old said.

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Paul Pogba takes a risk on his knee injury in attempt to save World Cup hopes

The midfielder will aim for a five-week course of rehab instead of going under the knife

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has opted against having surgery for a tear in his meniscus in an attempt to keep his World Cup hopes alive, according to multiple reports.

Pogba suffered the injury in training during Juve’s tour of the United States. After consulting with a specialist in France, the midfielder has opted for a five-week rehab program involving training in the gym and swimming pool, according to Tuttosport.

The 29-year-old had the option to fix the problem through surgery, but that could have jeopardized his availability for the World Cup. Pogba is hoping to play a key role for France like he did in 2018 when Les Bleus won the tournament.

There are, of course, risks involved in Pogba’s choice to not undergo surgery and comprehensively fix the knee issue. The midfielder has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and failing to fully deal with his latest issue will make it more likely to come up again in the future.

For Juventus, it’s an inauspicious start to Pogba’s celebrated return from Manchester United, with the midfielder coming back to the club where he starred between 2012 and 2016.

France, at least for the time being, can breathe a sigh of relief that its star midfielder won’t undergo an operation that would see him likely miss the World Cup.

But all parties will be holding their collective breath that Pogba’s latest injury setback won’t be a sign of things to come.

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Fox’s first World Cup 2022 commercial has Jon Hamm playing Santa Claus

Even Santa can’t hope to match Ronaldo for social media followers

When the 2022 World Cup was first switched from summer to winter, Fox was understandably pretty angry.

The network bid for the World Cup with the intention of filling its open summer months with the extremely lucrative tournament. By contrast, Fox’s winter schedule is already filled up with college and NFL football among other sports.

But time (and, especially, a no-bid contract for the 2026 World Cup to stave off a potential lawsuit) has seen Fox embrace a winter World Cup, as its first commercial for the tournament has shown.

Jon Hamm plays Santa Claus in the spot, and he’s alerted to the uncomfortable reality that the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are about to encroach on what normally is his “time to shine.”

The World Cup kicks off on November 21 and concludes on December 18, meaning the Thanksgiving and Christmas season will, for the first time ever, feature a hefty dose of World Cup soccer on the side. Hopefully Santa can find time in his busy schedule to catch a few games.

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2022 World Cup will feature automated offside detection technology

500 data points per second, 12 cameras, and 3D models are coming to the World Cup

FIFA has announced Friday that “semi-automated” offside technology will be used at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

A combination of cameras in stadiums and a sensor placed inside the Al Rihla match ball will combine to send data to the VAR officials in a given match, who if alerted will manually check the position of the player and the timing of when the ball was struck before alerting the referee.

12 dedicated cameras are set to track the ball and as many as 29 data points on each individual player (including any body part that could trigger an offside call), recording the positions of all of them 50 times per second. The sensor in the ball records data 500 times per second to show exactly when the ball has been struck.

FIFA says “offside decisions can be made faster and more accurately” due to the program, which will also include instantly-generated 3D models that will be shown in stadiums and made available to broadcasters to show why the offside call has been made.

“VAR has already had a very positive impact on football and we can see that the number of major mistakes has already been dramatically reduced. We expect that semi-automated offside technology can take us a step further,” said former World Cup referee Pierluigi Collina, who now serves as chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. “We are aware that sometimes the process to check a possible offside takes too long, especially when the offside incident is very tight. This is where semi-automated offside technology comes in – to offer faster and more accurate decisions.”

The system has been tested at the 2021 Club World Cup as well as the 2021 Arab Cup, and was analyzed by the MIT Sports Lab, with further scientific validation on the camera system coming from TRACK at Victoria University. Nonetheless, FIFA will continue testing in the four months between now and the World Cup itself “to fine-tune the system.”

Teams that qualified for the World Cup will learn more about the system in a presentation during a Team Workshop in Doha from July 4-5, with that presentation to be available to the public at a later date.

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FIFA confirms 26-player squads at 2022 World Cup

Teams can bring three more players to Qatar than expected

After weeks of discussion, FIFA has confirmed Thursday that squad sizes at the 2022 World Cup will allow for a maximum of 26 players, up from the traditional 23.

In announcing the change, FIFA cited “the need to retain additional flexibility due to the unique timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the global calendar, as well as the broader context of the disruptive effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on squads before and during tournaments.”

In addition to the expanded rosters, FIFA detailed several other changes to normal World Cup procedure. Preliminary rosters, customarily a list of 35 players, have been expanded to 55. The total delegation allowed to be on a given team’s bench is capped at 26, with up to 15 substitute players and 11 team officials (coaches, trainers, equipment staff, etc.) allowed.

FIFA also set November 13, 2022, as the final day that any player named to a final World Cup roster can play club soccer.

Earlier this month, FIFA and its law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) added the five substitution rule to the Laws of the Game, taking a provisional Covid-19-era rule change and making it permanent, which served as a strong hint that the expanded squad sizes weren’t far behind.

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Ecuador keep World Cup place after FIFA decision on Byron Castillo

Chile’s claims that Ecuador fielded an ineligible player eight times were shot down by FIFA.

Ecuador is still headed to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup after FIFA closed the door on Chile’s claims that defender Byron Castillo is only eligible to represent Colombia.

It’s a convoluted case, to say the least. Castillo appeared eight times in qualifying for Ecuador, who finished in the fourth and final automatic qualification spot in CONMEBOL. Chile, meanwhile, argued that Castillo was ineligible (and also, three years older than Ecuador says he is), and that all eight of those games should be awarded to the opponent as a 3-0 forfeit.

If that were true, Chile says they would climb from seventh place up to fourth, leapfrogging both Peru (who face Australia in an intercontinental playoff on Monday) and Colombia in the process.

However, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee offered a brief statement shutting down Chile’s bid, the key passage of which read as follows:

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has rendered its decision in relation to the potential ineligibility of the player Byron David Castillo Segura with regard to his participation in eight qualifying matches of the national team of the Ecuadorian Football Association (FEF) in the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

After analysing the submissions of all parties concerned and considering all elements brought before it, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to close the proceedings initiated against the FEF.

According to The New York Times, Chile will appeal the Disciplinary Committee’s decision. In the meantime, Ecuador remains in Group A with Qatar, the Netherlands, and Senegal.

Why each World Cup 2022 contender can win it all (SPOILER: USMNT will not)

The Soccer Expert™ knows exactly what will happen in Qatar.

You’ll be doing more than inhaling turkey, mashed potatoes, and copious amounts of pie this Thanksgiving.

For the first time, you’ll have another major sport to watch. Instead of that game they call “football” — despite someone using their foot only a dozen or so times a game — you’ll have the option to watch international soccer at its highest level. Woo!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Soccer during the American holiday season: What a time to be alive.

On Friday, FIFA revealed the eight, four-team groups and overall favorites for this year’s tournament. Everyone, of course, complained, celebrated, and picked apart their place among the world soccer elite.

I will go ahead and do the hard work for you and tell you who and why will win that delightful golden ball on a small pedestal. I’m something of a Soccer Expert™ myself, so you can rest assured that each of these thoughts will age quite well.

Take it away, Mr. Osborne!

All odds and ends via Tipico Sportsbook.

Here’s when you can watch USMNT’s World Cup 2022 group stage games on TV

What a comfortable draw for the Americans.

The dust has settled, and the names have been released from the tiny soccer balls. We know who is guaranteed to play each other in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. We also know who to expect to come out on top. What a fun little web we weave as a soccer community.

What we didn’t know is when the United States — which will be in its first World Cup in eight years — will play over the holiday season. It appears the FIFA schedule makers have a soft spot for the Americans (and they really, really want those TV dollars).

When you start to kick back in late November to watch the Americans in the World Cup group stage, you’ll be able to do it on a lovely, lazy afternoon.

All three USMNT World Cup group stage games start at 2 p.m. Eastern. Huh.

Does any other team have the same advantage of consistency? Count your lucky stars that you can see Christian Pulisic in his first World Cup, halfway across the world, while you’re still wide awake.

As far as what you can expect from USMNT, Tipico Sportsbook has the Americans at +10000 to win the World Cup. That would slot them in at a comfortable 18th overall. So, not likely. But hey, crazier things have happened. And at least you’ll get to watch the U.S. soccer madness while there’s still light outside.

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