It’s the question that’s been on every American soccer fan’s mind since Oct. 10, 2017: Will USMNT qualify for World Cup 2022? More than four years later, the Americans are in the thick of qualifying, and it may again come down to the wire. So what are the odds USMNT makes World Cup 2022, and do we think it will happen?
The USMNT will begin its next World Cup qualifying campaign window with a home game against El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio, at 7 p.m. ET. The 28-man roster was announced on Jan. 21; now the starting USMNT lineup needs to be decided.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter routinely employs a 4-3-3 formation with his squads and would be expected to do so again against El Salvador. With the players he has chosen, this is the starting lineup expected for Thursday.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that increased revenues from a biennial World Cup would create opportunities for Africans who otherwise could migrate and find "death in the sea" crossing the Mediterranean.
It is, we're learning, a question that can be framed in countless ways — "Will it be an advantage? But will it really be an advantage? How will you prepare? How will you mentally prepare? Will you put hot chicken broth in your water bottle so it doesn't freeze?" — but really only ever has one definitive plan of action: Deal with it.
ROME — Mario Balotelli was named in the Italy squad for the first time since 2018 on Monday, as the Adana Demirspor striker joined seven uncapped players in Roberto Mancini's 35-man training camp selection.
Balotelli, who worked under Azzurri coach Mancini earlier in his career at Inter Milan and Manchester City, has not featured for the national team since September 2018.
But the 31-year-old earned a recall for this week's three-day training camp after scoring eight goals in 18 league games to fire Adana Demirspor to fourth place in the Turkish Super Lig.
Ghana and the United States men’s national team have a rich history of meeting at the World Cup. The African nation knocked out the USMNT of the world’s biggest tournament in 2010 and 2006 and the Americans got revenge in 2014. Both teams failed to make the 2018 edition and now the question of will Ghana make the World Cup looms after the latest World Cup qualifying draw.
The Canadian national team became notorious for its home-field advantage in World Cup qualifying after hosting Costa Rica and Mexico in the frigid cold of Edmonton. The Canada vs USA location for January’s qualifying game will once again have freezing temperatures as the Canucks host the Americans in Hamilton, Ontario.
Date: Jan. 30
Brazil coach Tite has left out Renan Lodi for their World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay because the Atlético Madrid full back has not had a full course of COVID-19 vaccines.
"Renan Lodi was excluded from the possibility of being called up due to his non-vaccination," Tite, who recalled Dani Alves and Philippe Coutinho, told reporters on Thursday. "He missed the chance to compete (for a place)."
The Qatar container stadium for the 2022 World Cup has been receiving a considerable amount of attention online. A plethora of media outlets are oogling over this glorified hunk of metal.
Stadium 974’s exterior is built of recycled shipping containers, 974 to be exact. The stadium seats 40,000 and can be completely taken down and rebuilt in a different location.
American fans are dying to see the USMNT January roster that will take on El Salvador, Canada and Honduras in the crucial upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The fixation on the roster is so intense that fans brushed aside defender Aaron Long’s marriage.
Roster out?
— Tactical Manager (@ManagerTactical) January 6, 2022