National Teams

Giving a grade to each Concacaf team based on their first World Cup games

All four Concacaf teams competing at the World Cup have played their first games with all four failing to win. In this article we will grade the Concacaf teams at the World Cup based on their game results, how they looked and their likelihood of advancing to the knockout stages.

First let’s recap the results.

Concacaf Game 1 Results

  • USA: Tied Wales 1-1
  • Mexico: Tied Poland 0-0
  • Costa Rica: Lost to Spain 7-0
  • Canada: Lost to Belgium 1-0

Time for the grades.

USMNT's Ghana scouting report: We both have a lot of work to do to meet in the semis

World Cup history decrees that if the USMNT and Ghana qualify for the same tournament, they must play each other. It happened in 2006, 2010, 2014 and then both mutually agreed to miss 2018. In 2022, the two nations couldn't possibly meet until the semifinals, so that's what's going to happen.

Cristiano Ronaldo es el primer futbolista masculino en hacer un gol en cinco mundiales diferentes

En el largo libro de récords de Cristiano Ronaldo, hoy se escribió una nueva marca: con su gol en la victoria 3-2 de Portugal sobre Ghana, el delantero se convirtió en el primer futbolista masculino en la historia en marcar un gol en cinco mundiales diferentes.

¡SIUUU!

El énfasis en masculino es importante que la brasileña Marta había hecho los mismo en mundiales femeninos.

Ronaldo becomes first male to score in five World Cups after penalty vs. Ghana

DOHA - Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in five World Cups after netting a penalty in his side's opening Group H game against Ghana on Thursday.

He hit home in the 64th minute to give Portugal the lead after being tripped in the box.

Uruguay’s Federico Valverde was 6 inches away from scoring the goal of the tournament

Uruguay and Real Madrid star Federico Valverde almost had the highlight of his career on Thursday during his nation’s 0-0 draw vs. South Korea. With the score tied at in the 89th minute, Valverde ripped a shot from over 25 yards out that nearly brought the house down.

Valverde Shot vs. South Korea

¿Qué necesita México para clasificarse a los octavos de final de Catar 2022?

México debutó en esta edición de la Copa del Mundo con un empate a cero goles frente a la selección de Polonia.

Breel Embolo decide no celebrar su gol ante Camerún, el país donde nació

A nivel de clubes es común ver a futbolistas evitando festejar goles contra un ex club. Sin embargo, la escena es rarísima en partidos de selección y casi inédita en una Copa del Mundo. Al menos hasta hoy, cuando el delantero Breel Embolo marcó el gol de la victoria de Suiza ante Camerún.

Gol de Breel Embolo vs Camerún

El delantero del AS Monaco aprovechó un centro de Xherdan Shaqiri y desde el punto penal remató de primera para decretar el triunfo 1-0 de La Nati sobre los Leones Indomables.

After playing on both sides, American teen Yunus Musah looking forward to ‘special clash’ vs. England

AL RAYYAN, Qatar - A slightly different career path could have seen Yunus Musah lining up alongside fellow 19-year-old Jude Bellingham for England against the United States on Friday. He could even have been playing for Ghana against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on Thursday.

Instead, the teenaged midfielder will pull on the United States shirt for the 20th time in Friday's World Cup Group B clash in Al Khor when his side will try to spring a major upset.

Switzerland-Cameroon World Cup match is a colorblind nightmare

This morning began the same way as any other World Cup morning would: Wake up at 3:50 a.m., turn on the broadcast from my phone before putting the game on the TV, get my computer to begin writing. But in this exhausted haze, one thing immediately caught my color-deficient eyes: Cameroon and Switzerland were extremely difficult to tell apart. 

Cameroon-born Breel Embolo refuses to celebrate after scoring on his birth country at the World Cup

There’s an unwritten rule in soccer where players don’t celebrate goals they score against former club teams. Instead of celebrating the player will typically put their hands up in the air (like if a police officer told you to put your hands up).

This kind of thing happens all the time during club play. It’s extremely rare to see on the international level, especially at a World Cup.

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