Opinion

DOHA - One of the most mouth-watering aspects of Saturday’s World Cup quarterfinal between England and France will be a head-to-head battle between Kylian Mbappé and Kyle Walker as the tournament’s most devastating forward faces its fastest defender.

Mbappé has been on fire in Qatar, scoring fabulous goals and playing with a freedom, zest and pure joy rarely seen at international level and particularly within the sometimes stultifying tension of a major tournament.

After the Round of 16 there are no teams from Concacaf still competing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Of the five confederations that competed in Qatar, Concacaf had the lowest number of victories with a measly three. None of the four teams finished with a winning record.

The gradebook is coming with full force Concacaf, and it’s not pretty. Here are the 2022 Concacaf World Cup grades.

Wednesday's news is that the search for the next USMNT coach could be a short one — Gregg Berhalter and U.S. Soccer have opened discussions on a new contract with the manager's current deal expiring at the end of the year. 

The lasting memories of World Cups should be the celebrations of football — the glorious goals, the mesmerizing skills, the feel-good stories. But we also know that there's no joy without suffering and no winners without losers, and sometimes, it's those dramatic failures that really resonate because life's a snitch and then you die. 

Some of this is completely unfair to players who've given us so much over the years and to young guys who've got a lot of ball left to play, but these are the 10 individuals who really let me down in Qatar.  

The United States qualified for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. It had been over eight years since the men’s team had last reached this stage, only to fall in overtime to a strong Belgium side in 2014. This time, the Netherlands stood between the United States and a place in the quarters. 

The Dutch side was no stranger to making it all the way to the final match. Their world-class team was headlined by one of the top defenders in the world, Virgil Van Dijk, along with Frenkie de Jong, a speedy midfielder in his prime. Netherlands were clear favorites to win. 

DOHA - A fresh-faced United States squad arrived in Qatar with modest expectations and although they may leave with a sense of disappointment after another last-16 exit, their performances offered hope of a longer run when they co-host the 2026 tournament.

After an encouraging group campaign, a young team brimming with confidence entered the knockout phase believing they could deliver another plot twist in a tournament where underdogs have consistently punched above their weight.

For those who count Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer among their favorite books, the 2010 duo of Wesley Sneijder-Mark van Bommel among their favorite midfield pairings and videos of of Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens among their most visited on YouTube, watching the United States take nearly 65 percent possession off the Netherlands while completing almost twice as many passes in the first-half of a World Cup knockout match was a dream state.

The United States navigated group play admirably, going unbeaten and only conceding once, to advance to the World Cup Round of 16 with the Netherlands awaiting at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET.

The USA vs. Netherlands odds clearly cast Gregg Berhalter's men as the underdogs. After 90 minutes, the Netherlands is 10/11 to win while the United States is at 10/3. The odds for requiring extra time are at 23/10.