2022 World Cup: Is Brazil the clear-cut favorite to win it all?
Former USMNT player Brian Dunseth and USA TODAY Sports+ soccer insider Emily Olsen discuss why a stacked Brazil team may, or may not, be the most well positioned to win it all.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
With two days of upsets in a row, can Portugal or Serbia make it three?
A Thanksgiving World Cup slate of matches continues, includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Neymar coming to the table.
Switzerland took down Cameroon 1-0 to kick things off this morning. Up next is Suarez and Uruguay taking on Son Heung-min and South Korea. The parade of matches continues with Ronaldo — in likely his last world cup — and Portugal facing Ghana. Will he use his performance for Portugal as an audition for a new club?
Finally, champion-favorite Brazil, and its nine forwards, start its World Cup campaign against Serbia in Group G.
Uruguay and South Korea played to a scoreless tie. Both teams had late chances to score. Attempt missed. South Korea’s Son Heung-Min missed a shot from outside the box at the 90th minute. Uruguay’s Federico Valverde hit the left post from outside the box in the 89th minute. South Korea’s Hwang In-Beom missed from outside the box misses in the 94th minute.
Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was full of emotion after his winning goal against Cameroon, for a variety of reasons.
Scoring any goal at a World Cup is a milestone but for Embolo, Thursday’s strike in the 48th minute of an eventual 1-0 win went much deeper.
Embolo was born in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé and moved to France at age five, before settling in Switzerland shortly afterwards. The Monaco striker has referred to himself as Cameroon’s biggest fan.
Embolo got on the end of a Xherdan Shaqiri cross and powered home a finish from close range, before raising his arms in a muted, if not apologetic celebration.
“I told him, ‘Breel, friendship until the start, then they are your opponents,'” said Switzerland coach Murat Yakin after the game. “Football writes such stories but he completed his mission.” — Seth Vertelney, Pro Soccer Wire.
Uruguay’s Diego Godín almost netted the first goal in the closing minutes of the first half, but he hit the left post on his attempted header from the center of the box.
After a battle in the midfield, Uruguay has started to find its footing. In the 21st minute Luis Suarez and Darwin Nunez were both looking to get on the end of a cross inside the box. Nunez timed his jump wrong and missed a prime opportunity in front of goal.
Ten minutes later South Korea had a chance of its own. Hwang Ui-Jo’s short range shot flew over the crossbar. Still scoreless approaching halftime.
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, U.S. men’s national team goalscorer Tim Weah joined Good Morning America to discuss his goal vs. Wales, facing England and his soccer family history. His dad, George, was the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year and now president of Liberia.
Son is South Korea’s star. He plays his club soccer for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. For South Korea, he has 35 goals in 104 international appearances.
Son is wearing a mask against Uruguay due to a left eye socket fracture, which happened earlier this month against Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League. He has not played in three weeks.
“He knows, and we know, that after this injury we cannot rule out any risks,” coach Paulo Bento said.
Son gets the start opposite Jose Gimenez. The South Korean superstar makes his return after fracturing his face Nov. 2 during a Champions League game.
For Uruguay, Luis Suarez makes his fourth World Cup appearance. He will line up next to Darwin Nunez, 23, who is making his 14th overall appearance for Uruguay and third alongside Suarez.
Something bonkers happens at every FIFA World Cup.
The type of moments that make you scream, “what just happened?!?”
From David Beckham’s ejection during the 1998 World Cup and Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal in the 1986 World Cup to Zinedine Zidane’s shocking headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final and Suarez biting another player, here’s a look at the craziest moments from previous World Cups.
Switzerland won it’s opening game, beating Cameroon 1-0 and Breel Embolo, who was born in Cameroon, scored the only goal. Brazil and Serbia face off to finish opening day fro Group G.
Switzerland’s Breel Embolo, who was born in Cameroon, nails a shot from the center of the box to break the scoreless tie in the 49th minute.
Switzerland and Cameroon went into halftime with the score tied 0-0 as Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer kept Cameroon off the scoreboard, making two saves in the first half.
Whether it was Landon Donovan’s late winner in 2010 or Diego Maradona’s “Goal of the Century” for Argentina in 1986, the World Cup has delivered memorable moments on a global stage for over 90 years.
Going into this year’s tournament in Qatar, for the first time in the Middle East, these are the top 10 best moments (plus a bonus honorable mention!) from the World Cup’s illustrious history.
Switzerland vs. Cameroon — 5 a.m.
With heavy hitters like Brazil and Serbia rounding out Group G, Switzerland and Cameroon will both be eager to pick up points in this game. While Cameroon was swept in 2010 and 2014 group stages, Switzerland has advanced to the knockouts in four of their last five tournament appearances.
Time: Thursday, Nov. 24 at 5 a.m. ET
Stadium: Al Janoub Stadium
How to watch: FOX and Telemundo or stream on fuboTV and Peacock (Spanish)
Uruguay vs. South Korea — 8 a.m.
The focus for this game is on Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, who is working back from a fractured left eye socket he sustained Nov. 1 in Champions League. He is expected to play with a face mask.
“He knows, and we know, that after this injury we cannot rule out any risks,” coach Paulo Bento said.
Time: Thursday, Nov. 24 at 8 a.m. ET
Stadium: Education City Stadium
How to watch: FOX and Telemundo or stream on fuboTV and Peacock (Spanish)
Portugal vs. Ghana — 11 a.m.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made his displeasure with his former club Manchester United known. So will this World Cup, likely his last, be an audition for a new team? Ronaldo, 37, has assured the drama won’t spill over to country and his former United teammate Bruno Fernandes agreed. At least publicly.
“Our focus is 100% on the national team and we are 100% focused on what we have to do,” Fernandes said.
Time: Thursday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. ET
Stadium: Stadium 974
How to watch: FOX and Telemundo or stream on fuboTV and Peacock (Spanish)
Brazil vs. Serbia — 2 p.m.
You have to be confident to bring nine forwards to the World Cup, and tournament-favorite Brazil did just that. With players such as Neymar and Vinicius Jr., settling for anything less than a trophy could be seen as a failure for this team.
Time: Thursday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. ET
Stadium: Lusail Stadium
How to watch: FOX and Telemundo or stream on fuboTV and Peacock (Spanish)
