The United States’ run in the World Cup 2022 came to an end on Saturday with a defeat to the Netherlands. Nevertheless, there are many positives to take away from this tournament for the stars and stripes.
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a toast to the USMNT, and an update on the ongoing World Cup. Also included, a compilation of the top news and sports headlines from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 84 features a recap of the US Men’s National Team’s performance in the Group Stage and a look ahead to the matchup versus the Netherlands. (Yes, this podcast came out on Wednesday, but it has a fact-filled prediction.) Go download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, December 4, 2022:
An ode to the United States Men’s National Team
The matches may be over, but the momentum is not.
On Saturday, the United States Men’s National Team faced the Netherlands in the first match of the World Cup knockout stages. Sadly, it would also mark the end of the tournament for the U.S. men.
After being the only nation in the Group Stage to have not conceded a goal during the run of play, it took only ten minutes on Saturday for Memphis DePay to strike and send the Dutch ahead. In the only additional minute of the first half, Daley Blind took advantage of nearly the same play to send the Netherlands up 2-0 at the break.
A Haji Wright backfoot flick (definitely intentional) from a great Christian Pulisic pass gave the Americans hope in the 76th minute, all for it to fade away as Denzel Dumfries was left unmarked five minutes later to bring the lead back up to two.
All three goals conceded by the U.S. were casualties of a defense, one that played spectacularly through Group B, that looked exhausted and forgot to mark one player. There was nothing Matt Turner, who was the U.S.’ man of the match, could do to save those.
“Man of the match? He gave up three goals!”
If it wasn’t for him, it would have been many more. Arsenal’s backup keeper made a serious case to start at the club level in this tournament.
At the end of the six added minutes in the second half, the Dutch were the ones celebrating, while the Americans could only watch, tears in their eyes, consoling one another.
After getting knocked out in the Round of 16, and playing poorly to have that result occur, it would make sense if the reaction is disappointment. That the U.S. have failed on what they set out to accomplish in Qatar.
But that should ABSOLUTELY not be the case.
Instead, the reaction should be that of excitement, pride, and hope.
Harken back to the Group Stage. Group of death? Maybe not. But the group with the highest average FIFA ranking at 15. A group with a hungry Wales side, the always-intimidating England, and a vastly underrated Iran.
Getting out of the group is no given at soccer’s ultimate competition. Just ask Belgium, or Germany, or Mexico. Or we could ask Italy, who didn’t even get to a group in the first place.
It’s a massive achievement to get out of the group, and while the U.S. have done so at every World Cup they’ve been to since 2006, it’s still a big deal.
Especially, when your roster has a grand total of ONE player with World Cup experience. That player, DeAndre Yedlin, didn’t even play in two of the matches.
Yes, your expectation may have been to go farther in this tournament. “We are the United States, we should not be accepting defeat!”
For those of you in that camp, all I ask for is one word. Patience.
The U.S. men came into this tournament with the second-youngest roster in this tournament to Ghana. With the youngest that made the knockouts. You may not know this, but Christian Pulisic? He’s 24. The captain Tyler Adams? 23. Sergiño Dest? 22. Yunus Musah? 20. Tim Weah? 22. Tim Ream? 35. Ok, maybe that doesn’t count, but he was still awesome these past two weeks.
There’s other names who played a pivotal part in the team that I could include in that list who would probably shock you for their youth. And with youth, comes inexperience.
Even though those who were in Qatar attempted to deflect the notion, they said they thought they could win it all this year, it’s not about this year.
It’s about 2026. It’s always been about 2026.
I mean, just take a look at how old those players will be then:
Also, if you didn’t know, 2026 is the year when the next World Cup will be played. Thankfully, it will not be housed in Qatar. This World Cup will be played in the countries of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Taking Qatar out of the equation, as should be done in most circumstances, home countries tend to perform pretty well in the World Cup.
The country that literally invented the sport, England, have only won the World Cup once. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, it was in 1966, the only year they’ve hosted.
Another five times has the host won the tournament. Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934, West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978, and France in 1998. Another two times has the host made the final. Brazil in 1950 and Sweden in 1958. Heck, even Russia got out of their group four years ago and made the Quarterfinal.
So, there’s definitely something about hosting the World Cup.
Combine that with the experience these players just got and will continue to receive over the next four years. And with the talent that we don’t even know about yet that will come into the camp.
And with the fact that there’s just something about this team that just feels special. Has it ever felt like this with the American men? I wouldn’t know, I haven’t been a soccer fan that long.
But there is definitely something special about this team, this group of guys. They actually look excited to be with each other in camp. U.S. Manager Gregg Berhalter said his favorite day of camp is the first day, when everyone gets to see everyone for the first time in a while. He said he loves seeing their reactions when they greet one another.
It’s not just their continuity off the pitch. They play like a close-knit unit on it, a rarity in the international game.
The squad has a leadership council that typically rotates the duties of captain. Before this tournament, they voted for 23-year-old Tyler Adams to take the mantle for every game. It was potentially the most consequential decision for the team in this tournament. Adams was the best player on, and off, the pitch. (Mandatory plug of Adams’ press conference video.) He is the greatest representative of this country we could have.
All of that is a stark contrast to teams like Belgium, where infighting led to the nation flailing spectacularly this year.
The difference, this team has a culture. And more importantly, these are the guys that had to build that culture after the 2018 disaster.
This team is built out of a group of guys who come from not just all over the country, but the world. There are several dual-nationals on this team, including Antonee Robinson. Robinson was born and raised in England but was eligible to play for the U.S. because his dad is a U.S. citizen. This was his reaction in the locker room after the U.S. beat Iran to advance to the knockouts:
It means so much to these players, and it doesn’t matter if they grew up in this country. They will fight for this team and this country.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”
- Emma Lazarus (1883)
This team is the actual embodiment of what makes our country great.
But it’s taken time to build that culture. Christian Pulisic admitted that he used to think he needed to carry the team on his back and do too much. He said during this tournament that that mentality is totally gone, that there is complete trust in this group. Pulisic, another one who cares so much about this team and country:
That’s why you need patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was a successful soccer team.
To win a World Cup, you need players who know how to play the game, and play it well, players who have experience, and players who actually like each other. Oh, and a little bit of luck. With the 2026 edition in this country, we might be able to get that tiny amount of luck.
We can be sad and down today, but tomorrow is a new day.
We’re entering the most consequential four years for soccer in this nation’s history.
The USA-England match was the most-watched soccer match on English television in U.S. history. The fans are here.
The United States Men’s National Team just advanced out of the toughest group in this tournament, with the second-youngest squad in the tournament, and with 25 of their 26 players having never been to this world stage. The momentum is here.
The next four years will determine whether this country can finally excel at the beautiful game.
But if history provides any lesson, it’s to never bet against the United States of America.
It’s a great time to be an American soccer fan.
2026, here we come. 🇺🇸
A Quick Sunday Morning World Cup Update
Despite the U.S. exiting the tournament, the World Cup rolls on with Round of 16 matches continuing later today.
At 10:00 am et this morning, defending champions France take on Poland, while Group B winners England face Group A runners-up Senegal at 2:00 pm et.
Tomorrow, Group E champs Japan face defending runners-up Croatia at 10:00 am et, and at 2:00 pm et, tournament favorites Brazil face South Korea.
Then on Tuesday, surprise Morrocco takes on Spain at 10:00 am et, and Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against Switzerland at 2:00 pm et.
The winners of those games will advance to the Quarterfinals, which begin on Friday.
You can watch all the matches of the World Cup on Fox (FS1 for today’s matches) in English and Telemundo in Spanish.
Rapid-fire Facts
The top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
The Georgia Senate runoff election will be held this Tuesday. In the final undecided Senate contest of the 2022 midterms, incumbent Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock is facing challenger Republican Herschel Walker. Unlike the Georgia Senate runoffs in January 2021, this election will not decide control of the Senate, with Democrats already at 50 seats and a guaranteed majority in the chamber.
Former President Donald Trump’s tax returns are now in the hands of the House Ways and Means Committee. After several years of lawsuits and investigations into Trump’s tax returns, Democrats are finally in possession of the documents. While Democrats only control the House of Representatives for another month, they will have to decide whether to release the information publicly or not. Additionally, a federal appeals court stopped the special master’s review of government documents the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.
Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones filed for bankruptcy this week. Jones was previously ordered to pay almost $1.5 billion to the families of Sandy Hook victims. On his Infowars program, Jones has repeatedly stated that he does not intend to pay the families, and Jones hopes the bankruptcy filing will allow him to not pay the money. Jones was also in the news this week for hosting Kanye West on his program, where West spread several conspiracy theories and praised Adolf Hitler.
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano, the largest active volcano in the world, began erupting on Sunday night. It’s the first time in 38 years that the volcano on the big island is erupting. At the moment, lava flows do not appear to be threatening any populated communities, but officials stress that this could change as lava flows can shift quickly. As of Saturday, officials said that lava flows were getting close to a highway that connects the two most-populated areas on the island, Hilo and Kailua-Kona.
President Biden signed a bill that would make it illegal for rail workers to strike later this month. Earlier this year, the Biden administration helped broker a tentative agreement between rail companies and their workers, but it was ultimately not accepted by all of the unions. Four unions, which represent the majority of rail workers, were holding out in an attempt to gain guaranteed paid sick days. In order to prevent a strike on December 9, which the unions were threatening, Congress passed a bill that would force the unions to accept the agreement and make it illegal to strike.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
The top sports stories from the past week in the Sporting Club:
This weekend was Conference Championship week in college football, with trophies and spots in the four-team playoff on the line. Starting on Friday night, the Pac-12 Championship got out of hand in the fourth quarter with #11 Utah handing #4 USC their second loss of the year in a 47-24 win. Shifting to Saturday, #10 Kansas State pulled off the upset of #3 TCU with a 31-28 overtime win in the Big 12 Championship. In the SEC title game, it was a dominant #1 Georgia performance in a 50-30 win over #14 LSU. Then in primetime, the favorites were easily able to gain victories, with #9 Clemson downing #23 North Carolina 39-10 in the ACC, and #2 Michigan defeating Purdue 43-22 in the Big Ten. After yesterday’s games, the final College Football Playoff rankings are set to be unveiled later today at 12:00 pm et on ESPN.
The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams beginning in the 2024-2025 season. It was officially announced on Thursday that after nearly one year and a half of negotiations, college football’s postseason tournament to decide a champion will expand from four teams to 12 in 2024. Under the new playoff structure, six of the 12 spots will be automatic bids for the highest-ranked conference champions, including a guaranteed spot for a Group of 5 team. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a buy in the first round, while the remaining eight teams will play in games hosted at campus sites. The winners of those games will face the four teams who received a first round bye in the Quarterfinals, while the semifinals and final remain the same, with all those games being played at neutral sites.
College basketball’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge will not be played next season for the first time since 1999. The competition, an annual preseason clash featuring teams from the ACC facing Big Ten squads, was a staple on the early season college basketball calendar. The competition is ending because the organizer of the event, ESPN, will no longer have the rights to Big Ten home basketball games after next season. Additionally, the Big 12/SEC Challenge, typically played later in the season, will also come to an end this year. Both competitions will be replaced next season by a new ACC/SEC Challenge.
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is currently wanted by Tampa, Florida Police. A warrant seeking Brown’s arrest alleges that Brown was involved in a domestic battery incident. On Thursday, Brown’s home had been surrounded by police as Brown refused to come outside. Police note in a protection order that Brown has access to two guns and poses a significant danger to himself or others.
The NFL’s Week 13 is headlined by an AFC Championship game rematch. In the 4:00 pm et window, the Chiefs face the Bengals in Cincinnati with Kansas City looking to avenge last year’s loss. Also at 4:00 pm et, the Seahawks take on the Chargers, while the Dolphins face the 49ers. Earlier in the day, the Titans will play the Eagles, the Commanders face the Giants, and the Packers face the Bears. On Sunday night, the Colts travel to face the Cowboys, and the Saints will play the Buccaneers on Monday night. On Thursday night, the Bills took down their AFC East foe the Patriots 24-10.
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Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
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You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, December 11, 2022.
