TWO MORE SLEEPS

Men's World Cup 2022 is upon us

November 18, 2022

HAIL GFOP!

I write with fingers overwhelmed with excitement and trepidation. Men’s World Cup 2022 is upon us. In the words of a beserk leader, fitting of our times, “Are you ready to go ‘extremely hardcore,’ or take three months of severance and leave?”

I adore the World Cup. The moment one finishes, I start to count down the days until the next. (For the record. It will be 3,065 days between the last US game and USMNT vs. Wales.) For me, the singular joy of the tournament has always been that when two teams take the field, their nations’ histories, politics and cultures walk out alongside them. That idea has always felt so scintillating. Like a mirror being held up to both the world and the human condition. Who will forget the opening day of Mandela’s 2010 World Cup in South Africa? The joy of the new face of Germany emerging in 2006? Or South Korea and Japan’s dizzyingly wonderful collaboration in 2002? Yet, as our world has become darker, and overrun with chaos, the World Cup is still a mirror. The reflection we now see is challenging and more grotesque.  

This one feels different. Yes, World Cups have been awarded to autocrats in my lifetime. Argentina’s military junta in 1978. Vladimir Putin’s Russia in 2018. Yet, never before has the jewel of the sporting world been handed to a desert state smaller than Connecticut, with no previous history of qualification. A bid that failed FIFA’s own analysts on so many of their requirements and had Sepp Blatter, who presided over it, recently decrying it a “mistake” (while mumbling about how Qatar buying 14.6 billion dollars of French jet planes swung France’s vote). A bid that has led to a reported 6,500 migrant workers losing their lives while building out the nation’s infrastructure. This is a World Cup that feels eerily soulless and soaked in blood.  

The net effect is a deadwind of a November World Cup which has barely permeated our culture in the United States, but for which enthusiasm even in England feels muted. So. Why do we watch? I made World Corrupt - our six-part podcast series in collaboration with Crooked Media’s Tommy Vietor (LISTEN HERE) - so that each fan could come to their own conclusions. I love football. And just like politics, when matters feel dark, you do not walk away. You stay and fight. And so our goal this World Cup is to watch through a split screen. And marvel at the footballers who have dreamed of playing in this tournament since they were kids. Yet not forget the tectonics of geopolitics grinding away just beneath. This is a World Cup to be watched in split-screen. Let’s not allow the opening whistle to anesthetize us to the darkness that has brought us here. Only a global Streisand Effect can prevent it from being normalized and happening again. 

More: Rog on CBS Morning talking about how Ja Rule would organize a better World Cup. Watch Now.

Prepare for the World Cup with our Preview Podcasts: This week, we released our Men in Blazers World Cup Preview Podcasts, Presented by Camarena Tequila, the most awarded Tequila. Rog and Davo go through each group, team-by-team and break down all the biggest storylines that stretch out before us. You can listen to Groups A and B HERE. And Groups C and D HERE. We’ll cover the final four groups in pod releases later today and tomorrow. Sunday morning, Rog is joined by Rory Smith to look through the telescope from the other side and see how the English view this American team. 

More: 6 Players who will shine, including Gavi and Gio

🍺 If there was ever a weekend for Beers, THIS IS IT. Order Budweiser via Drizly and get $5 off your first order when you use the code: BUDXMIB Courtesy of Drizly. New Drizly users only. Must be 21+. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Per applicable law, value may be applied towards order total or shipping or delivery fees. Includes orders of non-alcoholic items. Void where prohibited. Expires on 12/31/22 at 11:59 EDT. 🍺

2. Men In Blazers World Cup Overfloweth. Let’s Win This Thing

No matter what happens on the field, we want to win the World Cup for America by creating indelible memories with you, dear GFOPs. And we’re unleashing a Brenden Aaronson Heat Map’s worth of content in an effort to make that happen:

🇺🇸 Ten Live Shows on our “This Cup’s for You” Tour. 

😂 Seventeen broadcasts on Twitch with guests including Matthew McConaughey, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Scott Galloway.  

🗣️More than 150 hours of content, including daily pods with special guests including Rory Smith, Herc Gomez, Tommy Vietor and a certain Premier League coach who will fill you with joy…  SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST, TWITCH AND YOUTUBE CHANNELS, AND DO NOT MISS A MINUTE. 

B. Part of the joy of making those memories is getting to be with you, live and in person, on our Men in Blazers “This Cup’s For You” Tour. We kicked things off with a magical night of nights in New York City with none other than the truly incredible John Oliver, Welsh King Matthew Rhys and two-time World Cup champion, from GOTHAM FC… Kelley O’Hara. LISTEN TO THE POD OR WATCH THE ENTIRE SHOW. 

Sunday, we coming for the rest of America, starting with St. Louis, glorious St. Louis. We cannot wait to savor Toasted Ravz in Becky Sauerbrunn’s hometown and take the stage at The Pageant, Monday Night shortly after the USMNT take on Wales. The Wizard Ozzie Smith and Nikki Glaser are among the guests. We will celebrate St. Louis SC. A few tickets remain available for this. We cannot wait to be with you, St. Louis. More: Lovely piece about my love of the city of St. Louis.

After that, it’s on to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Austin, Nashville, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Tickets for all venues HERE. 

3. To the Football

i. Our US Baby Eagles 🇺🇸🦅

The good vibes have been emanating from training since arrival, as Gregg Berhalter and the boys prepare for Wales (November 21, 2PM ET, Fox Join us LIVE ON TWITCH) and begin their crusade to something more important than glory: earning Gregg a shoe endorsement to drop the Triple G Air Force 1s on the World.  

It has been some journey. Fifty-six matches. Signature T-Shirt Bantz moments against Mexico. A mild panic mid-cycle, and qualifying with joy and relief (and trying to ignore the truth we came third on goal difference on the very last day).  

This is a young squad. A raw, inexperienced squad. That fact is something that should fill us with promise but should never be used as an excuse. I have enjoyed hearing Christian Pulisic talk honestly and wide-eyed about how he has dreamed of playing these World Cup games to come since he was a kid. There is a human beauty in that. Pulisic also echoed the words Berhalter uttered when he took over the US team back in 2018, that the squad’s goal is to “change the way the world sees American soccer.” Please God, may that be for the better. 

One quick note: There is a lot of discussion about how we should not worry about this tournament because our squad is designed to peak in 2026. I want to go on the record and say just how much I hate that. World Cups come every four years. They are all too rare to waste. This is not an NFL team where you control draft picks, player development, and salary cap room. World Football is unpredictable. Injuries and form are uncontrollable. The World Cup is a gift. All of us are only gifted a handful of them in our lives. You go hard. You go now. Or you go home. Never write one off. Make memories while you can. Take nothing for granted. Savor every bloody second. 

MORE: I wrote this piece for Wall Street Journal. He Was Born in Liverpool but Roots for the U.S. at the World Cup. 

IF YOU WANT TO WATCH SOMETHING INCREDIBLE: The inimitable Pablo Maurer just posted Ted Koppel previewing the US Men’s 1994 World Cup Team. It is amazing

ii. US Narratives? A few. But then again too few to mention.

  1. Is Weston McKennie fit? Weston strained that pesky quadricep muscle last month, and has barely played since. He is such a key player for this team. On his day, when he is focused, he can drive them forward like a bowling ball unleashed by Walter Ray Williams Jr. His aerial lift at set pieces is also key. How fit is that quad and how long can he go? 

  2. Do we play with a No. 9 against Wales or does Gregg unload all his best pieces and hope they can make some magic happen and nick the goal we need to get out of dodge? 

  3. Who starts alongside Walker Zimmerman at Center Back? My money is on Tim Ream. Gregg came on our Amp last week and talked about the lack of chemistry his backline has. Tim’s connection to Antonee Robinson from Fulham is built-in. 

  4. What style will the US play? Gregg has naive ambitions to win whilst playing pressing, surging football. Tyler Adams talked to me on our podcast (LISTEN HERE) of tempering that and relying more on the pragmatic robust style which has propelled us in the past. We have more talent in attack than we ever have before. If we lose the need to prove ourselves to the world, and just win games, everything is possible.

  5. In the 2022 cycle the United States won just once on the road. Doha is very much the road.

Talking of the US of A… MIB World Cup Merch has arrived. Visit the MIB shop to see the latest collection, featuring “Fly Baby Eagles, Fly” T-shirts; a hoodie that highlights Gregg’s bouncepass ability; beanies; mugs and a pint glass. Can’t have that third first Bud of the day if you don’t have anything to drink it out of. FULL COLLECTION HERE. 

4. The Opening Game: Qatar vs. Ecuador Sunday Nov 20th at 11 AM ET on FS1

The game so important it forced the entire World Cup to shunt its schedule 24 hours earlier, 93 days out from kick off so the Emir of Qatar could have his team be the first to play at night, so he can have his fireworks. Qatar have had 12 years to prepare for this game and have invested billions into youth development so they do not let their nation down. Ecuador, propelled by Moisés Caicedo of Brighton, are an underrated side. We break this game down in depth in our Camarena Preview Podcast. LISTEN HERE. 

Hail GFOPs! We are just two sleeps away from the day we have been waiting four (and a half) long years for, and we have partnered with DraftKings to bring you exclusive offers during the tournament. Stay up to date with our picks throughout the next few weeks as we look to kick things off (Baby Eagles to win the group at +500, did ya say?!). Use the following link for more: dkng.co/THERAVEN. More information on offer terms and problem gambling assistance can be found below.** 

5. The Big News – Mostly Injuries Sadly

i. Sad, Sad news to hear Senegal announce the inevitable. The team’s talismanic forward Sadio Mané has been ruled out of the tournament after injuring a leg playing for Bayern last week. Team officials had talked about a “miracle” and “witch doctors.” To no avail. This will be a terrible blow for the African champions, who must play the Dutch on Monday in Qatar and Ecuador’s Group A.  

iii. I loved this poignant piece by Barney Ronay on Louis Van Gaal’s Last Dance with the Netherlands. I am rooting for him. 

iv. Cristiano Ronaldo is like an oil slick which will not stop leaking. He is continuing to soil himself with Piers Morgan, Portugal’s World Cup focus be damned. I loved John Oliver’s quip at our New York show that “Ronaldo is the Qatar World Cup of human beings.”

v. Interesting polling numbers from Seton Hall, who are releasing a Sports Poll today which reveals:  

54% of all Americans polled believe the World Cup should not be taking place in Qatar.  

42% of all respondents and 46% of fans say the reports of migrant worker abuse in Qatar have lessened their interest in this World Cup. 

6. Unspooling ongoing disgust at FIFA and this Fyre Festival of a World Cup

i. Most important article you can read: Philipp Lahm, who captained Germany to World Cup victory in 2014. Holding the World Cup in Qatar has damaged football and I will not be going.

iii. Qatar’s ambassador wrote a rebuttal op-ed to the one Tommy Vietor and I wrote for CNN. Here is Tommy’s reponse. LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST WORLD CORRUPT. 

iv. This morning, last minute, FIFA announced beer will not be sold around the stadia. The issue to follow is not the beer; it is that this has been announced last minute, and all that has been vouched for – say LGBTQ+ rights – now feels like a moving target. As does the question of whether FIFA are even in control of their own tournament. 🍻

v. Quietly buried in all of this today, FIFA President Gianni Infantino will be unopposed in winning a third term. FIFA don’t care what you say or do. As long as the money keeps pouring in, they are elated. 

7. Paul Carr Blows Your Mind… Said Paul Carr Blows Your Mind” 🇺🇸

Our weekly stats section in which Paul Carr, my numbers loving friend who is TruMedia’s Senior Director of Content, crunches his calculator.

🤯 As the opener goes, so goes the USMNT at the World Cup. In nine previous World Cup appearances with a group stage, the U.S. has advanced all five times after getting a win or draw in the opener, and been eliminated in the group stage all four times after losing its opener.

🤯 Don’t tune in late on Monday! The USMNT’s last five World Cup opening matches have all had a goal in the first 10 minutes.

🤯 Having two European teams in the group could mean trouble for the USMNT, which is winless in nine straight World Cup matches against European sides, last beating Portugal in the 2002 opener.

8. Not Football and All The Better For It

i. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT TODAY:  Signs you need to go for a bike ride. Usually when I don't know what to write about I like to spend 5-15 hours scrolling through twitter, but I guess with the situation being what it is it's good to have other options.

iii. At MoMA, a Legendary Filipino Filmmaker Rediscovered. "With it, the West is once again reminded that the cinema of developing countries like the Philippines has always been here, in conversation with the rest of the world, and more than worthy of consideration."

iv. ‘He caught us with our trousers down’: Jim Marshall’s Rolling Stones photographs. If you guys are looking at this at the office, rest assured, the trouser thing is a metaphor. If you're looking at this at home, well then I regretfully report that there are no trousers actually down in these Rolling Stones photos. 

v. The Internet Lives in a Huge Hotel in Manhattan. The Internet's cats live next door in a slightly smaller but ultimately very comfortable studio loft. 

vi. How 100 Billion Cranberries Are Harvested In 6 Weeks. I mean to be fair they're very small. You could probably pick a bunch up at once. 

vii. As the 8 billionth child is born, who were 5th, 6th and 7th? Okay so I recently discovered that my parents fudged my records to get an extra day in the hospital after I was born and my actual birthday is a day earlier and I'm gonna be honest with you guys if I missed out on being celebrated as the 7th billion baby because of that heads are going to roll.

viii. How Does *Any* Child Star Make it to Adulthood Unscathed? Sigh. Rest in peace to Aaron Carter. A lovely, lovely boy.

ix. How to Live in a Catastrophe. And its even more urgent sequel, coming soon, How to Live in 10 Simultaneously Occurring Catastrophes. 

x. Jennifer Aniston Has Nothing to Hide. Getting Jennifer Anniston back in inoffensive Adam Sandler vacation romcoms is my personal hill to die on.

xii. Sometimes, Evolution Gets It Right the First Time. If evolution got horseshoe crabs right the first time then explain to me why you only ever see them DEAD ON THE BEACH I scream towards the noted evolutionary biologist 

xiii. Steve Jobs' worn-out Birkenstocks sell for $218,000 at auction. Brb putting my old crocs up on ebay 

xiv. TikTok user entombs bag of Cheetos to be opened in 10,000 years. And they say Gen Z isn't optimistic about their future. 

xv. Can’t go to the moon with NASA? Mistastin crater in Canada is the next best thing. Feel like it says a lot about the quality of entertainment on the moon that the next best thing is a giant hole in rural Canada. 

xvi. This Song Helped Me Through the Week: Only Fair by Babitha 

That is it for today. Two more Sleeps People. Let’s commit to feeling all the emotions. Good and Bad. Glorious and defeated. But let’s also swear that we will not fall immune to our normal pattern of behavior: becoming anesthetized to off-the-field realities the second the first whistle blows and we become mesmerized by Lionel Messi slaloming through defenders and Jordan Morris wondergoal after wondergoal. This is a World Cup which must be viewed through dual lenses. We must marvel and fight. Marvel and fight.  

Big Love

Let’s make World Cup Memories together

Go! Go! USA

Courage

ROG

**Gambling Problem? Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook.