It’s time for the knockout stages in Qatar. And we open up with a pair of real doozies
For a country perceived by many as having something of a tenuous relationship with the sport of soccer, the United States of America has made quite a contribution to the culture at the very top of the game. They’ve reached the semi-final of one World Cup (1930), hosted another (1994) and registered one of the all-time great shocks (1950) in which their supposed elders and betters, the self-styled fathers of the game, were handed their asses in a high hat. Throw in the garish but fondly remembered NASL, an all-senses assault which attracted nearly as many superstars as Studio 54, and that’s a sizeable legacy. And this is all before we get to the USWNT, four-time winners of the Women’s World Cup and reigning champions. They’ve more than done their bit on that side of the briny.
