Pablo, Jeff and Alex have now signed off. Thank you for all the brilliant questions. Join our reporters now for live coverage of Germany v Ecuador and Curaçao and Côte d’Ivoire in Group E.
Stooze asks: As the USA have won the group. qualified well, is there a sense of growing interest in wider American society? Are the team getting more mentions on the news bulletins, chat shows, and general discussion? What’s the view/feeling of the wider US public right now?
double quotation mark Alex: It’s not exactly night and day yet, but I’ve definitely noticed a shift in this. Local news shows have started having segments dedicated to soccer,. of course those segments spend some time on the US national team. I’ve noticed that a lot of the bigger “guys yelling about sports” shows are now leading off with World Cup things. which is certainly an odd sight.
At times it’s clear that the guys discussing the games don’t actually know all that much about soccer,. it’s been cool to see good domestic pundits get a shot at the national stage. It’s possible that all this would be happening just because the World Cup is here. regardless of the US national team’s performance. But the US is usually the leadoff topic, so I think it’s certainly helping.
JohnBrennan asks: I have watched videos of Country Roads being sung in Seattle after last week’s [USA v Australia] game more times than healthy. thought it was a beautiful moment. Is this just a Seattle thing or will we see this in other venues? As an American citizen through marriage, I reckon that there is a yearning here for something to latch on to. actually come together to forget everything.
double quotation mark Jeff: I suspect we’ll see it in other venues, in large part due to sheer how universally endearing the scenes were of Pulisic. his teammates clapping and singing with over 60,000 fans. It’s the kind of moment that is bound to live on long after this tournament.
Since the match, a US spokesperson disclosed that Fifa asked teams to submit possible playlists for warmups, goals, and wins. Among the US’s possible post-game list: Livin’ On A Prayer, Sweet Caroline, and Take Me Home, Country Roads. Well. England has also made a claim to Sweet Caroline (along with Wonderwall, which is also the traditional anthem after Minnesota United wins), so a former US Soccer employee turned Fifa executive (Amy Hopfinger) made the call on Country Roads. Job well done!
Splutterer asks: Do you understand the meaning of confrontational in this sentence: “any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card”? After all, they are playing against each other … It seems to me that it’s words said, not actions that count. that the new rule potentially punishes conduct that is not itself misconduct. It is forcing the referee to infer what might have been said from actions. On that basis I cannot see how it can be applied consistently on the pitch. it would be better if this type of activity were dealt with off the pitch..
double quotation mark Pablo: Well, almost every other rule in football is subjective and open to interpretation too, right? I’m not sure if you caught Australia’s Jackson Irvine’s response to it,. it closely mirrors mine: if you feel a compulsion to cover your mouth when talking to an opponent, it feels pretty likely that you’re saying something you shouldn’t be saying at all. The use of hate speech during matches has happened a bunch abroad. it’s a problem we’ve been faced with here as well at all levels of the game.
ClaudioSalas asks: Given these early stages of the competition. the matches we’ve seen, would you agree that Portugal-Colombia can be one of the most exciting matches of the first phase, because of the game itself, but also because of the consequences its result could generate, considering that Portugal would have a better chance than Colombia of stopping the Argentine advance to the semi-finals?
double quotation mark Alex: This was one of those games. all of us had circled on the match calendar from the moment it came out. I think the environment in Miami alone will elevate it considerably. My only wish is that there was more on the line than knockout round seeding. It’s always tough to tell how much teams really care about that. At least it’s not a dead rubber!
Cookiemonstr asks: Is Zlatan being ironic when he says the US team will go far in the tournament? Or is he just sucking up in order to get a well paid Stateside gig? The continued failure to show anything resembling sophistication or sharpness in their first two games has been apparent to everyone I’ve talked to about the World Cup.
double quotation mark Pablo: I think the US lacked imagination against Australia but still badly outclassed them in most areas. As far as the Paraguay match, I’m not sure how anybody could watch that one. go on to say that they lacked “sophistication or sharpness”. They played a decent team off the field, frankly. In regards to Zlatan. I get the sense he’s being genuine, though his optimism may have more to do with the very long history of host nations outperforming expectations.
Coloradohiker asks: How is it determined. of the five possible third-place finishers Mexico will face in the round of 32?
double quotation mark Jeff: It all depends on which specific set of eight teams make up the third-place contingent. which is such a bureaucratically boring answer. I’ve seen that most scenarios spit out Scotland if Ecuador can’t beat Germany (which is far from a non-zero possibility).
BlackFrancisBacon asks: All things being well, we could be looking at a USA vs Spain quarter final. With there being such a high percentage of Spanish speakers. Spanish diaspora in the US, can you estimate what the viewing figures in the US would be for such a fixture? And how important would such a tie be for extending the popularity of your soccer?
double quotation mark Alex: I think the viewing figures would be through the roof, but I’d owe that more to the stage of the tournament. the fact that Spain is an insanely good team with many of the best players in the world, and a genuine superstar in Lamine Yamal. There will presumably be some Hispanic people that will pull for them,. for the majority of that population in the US, their primary rooting interest would likely be central or South American countries.
Ruffsan asks: Were Scotland caught in a vice, a Miami Vice? And are they now crocked? Is it the fault of too many tubs of beer?
double quotation mark Jeff: I had more than a few friends. colleagues text me during that dour affair against Brazil asking something similar. We all went into this expected three points. a goal difference of -2 or greater to be enough, so that third Brazil goal was a possible back-breaker – though not getting a second or third against Haiti was arguably the greater folly.
What I can’t work out is why Steve Clarke set his team up to be so negative. They barely beat Haiti. They were just behind it against Morocco. This generation has plenty of entertaining. industrious players, surely there was a more proactive way to set them up and take it to opponents. When World Cup berths are so relatively rare, why be so meek once you’ve made one?
JammyDonuts asks: What are some of the most underreported stories of the World Cup, so far?
double quotation mark Alex: I think there have been plenty of stories about visitors being wowed by very basic aspects of American life,. I want more of them. Those sorts of cultural exchanges are mutually beneficial. a big part of why the World Cup is the amazing thing it is, no matter how much Fifa tries to ruin it.
Zcomment asks: Has any team been treated worse in a World Cup than the treatment of Iran by the US?
double quotation mark Alex: This is the easiest no of all time. A few countries, primarily ones from Africa, have faced longer than usual security checks and other immigration issues. But the Iran team’s forced move to Mexico. altered travel plans for each game so far lend some credence to the idea that they’re the most disrespected team at the tournament. It’s a shame – I completely buy the players’ line that they are here only for the football,. I buy it because it’s exactly what they’ve said in past World Cups where Iran’s political or cultural issues have also been headline news
bruirn asks: I’m sure I’ve noticed the referees blowing for full-time when the ball has been out of play. something that is virtually unheard of in the Premier League (and even in European competitions, which was why Arsenal running out of time to take a corner in the Champions League final was so noticeable). Is this a new directive or just something that refs outside of Europe are more willing to do?
double quotation mark Alex: I feel like I see this happen all the time in MLS. LigaMX, so I think it’s just a thing non-European refs are more likely to do.
thisisjohnroach asks: As a Scotland fan. which teams am I now also supporting during the final games of the group stage so Scotland qualify for the next round? Ie in the Ecuador v Germany and Japan v Sweden matches?
double quotation mark Alex: The answer is … complicated. Basically, having looked at a few different scenario tools, you’re supporting Germany (v Ecuador), Japan (v Sweden), Côte d’Ivoire, Spain (v Uruguay),. Egypt (v Iran). In the other games. you’d be pulling either for a draw or for one side or the other to lose heavily.
As a side note. a factor in this World Cup that I wasn’t expecting is exactly what we’re talking about here: Teams like South Korea, for example, who now may have to do a full three days of training before knowing for sure whether they’ll even play another game at this tournament.
stooze asks: Why does the US TV feed concentrate on the “celebrities” in the VIP seats so often? In the UK. for example, we don’t really care for this kind of stuff so what is it that makes the TV people think this is worthy of so much attention?
double quotation mark Pablo: Well. I can’t count the number of times a UK broadcast has cut away to one of the Oasis dudes, or to a royal, right? But if you’re saying that America is celebrity-obsessed, you’re not wrong,. yes, this sort of thing permeates all American sports. During the NBA Finals. identifying which celebrities were sitting courtside was a sport, more or less, as it has been for years.
I covered Messi’s arrival to Inter Miami and travelled to Miami maybe a dozen times in two years. So much of the coverage surrounding his arrival involved which famous people would come out to see him play. so much so that in his second game, my entire pre-match assignment was basically to lurk around in the loading zone with a camera. I didn’t love being a paparazzi, I gotta say.
evilaundria asks: Did Christian Pulisic ever apologise for liking that post by Seth Jahn advocating violence against liberals. if not why not and why hasn’t he gotten more grief for it?
double quotation mark Alex: As far as I know, no, he never apologised for that. In my opinion, the window for that has long since passed – it was more than five years ago,. in the grand scheme, liking an Instagram post by someone else is pretty far down the list of serious offences, even if the message of that post is pretty odious. I also don’t think it’s all. surprising – most who pay attention to this sort of thing understand that Pulisic’s politics lean conservative (see his Trump dance celebration in 2024).
republish asks: If you weren’t being paid to watch it, would you join those of us who are boycotting it in protest at Fifa’s cosying up to Trump, corruption,. exploitation of the fans?
double quotation mark Pablo: This is a question we all struggle with, right? I’d start by saying that you have every right not to watch, and I’m impressed by your resolve. My attitude has always been a little different. I think Fifa has clearly bastardised the World Cup, sometimes beyond recognition,. I will not let them take it from me, or any of us. It’s been incredible to hit the road for a few weeks. watch the unifying force of the game here in the States – like truly, genuinely beautiful. To me the tournament is just as much about that as it is about soccer.
And yes, you’re right, I’m paid to cover the matches,. I’d point out that much of our coverage here at the Guardian (and much of mine at other outlets) has held many figures within the sport to account. So maybe that’s my real answer – I just assuage my guilt by raging against the cause of it at my job. Ha.
blubbermouth asks: I feel. – despite the media going ballistic about it – people in the UK seem less interested in this World Cup than any in my lifetime. If England go a lot further it may change but so far this all feels lacklustre. Do you think that – or would you not know from your perspective?
double quotation mark Jeff: I do wonder how much Arsenal’s run to the Champions League final cut into the pre-tournament hype window, as the club calendar encroached into what’s often a free month to read previews. fret over your group’s squads between the domestic season and a World Cup.
I’ve also picked up on some tepid, if generally respectful, views of Thomas Tuchel as both a foreign manager. the maker of some unpopular picks. But generally, England fans come alive if/when a quarter-final nears with the Three Lions involved. These aren’t really the stages of a World Cup where their fans are at their liveliest.
stretlad asks: Which countries are you most disappointed did not make the World Cup? And, on an opposite note, are there any countries you think don’t really deserve a spot in the finals?
double quotation mark Alex: I’m the one non-Italian person in the world who really loves watching the Italian national team. so I’m bummed they didn’t make it (not that they deserved to!) On the other side, I definitely would not cast aspersions on any of the teams that made it to the final 48. Qualifying is difficult no matter where you are, except maybe Oceania. And I like New Zealand.
Jeff: I had hoped Ireland would find a way into the field, since their fans. atmospheres were such a beloved staple of the 1994 World Cup. Costa Rica couldn’t qualify from Haiti’s group,. I feel we were all robbed of Keylor Navas’ involvement in what’s become a tournament for golden-oldie goalkeepers. And Cameroon would have been a fascinating entrant into the field, having made the Afcon quarter-final. boasting ample talent in midfield and attack.
DukeApricot asks: Will Prez Trump be the first two-time winner of the Fifa Peace Prize Handed to him at the culmination of the World Cup Final trophy presentation of course.
double quotation mark Alex: I have to admit, I anticipated that the Peace Prize fiasco would get rightfully criticised,. I really did not expect for it to have this much mileage. It feels like it’ll finish as easily a top-three memorable things about this tournament. regardless what happens in the rest of the competition itself. And rightfully so. It was an awkward, weird farce. And to answer your question: I’d be shocked if Fifa interacts much if at all with Trump after this tournament is done. He’s no longer useful to them after the final.
LukaMagic asks: Why are Canada and Mexico such an afterthought as hosts in this year’s coverage?
Why do you think there is such little press outrage directed at the US compared to the Qatar. Russia World Cups? Particularly the treatment of Iran and Omar Artan as well as various labour issues in Mexico and LA.
Finally, if FIFA’s stated priorities are fans, players,. the development of football why do so many of its major decisions appear to benefit broadcasters, sponsors and administrators first?
double quotation mark Pablo: I’ll take your first question. I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a cab driver in Mexico City a couple weeks back. He was probably in his 70s. had been at both the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, but couldn’t care less about this one. I asked him why. he said “Esos torneos fueron para todos nosotros” (those tournaments were for all of us.) This one, he said, didn’t belong to them – in part because of the co-hosting arrangement and in part because of the ticketing absurdities.
You are entirely right in saying that Canada. Mexico are afterthoughts – the fact that the final is not being played at the Azteca, which frankly is the only, true footballing cathedral in the Americas – is an absurdity. I think it mostly boils down to money,. Fifa’s realisation that they can make much more of it in the States than they can in those other two locales.
Markear asks: Did you believe when he left the post that Fifa would employ someone even worse than Blatter?
double quotation mark Pablo: Yes. And for the record, your question makes me laugh – I was just telling Alex. Jeff the other night that I’ve found myself missing Blatter, despite his total moral bankruptcy. You know why? He was a football person. I always perceived him as someone who actually cared about the game (even if he was an occasional cancer to it). I just struggle to make heads or tails of Infantino, who seems more like an image-obsessed footballing demigod. To answer your question, though, no, I was not shocked. It’s FIFA, dude.
Alex: Regardless of anything else. I think it’s hilarious that I can confidently say I take a better corner kick than the No 1 most powerful soccer figure in the world.
enzoscifi asks: What kind of team do you expect Pochettino to put out tonight? Obviously he’ll rest players carrying injuries. those on yellow cards, but I would expect a strong team because he’ll want to keep winning.
double quotation mark Alex: This is the big question, right? I agree with you – I think it’ll be a heavily rotated team but not a completely crazy one. I think we could see Christian Pulisic start to get back some match fitness after missing the last three halves this team has played. I could see most of the backline staying the same. I’m really interested to see what Poch does in midfield, with Tyler Adams on a yellow, Cristian Roldan injured. out of training all week, and Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman both having played nearly all 90 minutes of both group games. That basically leaves Sebastian Berhalter and, uhhh … a lot of guys that are not everyday midfielders.
Pochettino said yesterday when I asked him about this that guys like Gio Reyna, Auston Trusty,. others can play in midfield. It’ll be interesting to see what he does.
Jeff: Just about the only starter I wouldn’t be open to swapping out at this stage is Matt Freese. Paraguay. Australia haven’t tested him much, and rotating him out feels like the kind of thing that could throw off a somewhat untested international goalkeeper. Let him face ( so, so many ) shots from Türkiye in a low-stakes affair.
Cairo_east asks: Touching the third rail here – do you think the hydration pauses have improved the quality of soccer being played in this tournament? If so, do you think better play should outweigh the spirit of the game?
double quotation mark Pablo: I absolutely do not think they’ve improved play. To be clear, I am all for hydration breaks when needed for player safety. That has rarely been the case this summer. I was at the tournament opener (Mexico v South Africa) in Mexico City; the stadium was a madhouse after Mexico’s second goal. which was scored directly before the break. The entire place was shaking – ref blows for the pause and slowly, surely, all of that momentum disappears. Not that they needed the help,. that break put them at a competitive disadvantage, unable to seize on the momentum in the immediate aftermath of the goal.
I can also tell you that the boos,. whistles, and expletives, have been growing louder and louder at every game I cover, and I suspect Jeff and Alex have the same experience.
Alex: Can confirm. Everyone hates these things.
AncientFootsteps asks: Many of the pitches used appear to be quite small (perhaps. they are designed for American football which uses a narrower field). Is this really the case? And, if true, are teams taking this into account in their selection and tactics?
double quotation mark Jeff: Field dimensions are uniform across every venue at every World Cup. so that’s 105 meters (115 yards) long by 68 meters (74 yards) wide. The difference. as you’ve spotted, is that their stationing in an NFL stadium shows just how narrow those fields are by really cutting into the space around the pitch. Throw-ins and corner kicks look claustrophobic. Fans are perhaps unusually close to the benches. There are no expansive running tracks to serve as a dryland moat, as there were at Italia 90. I think a lot of casual American sports fans are coming to appreciate the amount of space available in this sport – just wait until they learn you can comfortably fit a regulation basketball court inside one penalty box.
cata_bush asks: Which team has surprised you the most so far? Disappointed you the most? Been the best “story” (whether that be an underdog, a particular narrative, or an interesting tactical setup)?
double quotation mark Jeff: Surprise: Cape Verde! I’ll be gutted if they can’t advance after famous draws against Spain. Uruguay – though I expect them to beat Saudi Arabia.
Disappointment: I had Ecuador into the business end because of how stout their defence is, but I completely overlooked the lack of chance creation. alternative scoring threats beyond Enner Valencia.
Best story: I expected the US to win their group; I just didn’t know they’d do it being so fun. so dominant against the types of teams (low-block, high-heart) that have historically tripped them up. And that path to a possible quarter-final could hardly be more plush.
Aintmuch asks: Do you have statistics on how many injuries were treated in 2022. how many this WC until now? It seems the new “one minute rule” works wonders against overacting.
double quotation mark Pablo: I don’t have any actual data, but I agree with your suspicion. That rule, which was created. trialed in Major League Soccer (and MLS Next Pro, its developmental league) was an instant success in the league, drastically reducing time-wasting via simulation. Another new World Cup rule – the timed substitution rule – was a similar success,. nearly entirely eliminated the issue of players lolligagging off the field when being substituted. Americans don’t always get it right when they mess with the game but every now. again one of our dumb ideas sticks!
Alex: I’d just add a possible side-effect of this. which again I’m pointing out with no data whatsoever – It really seems like the officials are letting a lot go in this tournament. Multiple times a game I’m seeing teams caught out expecting a tactical foul call that never comes. or teams livid that what seems like pretty heavy contact in the attacking half is going unpunished.
Prime example would be Messi’s first goal against Austria – there was a coming together in midfield just beforehand that I think in past tournaments would have been called,. this time it wasn’t. I wonder if the higher bar on simulation has anything to do with that.
MiffledKitty asks: Anglo-Dutch here. What are the chances of a Netherlands v England match? Slim, I hope, because if I support NL, my mum will kill me. Also who would be likely to win?
double quotation mark Jeff: You’re asking for the right reasons. So long as the Netherlands. England remain atop Groups F and L, respectively, they wouldn’t be able to meet until a potential final, at which point your mum is already in dreamland. If either team drops to second while the other wins the group, they could face each other in a quarter-final.
This is also the kind of family-peace reconnaissance our Bracketology project was designed to enable, still fit. firing out all the scenarios in stunning technicolor
Agorilla asks: Why are most of the World Cups recently, and future, being held in despotic regimes?
double quotation mark Pablo: Well, Fifa simply follows the money,. each of the last three World Cups have given them some form of carte blanche to make a shitload of it. The Qataris basically handed them a blank check, with Russia making similar concessions. Ironically I think that many American municipalities didn’t cave to Fifa’s obscene financial demands quite as much as previous hosts did,. some cities withdrew their bids, unable to see the logic in making tax concessions or spending money on infrastructure that they’d never see a return on. Still, this will be the most profitable summer in Fifa’s history,. they very much continue to view the United States as global football’s ATM.
Jan Olsson asks: Is Alexi Lalas actually a character comedian?
double quotation mark Pablo: It’s been fascinating to watch the discourse around Lalas, which has grown more. more hyperbolic by the day. He is by all accounts a staple in the world of American soccer commentary in no small part because of the vibe you’re talking about -. you’re not wrong, many people think he’s doing a bit. There’s a little bit of that going on,. Alexi is certainly aware of the sometimes intensely negative reaction he drives, and his employer is, too. To Fox, he keeps people talking, and that’s enough. I actually haven’t found him bad to watch this summer.
I think Zlatan is the dud at the desk, but that’s all subjective. In the States, we also have the option of just turning Fox off and watching matches on Telemundo, in Spanish. Just saying.
CaptainLib asks: Is football coming home?
double quotation mark Jeff: In the sense that it has many homes these days, sure. I did have some concerns about Tuchel’s squad, but maybe not the ones most people have voiced most loudly. Adam Wharton’s ball progression. positional savviness seemed like an obvious boon for the team as they tried to control games and find seams in and beyond the opposing defence. Right now, this team is struggling to create those “big” chances on which Harry Kane feasts,. their speculative shooting against Ghana showed that an organised opponent might give them fits.
Then again, some of the other pre-tournament favourites have already wobbled. My initial bracket had England out in the QF against Ecuador. when I assumed this tournament’s tactical zeitgeist would skew more defensive given the heat. With how expansive it already appears, I have England to the semi-final,. falling to whomever comes out of that possible Argentina v Portugal quarter-final.
SteveinDC asks: Now that each stadium has hosted a few games. can our panel of experts rank them in order of best to worst?
double quotation mark Jeff: I’ve been to three World Cup venues so far, so let’s start there. Seattle has created a genuine World Cup village around the erstwhile Lumen Field,. the stadium is famous for its volume retention. Makes for a power post-game singalong. Second for me is Vancouver, which also retains atmosphere nicely. whose dated air conditioning can be remedied with a five-dollar battery powered fan. Incredibly kind stadium staff there, too.
Los Angeles is the most impressive venue but its location doesn’t enhance the experience with supplemental shops or sips,. navigating the concourse can be a nightmare. If my experience in Atlanta for the USMNT March friendlies was at all indicative, I’d rank it between Vancouver. Los Angeles – great walkability. Our stadium guide is here
Jeff and Pablo are now here answering your questions (Alex should be here soon). We’ll post them as we get them.
We’re approaching the end of the group stages of the biggest World Cup ever. The Guardian’s coverage of the tournament has been greatly enhanced this year by the expansion of our soccer/football team in the United States.
Correspondents Alexander Abnos, Pablo Iglesias Maurer. Jeff Rueter have been as busy as you’d expect over the first few weeks of the tournament.
Since hanging out with Zohran Mamdani to play our Bracketology game before the tournament, Alex has been busy covering the United States’ impressive start to the tournament as well as Iran’s difficult trips to play in LA; Pablo had the honour of watching Lionel Messi become the World Cup’s all-time top goalscorer in Dallas. Jeff has also been on the West Coast covering the USMNT and Canada’s big 6-0 win in Vancouver.
Alex, Pablo and Jeff are here to answer your questions live. Ask them anything about the tournament so far: from the impact in the United States itself to who’s going to win the whole thing based on the first fortnight of matches.
Post your question in the comments now.
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