Twenty years after the greatest U.S. men’s run in the modern era, the team with arguably the greatest potential takes to the World Cup stage—with many links to its predecessor.
Qatar’s opening ceremony was a spectacle. Its opening performance was not. And no amount of fanfare will detract from the matters surrounding the competition.
From emptying stands to an uninspired performance on the field, the host nation’s incompetence was on full display in every corner of the Al-Bayt Stadium.