World Cupdate

Hydrate and educate

Emma Hayes is a problem-solver. And the U.S. women’s national team coach might have just solved FIFA’s new, dreaded men’s World Cup feature, the hydration break. It only took her 70 seconds.

What’s a hydration break? Global soccer’s governing body introduced the mid-half three-minute stoppages for this summer’s tournament. They’re supposedly meant to combat the heat in the host nations of the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
What’s the issue? The break effectively creates a game of four quarters instead of two halves, changing a fundamental element of soccer. But speaking more cynically, the pauses provide chances for broadcasters to sell more advertising spots during FIFA’s biggest World Cup ever. Players like Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk and U.S. men’s coach Mauricio Pochettino have expressed their dislike for the breaks.
Hayes to the rescue: British TV broadcaster ITV turned to Hayes to make the best of a bad situation. From a stunning rooftop in Brooklyn, Hayes used her trusty chalkboard to provide insightful tactical analysis during a break that actually added to the viewing experience.

With Spain struggling to find answers for tournament debutants Cape Verde earlier today, Hayes suggested the 2010 World Cup winners focus on their “wide rotations” that produced two strong breakthroughs in the “first quarter.”

Obviously, Spain wasn’t able to hear her, leading to one of the most shocking results in World Cup history. Unfortunately for those in the U.S., the only clips of Hayes you’ll get are on social media or using a VPN.

Soccer history lesson

The U.S. men have sparked optimism across the country with their 4-1 win over Paraguay in Friday’s opening match of their World Cup run. But they are still following the lead of a team that has been dominant for decades.

The reason the men don’t have a superstar — yet — is the same reason the U.S. women do: culture, as Asli Pelit writes.

Though you can’t compare the teams’ experiences in World Cups for various reasons, it’s important to recognize the dominance the U.S. women have long shown amid any conversation about the growth of the sport.

You can certainly still celebrate both teams. In fact, many of the U.S. women were in the stands last Friday to witness the men’s impressive win at SoFi. We asked a couple of those players what it was like to experience the game in person:

💬 North Carolina Courage midfielder Riley Jackson: “I’ve always dreamed of attending a World Cup. Getting to do so for the first time on U.S. soil in such an amazing atmosphere was more special than I could have imagined.” (Note: The U.S. women won the 1999 Women’s World Cup six years before Jackson was born.)

💬 Chelsea forward Alyssa Thompson: “I thought the energy and the crowd were electric. It was so cool being able to watch a World Cup game live in our home country. The game was super exciting, our team played so well and I had so much fun. I can’t wait to go to more games and cheer on the guys!”

Matt Winkelmeyer – FIFA / FIFA via Getty Images

The U.S. men will continue their World Cup journey Friday at 3 p.m. ET against Australia. You can catch the game on Fox and in Spanish on Telemundo and Peacock.

Meanwhile, the men’s next chance to support the women in a tournament of the same magnitude on home soil will be in Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympics or at the 2031 Women’s World Cup, which will likely be in the U.S., Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica.