2022 World Cup Preview with Tom Jacobs


2022 World Cup Preview with Tom Jacobs


In today's episode, Tom Jacobs and I preview the 2022 World Cup, which begins in Qatar Sunday. We start by giving our favorite World Cup memories. Tom remembers the vuvuzelas from the South Africa World Cup in 2010. He also loved Harry Maguire's header against Sweden in 2018. Being an American, I still remember the USMNT's monumental upset over Portugal and the Round-of-16 win over Mexico in 2002. With Qatar hosting a Fall/Winter World Cup, we talk about how football's biggest event will be in November-December compared to a traditional Summer World Cup in June-July. With England the USMNT in the same group, we look back a a couple previous World Cup meetings. The U.S. beat England in one of the World Cup's biggest upsets in 1950. In 2010, England goalkeeper Rob Green's famous gaffe helped the Americans get a 1-1 draw in South Africa. Tom then asks me whether this year's USMNT is better than the 2010 WC squad. I believe this team is better with several guys playing with big European clubs like Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna. With England and the USMNT playing on Black Friday, we talk about whether the Americans or Three Lions will prevail. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are likely playing in their final World Cup for Portugal and Argentina respectively. We talk about Ronaldo and Messi's chances of finally lifting football's biggest trophy in Qatar. We both believe Messi and Argentina have got an easier path to a World Cup Final. Before giving out our winning picks, Tom tries to stump me with some World Cup trivia. We then decide which country will win the World Cup. To no one's surprise, we both like Brazil to end a 20-year drought and capture football's greatest prize in Qatar.