US SOCCER FEDERATION officials are looking into hosting pre-World Cup matches next year involving teams that failed to qualify for Russia, such as Italy, Chile, Ghana, Ireland, Netherlands and the USA, according to reports.
Sports Illustrated, ESPN and The Washington Post reported Tuesday that US Soccer was exploring the idea of gathering top football nations from several continents that failed to reach the global showdown for friendlies or a tournament of some sort.
Working with the US governing body for football is Soccer United Marketing, the marketing arm of Major League Soccer.
For every nation involved, such an event could ease the five-year wait before the 2022 World Cup and provide some extra excitement for football fans in those countries, especially Italy, who missed the World Cup for the first time since 1958 after a play-off defeat to Sweden on Monday.
The Americans failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. The Dutch and Ghana had not missed out since 2002.
In addition to each other, the nations could be popular pre-World Cup tuneup opponents and gathering them in America could secure visits from World Cup qualifiers from South America and Central America ahead of their Russia visits.
Other nations that could be pulled into an event for World Cup absentees include Cameroon and Ivory Coast.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
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Great game of football. Unfortunate mistake by Patton but what a joy to watch Murphy. This Dublin team will go down as the greatest ever and so could Murphy
@Shaun Gallagher: Murphy nowhere near greatest ever. Laughable.
@Jack Ronan: didn’t think it was funny but suppose everyone is different
Joe Brolly some dose, rte don’t make many good decisions but shafting him was spot on
@Ronny Phelan: he’s a joke, he’s become a Dublin fanatic rather than an analyst for the game. Donegal lead for 60 mins, they pegged back a 3 point deficit to a single score before the fulltime whistle went. If it went another 3 mins either side could have won it or end on a draw. Brollys acts as if we watched a Liverpool 5 nil trashing of city. Yes Dublin are good, yes they did 5 in a row, but bloody well analyse the game that was there. If monaghan beat mayo tomorrow their last 5 years performances won’t be mentioned.
@RJ: Yeah because they didnt win the last 5 all irelands and are a bunch of bottlers
@RJ: Why would anyone mention Monaghans last five years ?
Good game could have gone either way. Again time keeping inconsistencies, game stopped for nearly 2 and a half minutes for the Murphy Small sending off yet only an extra minute played.
@Gareth Keenan: refs can’t win when it comes to this.dubs cute out when the chips are down, you have to hand it to them.
@Fr Romeo sensini.: yeah definitely the GOAT.
@Fr Romeo sensini.: Refs can’t win? It’s a Flipping clock. Not a discretionary process. What a senseless comment. Over 2 mins stopped = 2 mins at least added. But I guess there was no need, Dublin had the lead
@RJ: you try doing it and dealing with 10 to 15 lads wrestling with each other at the same time.
John Small is some pantomime villain.
@Robb Stark: Oh no he isn’t
More cynical play to get Murphy sent off.
@raymond flynn: Murphy is no angel but Small is always at it.
@raymond flynn: didn’t see too many of the yahoo’s in blue running in to fight ter this evening!! But few weeks back they wer very tough trying too beat a few young Kerry players!!!
@raymond flynn: Murphy is well able to get himself sent off
@Yusufmc: grow up.
@Yusufmc: are you drunk?
@GrumpyAulFella: wish I was watching that throw ball! Thx god for hurling!!!
@Phil O Stine: what did he do to get himself sent off.
@Brian: watch the game
@Phil O Stine: he got man of the match. I guess you are 1 of those blinkered bitter supporters.
@Brian: he should have been sent off in first few minutes . He went in on Davy Byrne with his elbow. Do you are right the refs can’t do the job
To be fair the second yellow card John small received should have been a red card
@Conor Brick: To be fair, you’re talking shyte, Murphy started the handbags and dragged him to the ground. What’s he meant to do?
@Ciarán: To be fair the first yellow Murphy received should have been red
@Conor Brick: Every second yellow is a red bud ….
I suppose the refs are playing to the letter of the law but between the club final and these few league games, congress could be looking at bringing in a ladies football or rugby style clock to reduce the amount of injury time