World Cup daily: USA kick off vs. Wales, Qatar lose the opening game and their fans leave early

The World Cup kicked disconnected successful Qatar, aft years of waiting, and ESPN has you covered for the world's biggest sporting event.

We've seen the opening ceremony, the pre-game speeches and the philharmonic acts (yes, that was BTS retired there!). We've seen the archetypal extremity disallowed by VAR astatine the World Cup (well done, Enner Valencia, for being the reply to that trivia question) and we've seen the archetypal goals allowed astatine the World Cup excessively (again, congrats to Enner Valencia, whose 2 goals gave Ecuador a triumph implicit big federation Qatar.)

Be definite to cheque successful with ESPN passim the tourney arsenic we bring the latest from Qatar. Let's get into it.

- World Cup news, features, previews, and more
- Stream FC Daily and Futbol Americas connected ESPN+

The lead: USA! USA! USA!

Group B play begins agleam and aboriginal connected Monday greeting arsenic England instrumentality connected Iran astatine Khalifa International Stadium (8 a.m. ET), but that's the specified appetizer to a delicious main people arsenic the U.S. statesman their tourney against Gareth Bale and Wales astatine Al Rayyan Stadium (2 p.m. ET).

For the USMNT, it's imperative they get disconnected to a blistery commencement arsenic England await successful their 2nd radical game. Wales connection plentifulness of menace acknowledgment to their talisman, Gareth Bale -- who had a fewer notable cameos during LAFC's tally to the 2022 MLS Cup this play -- but the U.S. boast their afloat complement of stars, led by Christian Pulisic, and volition beryllium anxious to marque up for what they missed retired connected astatine Russia 2018. (We won't notation Couva. We won't notation Couva.)

Tyler Adams has been named captain, making him the youngest U.S. skipper astatine a World Cup since Harry Keough successful 1950, and they've been fortunate successful avoiding important injuries during pre-tournament prep, thing that can't beryllium said astir France (Karim Benzema was ruled retired Saturday), Senegal (Sadio Mane was ruled retired Thursday) oregon Belgium (striker Romelu Lukaku is already retired for their archetypal radical game). The U.S. besides got good news successful the signifier of defender Sergino Dest and midfielder Weston McKennie passing fittingness tests to look Wales.

They besides got a timely connection from home, courtesy of U.S. Soccer, anterior to their archetypal match...

24 hours from the biggest infinitesimal of their lives, the families of each 26 #USMNT players nonstop a heartfelt 'good luck' from backmost location ❤️💙🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/sh8fLRQtsP

Ahead of the game, Sam Borden met the antheral liable for feeding the team successful Doha, portion Luis Miguel Echegaray spoke to the fantastic guardant Tim Weah astir his shot roots and what this World Cup means to him. Coach Gregg Berhalter believes his team "can bushed anyone" successful Qatar... he'll beryllium enactment to the trial by the Welsh connected Monday, then. No pressure, then!!

News and Notes

• Host federation Qatar fell to a 2-0 decision against Ecuador successful the World Cup's opening game, with bizarre scenes of location fans leaving good earlier the last whistle successful droves to permission a mostly pro-Ecuador situation for overmuch of the 2nd half. We covered the surrealism of time one arsenic good arsenic the mediocre show of the Qatar nationalist team successful what was fundamentally their archetypal crippled for the planetary audience. Meanwhile, Ecuador fans were captured chanting "we privation beer" arsenic Qatar fans near early.

• Is this is simply a motion of overcrowding and logistical issues to come? The authoritative World Cup instrumentality portion astatine Al Bidda was truthful overwhelmed by fans trying to get successful that they closed access. The venue has a reported capableness of 40,000, but information services were forced to propulsion fans backmost arsenic they approached the assorted entranceway points, reports Tom Hamilton.

• England skipper Harry Kane told the media he volition inactive deterioration the "OneLove" armband contempt reported threats of a good and yellowish paper astatine kickoff arsenic assorted European teams conflict with FIFA implicit the big nation's quality rights record. Said Kane, "I deliberation we've made it wide arsenic a team, arsenic a unit and an organisation that we privation to deterioration the armband... I deliberation we've made it wide we privation to deterioration it."

• Ahead of their crippled with England, Iran defender Ehsan Hajsafi was the archetypal subordinate of Team Melli to speak retired successful evident support of anti-government protests backmost home. "They should cognize that we are with them. And we enactment them. And we sympathise with them regarding the conditions. We person to judge the conditions successful our state are not close and our radical are not happy," helium added. "We are here, but it does not mean we should not beryllium their dependable oregon we should not respect them."

• Brazil are 1 of the front-runners to assertion the trophy successful Qatar, but who volition play successful Thursday's Group G crippled vs. Serbia? Right now, it's all astir misdirection. "We person nary thought who the starting XI are: we are funny to cognize what the manager volition determine and the contention is relentless to unafraid a spot," said defender Alex Sandro connected Sunday.

The champion bits from today

Mark Ogden enjoyed Qatar vs. Ecuador from a sports barroom successful Doha, portion Tom Hamilton soaked up the sights and sounds from the overcrowded instrumentality zone.

play

0:51

Mark Ogden shares his acquisition of watching the opening crippled of the World Cup from a barroom successful Doha.

Ten injured stars forced to miss World Cup
2022 Ballon d'Or Karim Benzema was the latest superstar to beryllium ruled retired by wounded since squads were finalized. Who other is missing out?

What's connected pat time

- England vs. Iran (Group B, 8 a.m. ET): The Three Lions person been the eventual "nearly-there" squad successful caller years, finishing 4th astatine the 2018 World Cup and past 2nd astatine the European Championships. What tin they execute this clip around? If you've heard their caller anthem (well, the latest merchandise of their acquainted refrain), past "football's coming location for Christmas," but they'll request to commencement retired beardown against an Iran broadside that volition show nary fear.

- Senegal vs. Netherlands (Group A, 11 a.m. ET): We presume these 2 volition beryllium the sides to beforehand to the last-16, but Ecuador's triumph implicit Qatar means that a decisive effect for 1 broadside present could spell doom for the other. Cody Gakpo is apt to instrumentality up the playmaker relation successful the Dutch attack, and with bully crushed -- read our profile of the adjacent large transportation people present -- portion Senegal are trying to fig retired however to regenerate injured talisman Mane, who was ruled retired of the World Cup connected Thursday.

- United States vs. Wales (Group B, 2 p.m. ET): What much is determination to say? The pressure's connected Berhalter & Co. to conscionable the sky-high hype backmost location with 3 points against a Wales broadside that mightiness beryllium tougher than they look.

What other caught our eye

We had our archetypal usage of VAR astatine the World Cup arsenic Enner Valencia's third-minute extremity -- which would person been the fastest-ever extremity successful a World Cup opener -- and Dale Johnson was on manus to explain wherefore the telephone was made.

play

1:25

Dale Johnson explains wherefore Ecuador had a extremity ruled retired successful confusing circumstances successful the World Cup opener vs. Qatar.

Your champion bets (odds via Caesars Sportsbook)

Take a look astatine however to really stake connected shot matches arsenic ESPN contributors Paul Carr, Dan Thomas and Dalen Cuff gives you cardinal tips on odds, options and futures.

Here's what we person for the archetypal 2 matchdays.

GROUP A

Netherlands (-160) vs. Senegal (+500), Draw +255

Cuff: Netherlands look overmuch amended than the Euro 2020 from conscionable implicit 15 months ago. No Sadio Mane is simply a dagger for Senegal. I deliberation the Dutch are going to travel retired flying, I'll instrumentality implicit 2.5 goals (+115).

Carr: I'm staying distant from this 1 present that Mane is out, but that +500 terms connected Senegal definite is tempting for a squad that's inactive defense-first.

Thomas: I deliberation this could beryllium a choky affair. I'm not definite wherever the goals are going to travel from from either side. I'd instrumentality the nether successful this one. Netherlands 1-0 Senegal.

GROUP B

England (-290) vs. Iran (+1000), Draw +340

Carr: Can I stake the nether for each crippled successful this group? Maybe not, but I bash similar nether 2.5 goals present (-150). Iran gave up 5 goals successful 14 qualifiers and lone allowed 1 extremity each to Spain and Portugal 4 years ago. England's 3 radical games astatine the Euros past twelvemonth had a full of 2 goals, truthful until Gareth Southgate indicates that he'll usage each of England's attacking talent, I'm going with the nether successful England games.

Cuff: I'll conscionable support saying, I'm fading England. That said, their antiaircraft attack against an inferior hostile volition pb to a win, but without overmuch benignant and possibly lone a extremity scored. There's not overmuch worth here, and I don't similar this game, but I'd prime England to Win to Nil (-128).

Thomas: I'm not precise hopeful that England tin spell acold successful this tournament. However, fixed the weakness of the teams astir them successful the group, I deliberation they volition suffice easily, starting with a comfy triumph against Iran successful the opener. Harry Kane to people astatine immoderate clip (-110) looks similar a lay-up. England 3-0 Iran.

United States (+160) vs. Wales (+200), Draw +190

Carr: I anticipation this isn't my American bias slipping in, but the U.S. simply has much attacking options than Wales, highlighted by a quartet of prime wingers (Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Giovanni Reyna, Timothy Weah). Because of that and Wales' not-as-good-as-you-think defence that allowed 1.2 expected goals per crippled successful qualifying, I'm going with U.S. Draw No Bet astatine -135.

Cuff: Bias warning! It has been 8 years since watching the U.S. successful a World Cup game. I tin spot this being debased scoring. The young attacking endowment hasn't travel unneurotic successful their past fewer friendlies. Wales is not a dynamic attacking team, relying connected brilliance from Gareth Bale oregon crosses searching for Kieffer Moore's head. There's nary worth successful nether plays oregon some teams to not score. The unbiased determination is astir apt Draw +190 oregon adjacent Wales Draw No Bet +105. But nary affectional hedge present -- USA to triumph (+160).

Thomas: I cognize I'm not selling it precise well. But I fancy a 0-0 gully here.