The Sportsletter - World Cup Primer ⚽️

BY JEFF YODER

NOV. 18, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 👋

We've got Thursday night highlights and a pair of first-time MLB MVP winners, but soccer fans can finally rejoice. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is about to begin. Four weeks of the world's most popular sporting event will provide non-stop early-morning action. Let's prime the World Cup...

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SOCCER

The 2022 FIFA World Cup Primer

Photo: Kirill Kudrayavtsev / Getty Images

Players, Stadiums, Groups & Everything You Need to Know About the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

It’s almost here. The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off Sunday morning with the host nation Qatar taking on Ecuador. Qatar has been the subject of much scrutiny leading up to the most popular sporting event on the planet. The small country with a minimal presence in soccer and scorching heat that led to the death of 37 workers directly related to stadium construction. There are eight venues in all that will set the stage for the next month of soccer. In today’s World Cup Primer, we’ll preview the marquee groups, some of the most intriguing players to watch and take a look at the group breakdown.

The 8 Stadiums

Al Bayt

Lusail

Ahmad bin Ali

Education City

Khalifa International

Ras Abu Aboud

Al Thumama

Al Janoub

Top-10 Players to Watch

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina)

2. Kylian Mbappe (France)

3. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)

4. Neymar (Brazil)

5. Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

6. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

7. Sadio Mane (Senegal)

8. Harry Kane (England)

9. Karim Benzema (France)

10. Christian Pulisic (United States)

Marquee Groups: Group B has been dubbed the “group of death” in 2022 with England, USA, Iran and Wales averaging a world ranking of 15. All four teams are within 15 places among the 32 teams, making it the most competitive. Group E also boasts a strong lineup with Spain, Germany, Japan and Costa Rica providing a lot of firepower.

World Cup Groups

Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

Group B: England, Iran, United States, Wales

Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, Korea Republic

Opening Day Match

Qatar vs. Ecuador (Sun. 11:00 am ET)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: 2022 World Cup Guide: The Ultimate Armchair Fan’s Guide

The Ringer: The Bandwagon Fan’s Guide to the 2022 World Cup

Sporting News: Ranking the Best 2022 World Cup Jerseys in Qatar

Washington Post: 50 Players to Watch at the 2022 World Cup

LA Times: A Guide to the 8 Stadiums Hosting Games at the 2022 World Cup

MLB

1st-Timers Take MVPs

Image via MLB.com

Aaron Judge (Yankees) & Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals) Take Home 2022 MLB MVP Honors

Two sluggers took home their first MVP awards on Thursday night to cap off awards week in the majors. Aaron Judge (Yankees) was a no-doubter for the American League honor while Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals) nabbed the National League hardware. The Yankees (1st) and Cardinals (2nd) are the top two franchises in all-time MVP award winners. Let’s take a look at their 2022 seasons in review.

Judge’s Historic Season

Judge was the be-all end-all in 2022 with a constant home-run tracker season that culminated in the AL record (62 home runs). He led the Yankees to a 99-63 record while batting .311 and tallying a league-best 131 RBIs and a ridiculous 1.111 OPS. And now, Judge hits a major decision this offseason as a free agent.

AL MVP Voting

A. Judge (NYY): 410 points

S. Ohtani (LAA): 280 points

Y. Alvarez (HOU): 232 points

Goldy’s Great Campaign

Goldschmidt became one of the oldest MVP winners at 35 years old. He was the MVP runner-up in 2013 and 2015 before finishing third in 2017. Now, he owns the top spot. Goldy batted .317 with 35 homers and 115 RBIs.

NL MVP Voting

P. Goldschmidt (STL): 380 points

M. Machado (SD): 291 points

N. Arenado (STL): 232 points

That’s a wrap on MLB awards week. We’ll table the MLB coverage until winter meetings and offseason news garners the headlines.

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt Wins First Career MVP Award

NY Post: Aaron Judge Can — And Should — Leverage Every Penny From Hal Steinbrenner

NFL

King Henry Does It All

Photo: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images

Derrick Henry Leads Titans Past Packers (27-17) on Thursday Night Football

Two teams heading opposite directions… The Titans used an efficient night from QB Ryan Tannehill and a monster performance from RB Derrick Henry to punish the Packers on Thursday Night Football (27-17). Henry made an impact in all three phases of the offense, even throwing a touchdown on a gimmick jump-pass. Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers did all he could to keep the Pack in the game after a third-quarter touchdown to WR Christian Watson brought the score within three (20-17), but the Titans immediately answered with a five-play, 83-yard touchdown drive.

The Titans (7-3) are now 7-1 in their last eight games, and the Packers (4-7) are on life support after dropping six of their last seven.

RB Derrick Henry Stats

Rushing: 28 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD

Passing: 2/2, 4 yards, 1 TD

Receiving: 2 receptions, 45 yards

Total: 132 yards, 2 TDs

QB Comparison

R. Tannehill (TEN): 22/27, 333 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

A. Rodgers (GB): 24/39, 227 yards, 2 TDs

Watch: Henry, Titans Upend Packers Season on TNF (27-17)

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: TNF Takeaways: Derrick Henry Does It All to Lead Titans

Yahoo! Sports: Packers Lose Yet Again, And Defeat to Titans Might End Any Realistic Playoff Hopes

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏀 NBA: O’Neal Lifts Nets Over Blazers

The Nets got back to winning on Thursday thanks to 35 points from Kevin Durant and a game-winning tip-in from Royce O’Neal to beat the Blazers (109-107). KD’s jump shot in the final seconds rimmed off, but O’Neal’s put-back gave Brooklyn their first win in a week.

🏒 NHL: Devils Claim 11th Straight

The streak continues! The Devils won their 11th straight on Thursday thanks to Yegor Sharangovich’s overtime winner to beat the Maple Leafs (3-2, OT). Sharangovich found the winner just 57 seconds in, and New Jersey (14-3) hasn’t lost since October 24.

🏀 BONUS: South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins Throws Down Breakaway Dunk

THE STORYLINES

🏈 Fantasy Football Week 11

Dig into the players who might be tough start/sit calls in your lineup based on game film notes, stats, more. (CBS Sports)

🏀 The NBA’s 1st-Month Awards

From Most Valuable Player to Saddest Team, we take a way-too-early look at some real and imaginary award races. (The Ringer)

🏒 New Jersey Inferno

Jack Hughes might be the coolest player alive and the New Jersey Devils are sending opponents to hell during their 10-game winning streak. (Yahoo! Sports)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• NFL Moves Browns-Bills Game to Detroit Due to Incoming Snowstorm (ESPN)
• Israel Adesanya Arrested at JFK Airport for Possession of Brass Knuckles (Yahoo! Sports)
• Former Kings Player Donte Greene Charged With Attempted Robbery (SI)
• Eagles Agree to 1-Year Deal With DT Ndamukong Suh (NBC Sports)
• UVA Shooting Victim Mike Hollins Removed From Ventillator (USA Today)
• Qatar Pushing for Complete Beer Ban at Stadiums (CBS Sports)

Support The Sportsletter Team

THE SPORTSLETTER'S NFL PICK 'EM

Thursday Night Football Games Not Included to Allow Players to Make Picks Until Sunday Morning

🗓️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

World Cup (Opening Match)

Qatar at Ecuador (Sun. 11:00 am)

NFL Week 11 (Sunday)

Jets at Patriots (1:00 pm)

Cowboys at Vikings (4:25 pm)

Chiefs at Chargers (8:20 pm)

Full NFL Schedule

College Football (Saturday)

#4 TCU at Baylor (12:00 pm)

#5 Tennessee at South Carolina (7:00 pm)

#22 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (7:30 pm)

#7 USC at #16 UCLA (8:00 pm)

#10 Utah at #12 Oregon (10:30 pm)

Full College Football Schedule

NBA

Bucks at 76ers (Fri. 7:30 pm)

Knicks at Warriors (Fri. 10:00 pm)

Full NBA Schedule

NHL

Avalanche at Capitals (Sat. 7:00 pm)

Golden Knights at Oilers (Sat. 10:00 pm)

Full NHL Schedule

College Basketball

M: #16 Virginia at #5 Baylor (Fri. 7:00 pm)

M: #19 Illinois at #8 UCLA (Fri. 9:30 pm)

M: #4 Kentucky at #2 Gonzaga (Sun. 7:30 pm)

W: #10 NC State at #5 UConn (Sun. 1:00 pm)

W: #1 South Carolina at #2 Stanford (Sun. 3:00 pm)

W: #19 Maryland at #17 Baylor (Sun. 3:00 pm)

*All Times ET

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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