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The U.S. Men's National Team have begun their process of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and after their failure to qualify for the 2018 finals in Russia, they know that they've got a massive task to undertake.

This qualification process is shaping up to be a road to redemption for Gregg Berhalter's squad, and their appearance in the 2022 tournament is a must.

Here, Goal has everything you need to know about the USMNT's World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign, including group standings, fixtures, results and more.

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USMNT World Cup 2022 qualifying

The USMNT will play their qualification games through the Octagonal system, which consists of eight Concacaf teams ranked from one to five based on their FIFA rankings as of July 2020, plus the three winners of the second round qualifying stage.

The teams play against each other in a home-and-away round-robin format, with each side playing 14 matches. The top three teams in the table will qualify for the 2022 World Cup, while the team that finishes fourth will progress to the inter-confederation play-off fixture.

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USMNT World Cup 2022 qualifying fixtures & results

The USMNT's road to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup is now underway, with two draws and a win three games in. They began their campaign with a 0-0 draw to El Salvador, followed by another draw to Canada and a resounding 4-1 victory over Honduras.

They will play three qualifying matches in October: they face off against Jamaica on October 7, Panama on October 10 and Costa Rica on October 13.

Star Christian Pulisic has been sidelined from match action ever since picking up an ankle injury during the 4-1 injury against Honduras.

The side will play an additional two games in November, against rivals Mexico on November 12 and against Jamaica again on November 16.

You can see all of the USMNT's World Cup qualifying matches below.

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How can I watch the USMNT's World Cup 2022 qualifying on TV and streaming?

NBC’s Telemundo Deportes, Universo, CBS, FoxSports.com and FS1 have the rights to broadcast and stream USMNT games in the United States (U.S.).

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When does World Cup 2022 take place?

The 2022 World Cup will be held during the winter in Qatar, the first time that the competition will not be held during the summer months.

The 2022 edition will be held from November 21, 2022 until December 18, 2022.

The decision to hold the next World Cup during November and December instead of June and July, as is tradition, is due to the extremely hot summer temperatures in host nation Qatar.

It will mark the first time that the World Cup is held in the Middle East.

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Wounded and desperate to claw their way closer to the top positions, this clash at the King Power Stadium provides a great opportunity for both Leicester City and Manchester United to narrow the gap.

The Foxes are winless from their last four league matches while it’s two in a row for the Red Devils, unable to get the coveted win over Aston Villa and Everton at Old Trafford.

This meeting can be watched via LIVENow and despite United holding the historic dominance in this fixture, Leicester are unbeaten in their last two matches against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s boys.

Both Brendan Rodgers and Solskjaer will have an eye on the players returning from the latest round of international duty with their respective countries, thankful no doubt that this is the last break for the rest of the year.

While Leicester players like Caglar Soyuncu and Kasper Schmeichel are likely to return to the club ready to go, United will be without the services of Raphael Varane who looks set to miss a few weeks following a groin muscle injury picked up in the Nations League final against Spain.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to purchase the online match pass for this match that kicks off on Saturday, 10pm for just S$10 and with no additional cost of monthly subscriptions.

The big question mark surrounding the visitors for this clash will surely be whether Solskjaer restores Cristiano Ronaldo to the starting line-up having been criticised roundly for leaving the Portuguese star out against Everton.

With a hat trick of goals scored against Luxembourg on Wednesday morning, Ronaldo is sending a clear message to his manager that he is fit and in splendid form to warrant a place in the starting eleven.

With LIVENow, you have the flexibility to stream this Leicester vs Manchester United game on various devices from PC to Mac, Chromecast to dedicated iOS/Android applications and many more.

On the other side, Rodgers will be hoping that star-man Jamie Vardy continues his fine form to the start of the new season, having already plundered in six goals from seven matches thus far.

But it will not be an easy task against a United side that hasn’t lost a single game in their last 29 games on the road in the league which makes this match even more intriguing.

CLICK HERE now to sign up and stream Leicester vs Manchester United to find out which side will finally break their winless run!

India topped the table at the end of four matches in the ongoing SAFF Championships 2021 as they amassed eight points and booked a berth in the final. On Wednesday, they scored three goals against Maldives, the reigning champions who were playing on home soil, in what was a must-win tie.

The Blue Tigers haven’t been at their best in the competition as they struggled to find the back of the net with the strikers being guilty of misfiring in the first three games. However, that wasn’t the case against Maldives as India produced their best display, especially in attack, to progress into the final.

Obviously, there are several talking points from the game however, herein we bring forth the three more important ones:

India’s defence doesn’t inspire confidence

In the opening 31 minutes, three of the four defenders found their name in the referee’s book. In fact, one of them could possibly have been shown a red card as well for his reckless foul. Ali Ashfaq had two glorious chances in the opening half hour wherein, had he been more aware about his team-mates’ movement, a square pass would have resulted in two goals for the home side. It was thanks to his poor decision-making that India didn't concede. When tracking, the defenders lost their man regularly and on several occasions were guilty of passing the ball straight to the opposition, a trait which has been witnessed on countless occasions at SAFF Championships.

Not to forget the penalty awarded for the needless foul. Coach Igor Stimac did bring on a substitute at the back who also could have picked a booking, had the referee not being more lenient.

Apuia - ability plus confidence personified

One of the major criticisms of this Indian side is that they don’t have enough players who can control the ball or even play a proper forward pass with confidence. Sideways passing has been the dish which has been served to the Indian fans. In what was his fourth start for the Indian team, Lalengmawia produced a sublime display where he always provided an outlet for his team-mates to receive a pass. The 20-year-old has shown maturity and his ability to carry the ball, switch play at will make him stand out from among the rest of his peers in the middle of the park.

Better Crossing 

A significant change in India’s attacking ploy against Maldives was that there were better quality crosses whipped in, especially from the right. Pritam Kotal, apart from giving away the penalty, made some good overlapping runs down the right - which we last saw him do back at Mohun Bagan under Sanjoy Sen when they won the I-League. One of his deliveries saw Sunil Chhetri score his second of the evening. Mohammed Yasir has certainly been India’s best crosser in the competition and his coordination with Kotal helped India look more threatening when going forward.

Manvir Singh certainly deserves a mention for the fantastic finish as he got on the end of a Brandon Fernandes pass. Also, Chhetri has four goals in the tournament with two goals against Maldives. On another day, he could have had a hat-trick having struck the crossbar in the first half. In fact, he has scored eight goals in six matches against Maldives in his career.

Al Ahly have announced that the club's head coach Pitso Mosimane will remain at the club until the end of the season.

This comes after recent reports emanating from his home country, South Africa, indicated that he could leave the Egyptian football powerhouse after he failed to agree on a new deal with the club. 

With his contract with the North African giants set to expire in June 2022, Mosimane is reportedly demanding a new three-year deal worth $200,000 per month with the club unwilling to agree to his demands.

Al Ahly's head of Al Ahly’s transfers and marketing department Amir Tawfik has now refuted the reports by stating that Mosimane has not asked for any increase in his salary.

Tawfik also made it clear that the Red Devils want the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach to stay as they still believe that he has what it takes to fulfil the goals and expectations of the club.

"Amir Tawfik, head of Al Ahly’s transfers and marketing department, revealed the details of his meeting with Pitso Mosimane, Al Ahly's football first-team head coach," a club statement read.

"Tawfik announced that Mosimane will continue his current contract with the club, which lasts until the end of the 2021/2022 season, without any pay raise. 

"Tawfik added that Mosimane did not ask for any increase in his salary and that the club wants him to stay because Al Ahly is convinced with his ability to fulfill the goals and expectations of Al Ahly fans.

"Additionally, Mosimane expressed his happiness to work at Al Ahly and stated that he wants to continue his mission with the African Club of the Century. 

"Finally, Tawfik concluded by saying that the discussions went in a friendly way about the team's future and that both parties agreed on settling all the matters by the end of the current contract."

Mosimane quickly confirmedAl Ahly into the best football club in Africa after joining the Red Devils in October 2020 - leading the team to two successive Caf Champions League titles in 2020 and 2021.

The accomplished tactician also steered the Red Devils to the Caf Super Cup and Egyptian Cup triumphs, before leading the team to a third-place finish at the 2020 Fifa Club World Cup.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies netted a stunning solo goal for Canada against Panama on Wednesday that prompted former United States men's national team star Jozy Altidore to call him "world class" amid a chorus of awed responses on social media.

Davies sprinted half the length of the field to steal the ball from an unsuspecting Sam Adekugbe before jetting into the box and leaving goalkeeper Luis Mejia flat-footed with his low shot.

The 66th-minute effort put Canada ahead 2-1 in a pivotal World Cup qualifying match, with the hosts ultimately pulling away for a 4-1 victory.

What happened?

Reactions to Davies' goal

Bigger picture

Canada fell behind 1-0 after just five minutes to the side closest to them in the race for third in the CONCACAF table - the region's final World Cup play-off qualifying spot.

With consecutive draws entering the game, that early goal concession could have been taken as an ominous sign.

However, Canada pulled out a victory with the help of Davies and are now on 10 points, two clear of Panama for third.

Further reading

Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has credited Michael Essien for standing out to support him during his early years at Chelsea. 

Mikel met the ex-Black Stars midfielder in Jose Mourinho's team in 2006 and he recalled the role his African teammate played which helped him integrate quickly into the first-team. 

The Super Eagles legend went on to spend the majority of his career at Stamford Bridge which spanned 11 years and he played 249 Premier League games with a goal and 10 assists to his name. 

Mikel who was first surprised by the calibre of his teammates, revealed how Essien encouraged him to dominate the Blues’ midfield. 

"Suddenly, I was sharing a dressing room with all these players I had watched on television back in Africa," Mikel told the Athletic. "I was sitting next to Lassana Diarra. I'd be there thinking, 'Oh my God, it's Didier Drogba. It's Frank Lampard. It's John Terry'. 

"Michael Essien (who joined from Lyon in the summer of 2005) really helped me. Michael always told me I was a good player and just reminded me to bring the ball down, control and pass. If you need to dribble, dribble. If you don't need to, just pass. You are strong. You are fast, too. If you can, just push the ball past and run, run, run because they cannot catch you. 

'"He was the guy who really helped me and made me have a lot of confidence." 

The former Nigeria midfielder who plies his trade in the Kuwaiti top-flight with Kuwait SC, lifts the lid on how his move to Chelsea came through despite attempts from Manchester United. 

“They were speaking to me every day saying, ‘Sign for United, sign for United’, and there was the contract in front of me,” Mikel continued. “But Chelsea made it clear they weren’t going to give up. They wanted me back. 

“I had been sent by Chelsea to play there because I was not 18. I was from Africa and needed to play a certain amount of games (to get a permit).” 

Maldives's title defense ended with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of India in the final group game of the SAFF Championship 2021 at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives, on Wednesday evening. 

Maldives had prepared well for the tournament. They played two friendlies in Qatar, where they won 4-2 against Lusail FC and drew 1-1 with Army National Team. After the two matches, coach Ali Suzain pruned the final squad to 24 members from the initial 29. The five players who failed to make the cut are: Ali Shamis, Ahmed Abdulla, Moosa Yameen, midfielder Asfad Habeeb and forward Hassan Nazeem.

The Red Snappers had defeated India 2-1 in the final of the previous edition of the SAFF Cup in 2018.  

MALDIVES NATIONAL TEAM SQUAD FOR SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP

Goalkeepers: 

Mohammed Faisal 

Mohamed Shafeeu

Ali Najih

Defenders: 

Ahmed Nooman

Hussain Sifau Yoosuf

Haisham Hassan

Akram Abdul Ghanee,

Samooh Ali

Gasim Sammaam

Midfielders: 

Ashad Ali

Ibrahim Aisam

Mohamed Umair

Hussain Nihan

Hamza Mohamed

Ismail Eesa

Ibrahim Waheed Hassan.

Forwards: 

Hassan Raaif Ahmed

Mohamed Naaim

Ibrahim Mahdhy Hussain

Assadhulla Abdulla

Ali Fasir

Ali Ashfaq

Naaiz Hassan

Ali Haisham

SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP 2021: MALDIVES NATIONAL TEAM FIXTURES

Mexico can cement their place as frontrunners in the Qatar 2022 World Cup CONCACAF qualifiers when they travel to face El Salvador at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador.

Watch El Salvador vs Mexico on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

El Tri head off to take on La Selecta, three points ahead of the USMNT at the top of the table - and they know that victory will maintain the gap at the very least.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

*denotes uncapped player

Almost four decades have passed since La Selecta last reared their head at a World Cup - competing at Spain 1982 - and their prospects of reaching Qatar look to be growing smaller by the day too.

But a victory over the group leaders would bolster their prospects enormously when it comes to keeping up a pursuit of a top-three spot - and that vital fourth-place playoff berth.

Predicted El Salvador starting XI: Gonzalez; Tamacas, Vigil, Dominguez, Roldan; Mena; Ceren, Henriquez; Hernandez; Monterroza, Rivas.

El Tri swept to a comfortable victory last time out - and with the USMNT's defeat, they have been able to open up a gap at the summit that will help them breathe a little easier as they set their sights on next year's tournament.

But they will be wary of a potential banana-skin in the shape of their hosts, and will look to make sure they can avoid any potential slip-ups.

Predicted Mexico starting XI: Ochoa; L. Rodriguez, Montes, Moreno, Gallardo; Herrera, Alvarez, Cordova; Corona, Jimenez, Lozano.

Last five results

Head-to-head

Coach Carlos Queiroz is not getting carried away by Egypt’s victories over Libya in October’s 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

After a stuttering start en route to Qatar, the Pharaohs bounced back in contention with a 1-0 victory over the Mediterranean Knights at the Borg El Arab Stadium – with Omar Marmoush’s second-half effort settling the tough fixture.  

In the reverse tie, the seven-time African kings completed a double over Javier Clemente’s men with an impressive 3-0 triumph in Benghazi.

Egypt took the lead in the 41st minute as Ahmed Fetouh drilled an unstoppable shot past Nashnoush while Galatasaray star Mohamed doubled their advantage by heading home a cross from Marmoush.

Pyramids star Ramadan Sobhi, who came in for Marmoush four minutes after the hour mark, added the third goal in the 72nd minute by making use of Mohamed Salah's through pass inside the area.

Although his team leads Group F with 10 points, the former Real Madrid manager wants the North Africans to finish the qualification campaign with success.

“The team played with competence and character. It was nice to enjoy a good start, but a good start alone is not enough,” Queiroz wrote on Twitter

“This is all about finishing with success. There is a price to pay, which is full commitment and sacrifices for the team, until the end.”

Queiroz had revealed how Egypt could earn a place in Qatar 2022: “The only way Egypt can guarantee success is to always be committed to being better, stronger, and to developing a winning team culture,” he wrote on social media.

Egypt travel to Luanda’s Estadio 11 de Novembro for a date with Angola in November while Libya travel to Stade de Franceville to try Gabon for size.

The North African country made their World Cup debut at Italy 1934 - where they crashed out in the Round of 16, the first round at the time.

Their last outing was at the 2018 edition staged in Russia. There, Hector Cuper’s team failed to get past the group stage following their inability to negotiate their way past hosts Russia, Saudia Arabia and Uruguay in Group A.

India's all-time record goalscorer Sunil Chhetri has been one of the very few bright spots for the Blue Tigers in the ongoing SAFF Championships. His four goals in the tournament so far has helped India overcome their sluggish start to the competition and qualify for the final against Nepal on October 16. 

Chhetri's latest show came against Maldives on Wednesday in what was a must-win clash for India. And his brace helped India clinch a 3-1 win over the island nation and qualify for the final. 

More interestingly, the two goals have also seen him take his international goal tally to 79, going past none other than the legendary Pele. The Brazilian superstar is considered by many as one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game. 

Pele, who led Brazil to three World Cup titles between 1958 and 1970, had scored 77 goals for the Selecao. But his tally has now been overcome by an Indian in Sunil Chhetri. Though the quality of opponents faced by Pele and Chhetri are vastly different, the 37-year-old Indian will still be a proud man. 

His tally of 79 goals also mean that he is now the third highest active international goalscorer in football. Only two legendary names are ahead of him - Lionel Messi (80) and Cristiano Ronaldo (115). 

On Wednesday, India badly needed Chhetri to sparkle and that is exactly what he did. Though Manvir Singh had given India an early lead, Ali Ashfaq equalised for Maldives at the stroke of half-time. With a draw enough for Maldives to eliminate India, Stimac's men needed a goal desperately. 

Up stepped Chhetri, who crashed a volley in after Manvir Singh brought a cross from Lalengmawia down inside the penalty box. That goal, just past the hour mark, put India in the lead but Chhetri was not done yet. 

He was on hand to place a header from a free-kick into the top corner to give India an insurance goal and see out the game comfortably, and also take his tally of international goals within one goal of Messi. 

Chhetri will have the opportunity to catch up to or go past Messi's tally when India take on Nepal in the final of the SAFF Championship on Saturday. 

The Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD) has upheld La Liga's request to postpone two weekend fixtures involving Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. 

The giants' plans had been thrown into disarray after learning that the likes of Brazil and Argentina intended to keep their Europe-based players for Thursday's matches, effectively ruling them out of contention. 

La Liga is not the only league affected by that decision, with several Premier League and Serie A clubs set to be short-handed following the international window. 

What was said? 

"In light of previous considerations, and using the attributes which are legally conferred on me I have resolved to grant the injunction requested by [La Liga president] Javier Tebas Medrano Lopez, representing the National Professional Football League (La Liga)," CSD president Jose Manuel Franco Pardo explained in a statement released on Wednesday. 

The motion covers two games that were scheduled for this Sunday: Atletico's visit to Granada as well as Madrid's clash against Athletic Club.

La Liga will now have to reschedule these fixtures, as occurred in September with Sevilla-Barcelona and Villarreal-Alaves, which were also suspended due to the international window and are yet to be played. 

The bigger picture

The news will come as a relief to the Madrid duo, who would have been missing a host of key first-teamers. 

Atletico are without Argentina stars Rodrigo de Paul and Angel Correa and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, while defender Jose Maria Gimenez returned early from Celeste duty due to injury. 

Madrid, meanwhile, have Brazil duo Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior and Uruguay's Federico Valverde active in Thursday's qualifiers, although Brazil captain Casemiro was forced to drop out after suffering a dental infection. 

And while in Spain the clubs will have extra time to welcome back their stars, elsewhere in Europe this weekend there will be a host of big names missing for their clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain take on Angers on Friday barely 12 hours after the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes represent their nations, while in the Premier League the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and City are among the hardest hit by the refusal to let players leave early. 

Brazil boss Tite told reporters when asked about allowing players to return to their respective clubs ahead of schedule: "There was never that possibility [of them returning to England early]. They were called up for the three games."

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said: "We are not going to do the same as last time with the Premier League players.

"Before the game with Venezuela I said that they came to play all three games but the players raised a difficult decision for me and I understood it, I released them.

"Now the players are here to play the three games. Under no point of view they will leave earlier."

Further reading 

Former South Africa youth international midfielder Thabo Cele is now officially a player of Polish top-flight league side RKS Radomiak after the club unveiled him.

The player has signed a two-year contract with an option to extend for a further year. 

Radomiak have stated that Cele has already started training with them.

“Twenty-four-year-old Thabo Cele has signed a contract with Radomiak Radom. The contract with the South African midfielder will run until the end of the 2022/2023 season with an option to extend it for one year,” Radomiak announced on their website.

“Thabo is a product of his native KZN Football Academy, but he quickly decided to pursue his career in Europe, and more specifically in Portugal. There he played for Real SC, Benfica B and for the last three seasons - CD Cova da Piedade. Overall, he has 90 Liga Portugal two appearances, with six goals and three assists. 

“The central midfielder represented his country at this year's Tokyo Summer Olympics. He played three group games for South Africa against Japan, France and Mexico. He was at a certain point with his national team. Let's add that Cele has been training with the first team of the Greens.”

After starting 21 games in 29 appearances in the Portuguese second-tier, Segunda Liga, for Cova Piedade last season and scoring three goals, Cele was touted to be closer to playing in the top-flight league.

He had played in the Segunda Liga for five straight seasons.

His move to Poland follows his recent admission that he was keen to join Kaizer Chiefs but the Soweto giants withdrew their interest in him.

“I wasn’t really thinking about coming back home until there was serious interest from Kaizer Chiefs, but the negotiations fell through,” said Cele recently. 

“I’m a fan of Chiefs and even my family support Chiefs. So I was looking forward to it. I had an offer in Poland, there was interest from Portugal.

“I waited for the move to Chiefs to happen but it didn’t happen. The club in Poland then came back with better communication. I’m not sure what happened with Chiefs. I was even watching their games. I was ready”

It is now yet to be seen if his performances in Poland will help him make a return to Bafana Bafana whom he has previously featured for in the Cosafa Cup. 

Barcelona are in advanced talks over renewing Pedri's contract, with the Spaniard ready to agree a deal that will run until 2026.

Goal can confirm talks have accelerated in the last 24 hours and Pedri is happy to continue with the Catalans, providing a huge boost to the club following their disappointing start to the season.

Barca also plan to include a release clause worth more than €600m (£509m/$694m) as they attempt to ward off potential interest from some of Europe's biggest spenders.

What's the latest news?

As reported by Goal on Tuesday, Barca had been in talks with Pedri and Ansu Fati over contract extensions, although the negotiations were being held up as Ronald Koeman's side were unable to offer a high salary.

In Pedri's case it appears a compromise has been reached, with the 18-year-old Spain international ready to accept terms until 2026 that will increase his wage a sufficient amount to reflect his standing in the team.

Despite the midfielder's current status as one of Barca's top players following his impressive breakthrough season last term, Pedri is one of the lowest-paid members of the first-team squad.

Those terms will be significantly improved in the new contract with Pedri, who has earned 10 caps for Spain in 2021 as well as featuring at the Olympics, moving into a higher salary bracket.

It is understood that, despite strong interest in Pedri, no concrete offers were put on the table and the teenager is happy to extend his stay at Camp Nou having joined the club from Las Palmas in 2020.

Why will Pedri's release clause be so high?

Barca have decided to include a huge release clause in Pedri's contract in a move that is not uncommon in Spanish football.

In what is now being dubbed as an 'anti-Sheikh' clause, the values continue to rise amid fears that financial superpowers in the game, such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, are capable of funding mega moves for the world's top players.

In Pedri's case, by having such a high release clause it would mean that an interested party would have to pay a world record transfer fee to land him.

It is understood Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has a release clause that is as much as €1 billion (£850m/$1.1bn).

What other contracts are Barca trying to extend?

Once a deal for Pedri is finalised, the priority for Barca will then be to extend the contracts of Ansu Fati and Ronald Araujo, as well potentially Gavi.

Club president Joan Laporta is eager to see all four players sign new deals, with Barca hoping to avoid a scenario where they are forced to sell or see their best players leave on a free transfer as was the case with Lionel Messi.

Further reading