Dutch aim for World Cup statements against Sadio Mané-less Senegal

The Netherlands is looking to make two statements in its opening World Cup game on Monday against a Senegal team that has to quickly get over the loss of forward Sadio Mané.

The first is strictly about soccer and establishing the team as a contender for the title in Qatar alongside the likes of topranked Brazil, defending champion France and Argentina. The Dutch have gained less attention in the buildup to the tournament after failing to qualify for the World Cup in Russia four years ago, but arrive as one of the top teams in Europe.

"I believe in this squad of players," Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal, who is back for a third spell in charge, said Sunday. "I think we could become world champion."

The second statement the Dutch want to make at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha centers around the long-running criticism of the World Cup host country's laws and human rights record.

The Dutch soccer federation is the leader of the "One Love" anti-discrimination movement and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk is expected to wear an armband with a multi-colored heart-shaped logo in defiance of a FIFA order to keep politics out of the World Cup.

The "One Love" armbands are a criticism of Qatar's laws criminalizing homosexuality. The England and Wales captains have said that they will also ignore FIFA's directive and wear them when they open their World Cup play on Monday.

Among international coaches, Van Gaal has been one of the most outspoken critics of letting the small but wealthy emirate host the World Cup, a decision which he has called "ridiculous." He toned down his criticism earlier this week in his first media conference in Qatar and then declined Sunday to answer any more questions on "political issues" at the World Cup.

But while Van Gaal drew a line under his comments on the politics, the Dutch soccer federation reiterated that Van Dijk will still wear the "One Love" armband against Senegal.

Netherlands has lost three World Cup finals — in 1974, 1978 and 2010 — and although there's a long road ahead in Qatar, the Group A game against African champion Senegal is the biggest early challenge for the Dutch and a good indicator of how far they might go. Host nation Qatar and Ecuador are the other teams in Group A.

Netherlands is on a 15-match unbeaten run under Van Gaal but will definitely not start with striker Memphis Depay against Senegal, Van Gaal said. The Barcelona forward should be available later in the World Cup though.

Senegal coach Aliou Cissé doesn't have that option for Mané, who was ruled out of the World Cup on Thursday with an injury. The 30-year-old Mané underwent surgery for the right lower leg injury he sustained in a league game for Bayern Munich two weeks ago, removing Senegal's most potent attacking threat and the heart of the team that won the African Cup of Nations in February for Senegal's first major soccer title.

Mané's absence also means no World Cup matchup with former Liverpool teammate Van Dijk, a defender who is playing at his first World Cup at the age of 31. Van Dijk said he phoned Mané the day after he was injured to console him.

US returns to World Cup against Wales after 8-year wait

Gio Reyna, Joe Scally and Yusuf Musah were 11 years old the last time the United States took the field in a World Cup match. On the 3,066th day after that loss in Brazil, the Americans return to soccer's showcase with a new-look team dreaming lofty goals and hoping for actual ones.

Filled with novelty, nerves and naivety, these young Americans take the field against Wales on Monday night in a match a growing fanbase back home has been pining for since 2014.

Only DeAndre Yedlin, a 29year-old defender, remains from the American team eliminated by Belgium in the second round eight years ago. Yedlin, Christian Pulisic, Kellyn Acosta and Tim Ream are among just four holdovers from the group that flopped to the field in anguish after the crushing loss at Trinidad in CONCACAF qualifying in October 2017 that ended the streak of U.S. World Cup appearances at seven.

McKennie debuted a month later in a 1-1 friendly draw at Portugal along with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Tyler Adams, who was appointed captain Sunday at age 23.

A total of 118 players were tried over 68 matches in a World Cup cycle interrupted by a pandemic, including 91 after Gregg Berhalter was hired as coach in December 2018. He gave debuts to 56 players and took the second-youngest roster to the tournament at an average age of just over 25 years, older than only Ghana.

Some are already looking ahead four years, to when the U.S. co-hosts the tournament and the core group figures to be in its prime.

Wales is back in the World Cup for the first time since 1958, led by 33-year-old Gareth Bale and 31-year-old Aaron Ramsey but without injured midfielder Joe Allen. The Dragons advanced to the 2016 European Championship semifinals before losing to eventual champion Portugal and made it to the second round of last year's Euros before a 4-0 wipeout against Denmark. The lack of World Cup experience has the Welsh as guarded as the Americans heading into the match at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, a renovated 44,000-seat venue west of the capital.

With Miles Robinson and Chris Richards injured, the American central defense will start a pair from among Walker Zimmerman, Aaron Long, Carter-Vickers or 35-year-old Tim Ream, back on the national team for the first time in 14 months.

Right back Sergiño Dest and McKennie are fit enough to play, but perhaps not enough to start.

Forward, a position that produced just three goals in qualifying, also is uncertain for the U.S. Josh Sargent, Jesús Ferreira and Haji Wright are the choices.

England closes in on finally winning another World Cup

It's been nine years since thenEnglish Football Association chairman Greg Dyke set the national team the bold target of winning the 2022 World Cup.

While that aim may not feel as fanciful as it once did, the issues Dyke said had held England back for nearly 50 years, since its only triumph in 1966, remain just as pertinent ahead of Monday's opening Group B game against Iran.

A Premier League awash with global talent means fewer home-grown players in the top flight for England coach Gareth Southgate to pick from.

In 2013, Dyke described it as a "frightening trend" and said "English football is a tanker that needs turning."

Those headline goals included to "at least" reach the semifinals of the 2020 European Championship. England lost to Italy on penalties in the final of last year's tournament, which was delayed by 12 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the last World Cup in Russia, Southgate led his team to the semifinals, which was ahead of Dyke's schedule.

As part of his nine-year plan, Dyke also wanted the progress to be reflected at youth level.

England won that tournament, as well as the U17s in the same year.

Dyke's targets have been eerily accurate — and England's trajectory over the past four years points toward a serious challenge in Qatar. But Southgate still considers himself hindered by the same problems his predecessors faced.

Nine years ago, Dyke spoke of only 32% of English players in the starting lineups of Premier League clubs. The picture painted by Southgate when announcing his 26-man squad last week was no more encouraging.

"Everybody says we've got enormous depth, but we were 31% of the league last year," Southgate said. "Because the team has done well it has masked that we've only got four English goalkeepers playing in the Premier League currently. Left backs, there aren't many playing."