Ospina shines after gaffe to lead Napoli into Coppa Italia Final

By Nicholas MendolaJun 13, 2020, 5:00 PM EDT

Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images

David Ospina made amends for an early gaffe and then some as hosts Napoli drew Inter Milan 1-1 on Saturday to clinch a berth in the Coppa Italia Final with a 2-1 aggregate win.

Ospina couldn’t handle a Christian Eriksen set piece in the second minute, but the ex-Arsenal man set up the equalizer with a brilliant bit of distribution and made a number of tremendous saves in the draw.

Dries Mertens became Napoli’s all-time leading scorer when he nabbed the equalizer off a Lorenzo Insigne assist, and Ospina made eight saves. He’s scored 122 goals in a Napoli shirt.

Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli will meet Juventus in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia Final.

[ MORE: Bayern on brink of 8th-straight title ]

Napoli and Inter showed their appreciation to local health workers before today’s Coppa Italia semifinal 👏 pic.twitter.com/kp4rwrgzsf

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 13, 2020

[ MORE: New PL schedule ]

The sides honored medical workers by gathering around the circle for a moment of silence before kickoff, with three masked workers (or representatives of them) at the center.

Eriksen’s early corner kick fooled Ospina and level the tie oh-so-quickly.

Christian Eriksen scores directly from a corner to pull Inter level with Napoli on aggregate!

Watch the Coppa Italia live on ESPN+ ➡️ https://t.co/pCEvrvgTBw pic.twitter.com/hzUHPFggo3

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 13, 2020

Antonio Candreva drove the right side in the 40th minute and chose a close range shot that Ospina palmed away from goal.

Napoli got its goal from Mertens within a minute, as Ospina pinged a fantastic outlet punt to Insigne. The Italian drove the left side and slipped a pass across to the Belgian for 1-1 on the day.

Ospina would make one of his best stops on a delightful Inter interplay between Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez, and Eriksen, the latter seeing his shot saved before Victor Moses blazed the rebound over the frame.

Dries Mertens became Napoli's all-time leading goalscorer with this goal!

Club legend 👏 pic.twitter.com/WcZhOkElIj

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 13, 2020

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When and where is the 2026 World Cup?

By Mary OmatigaDec 3, 2022, 12:50 PM EST

The 2022 World Cup officially begins on Sunday, November 20, and runs through Sunday, December 18 in Qatar featuring 64 matches contested by 32 nations in 8 stadiums over the course of 29 days.

This year marks the very first time that the World Cup is taking place in the Middle East. Qatar, which is the smallest nation to ever host the event, has average high temperatures in June and July of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why FIFA made the decision to host the 22nd edition of the World Cup in the Fall. As always, this year’s World Cup marks four years until the next edition of the tournament, which will make history with three different nations hosting matches. See below for location information for both the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.

2022 World Cup Venues:

The 2022 World Cup will take place in the following venues:

Al Bayt Stadium – 22 miles from central Doha
Lusail Stadium – 12 miles from central Doha
Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium – 12 miles from central Doha
Al Janoub Stadium – 14 miles from central Doha
Al Thumama Stadium – 8 miles from central Doha
Education City Stadium – 8 miles from central Doha
Khalifa International Stadium – 3 miles from central Doha
Stadium 974 – 6 miles from central Doha

Where will the 2026 World Cup take place?

The 2026 World Cup will take place in three North American countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This will be the first time that the tournament is hosted by three different nations and it will be the very first time that the event will be contested in Canada. There will be a total of 16 venues used as host cities for the 2026 World Cup. The U.S. will have 11, Canada will have 2, and Mexico will have 3.

Additionally, the 2026 World Cup will debut an expanded format featuring 48 teams–as opposed to 32–split into 16 groups of 3.

2026 World Cup host cities

USA (11)

Atlanta – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Boston – Gillette Stadium
Dallas – AT&T Stadium
Houston – NRG Stadium
Kansas City – Arrowhead Stadium
Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium
Miami – Hard Rock Stadium
New York/New Jersey – MetLife Stadium
Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field
San Francisco – Levi’s Stadium
Seattle – Lumen Field

Canada (2)

Toronto – BMO Field
Vancouver – BC Place

Mexico (3)

Guadalajara – Estadio Akron
Mexico City – Estadio Azteca
Monterrey – Estadio BBVA

When is the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 8 through July 3.

2022 World Cup U.S. Group Stage Schedule:

U.S. vs. Wales – Monday, November 21 at 2 PM ET
U.S. vs. England – Friday, November 25 at 2 PM ET
U.S. vs Iran – Tuesday, November 29 at 2 PM ET

2022 World Cup Mexico Group Stage Schedule:

Mexico vs. Poland – Tuesday, November 22 at 11 AM ET
Mexico vs Argentina – Saturday, November 26 at 2 PM ET
Mexico vs Saudi Arabia – Wednesday, November 30 at 2 PM ET

How to watch the 2022 World Cup:

*All times are listed as ET

When: November 20, 2022 – December 18, 2022
Group stage game kick-off times: 5 am, 8 am, 11 am, and 2 pm
Location: Qatar
TV channel in English: Fox
TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock

Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup!

Gregg Berhalter reacts to USA being knocked out of World Cup: ‘We made some progress’

By Joe Prince-WrightDec 3, 2022, 12:46 PM EST

Gregg Berhalter has praised his young USA side and although he was ‘bitterly disappointed’ to see them knocked out of the World Cup, he believes progress has been made.

[ LIVE: World Cup 2022 schedule, how to watch, scores, hub ]

The USA lost 3-1 to the Netherlands in their last 16 clash as Christian Pulisic missed a great chance early on and the Dutch made the Americans pay as Memphis Depay, Daley Blind and Denzel Dumfries all scored classy goals.

In the end the Dutch had a bit of extra quality and experience but the young U.S. has impressed to get to the knockout rounds and with one eye on the 2026 World Cup, a huge chunk of this starting lineup will probably start at the next World Cup too.

That’s very positive but it doesn’t mean this defeat doesn’t sting right now.

Pride and progress the key words for Berhalter

“This is a difficult one to handle,” Berhalter said. “It is such a good group of guys, it is such a close group of guys, and we came up short today but not for a lack of trying, not for a lack of effort. The guys poured everything they had into this game and unfortunately we lost it.”

They really did.

The USMNT had plenty of the ball and created chances but they just couldn’t knit all of that promise together in the final third when it mattered most. And that right there was the story of their World Cup.

There is still plenty to be proud of for Berhalter and his young side, as they exceeded expectations.

“Really proud. When you think about how this group and how they’ve come together over the last three-and-a-half years, it’s really special to see. You don’t often get a bond like that between teammates, and staff, and everyone,” Berhalter said. “I’m really proud of this group but bitterly disappointed with the result today.”

What next?

There is plenty of debate about whether or not Gregg Berhalter is the right man to lead this very talented, and very young, USA side into the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

A lot can happen between now and then but it seems the displays at this World Cup probably earned him a couple more years to see how this side develops and if they can get a couple of clinical finishers to stand up and finish off chances.

“We made some progress,” Berhalter said. “When people look at our team, they see a clear identity, they see guys that go out there and fight for each other. They see talent on the field. We made progress but on this particular night we came up short.”

When the dust settles on this defeat to the Dutch, the 2022 World Cup will be looked at positively by fans of the USA.

However, the most important thing is what happens next. If the core of this team can keep their intensity and solidity but add cutting edge in attack and stay true to their principles, they can go far in 2026.

Follow @JPW_NBCSports

Argentina vs Australia: How to watch live, stream link, team news

By Andy EdwardsDec 3, 2022, 12:45 PM EST

Lionel Messi and Argentina will continue their 2022 World Cup quest when they face Australia, arguably the biggest surprise of the tournament thus far, in the round of 16 on Saturday.

STREAM ARGENTINA vs AUSTRALIA LIVE

Argentina rebounded from their opening defeat to Saudi Arabia with back-to-back 2-0 victories over Mexico and Poland to finish top of Group C and reach the knockout rounds in 14 straight World Cup appearances.

Australia, on the other hand, are in the knockout stage for just the second time ever (2006 – round of 16). The Socceroos were also beaten, and battered, by defending champions France in their opener, but a pair of back-to-back 1-0 wins over Tunisia and Denmark were enough to see them through on a dramatic final day of Group D play.

[ LIVE: World Cup 2022 schedule, how to watch, scores, hub ]

Here is everything you need for Argentina vs Australia.

How to watch Argentina vs Australia live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 2pm ET, Saturday (December 3)
Stadium: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
TV channels en Español: Telemundo
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Key storylines, players to watch closely

Without looking ahead and past Australia, Argentina will know that their half of the bracket is shaping up rather nicely for a run to at least the semifinals, where they could potentially meet bitter rivals Brazil. Messi has been in fine form thus far in Qatar, scoring twice and assisting once more during the group stage, even if he was denied from the penalty spot by Poland’s Wojciech Szczesny in the finale. The main question regarding Lionel Scaloni’s selection revolves around Lautaro Martinez (2 starts in the group stage – 0 goals, 0 assists) and Julian Alvarez (1 start – 1 goal, 0 assists) at center forward.

Australia head into Saturday’s showdown having not conceded a goal in 199 minutes, going back to France’s fourth in the opener. The Socceroos have had success since switching to a 4-4-2 in both of their victories, keeping eight, nine and sometimes 10 men behind the ball while averaging just 36.7 percent of possession over the three games. Australia are one of four sides (Morocco, Poland and Japan being the others) to have held less than 40 percent of possession and make it through to the knockout rounds.

Argentina quick facts

Current FIFA world ranking: 3
World Cup titles: 2 (1978, 1986)
World Cup appearances: 17
How they qualified: Qualified automatically from CONMEBOL (2nd place)
Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Key players: Lionel Messi, Angel de Maria, Lautaro Martinez

Australia quick facts

Current FIFA world ranking: 38
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 5
How they qualified: Qualified from AFC via the intercontinental playoffs
Coach: Graham Arnold
Key players: Mathew Ryan, Aaron Mooy, Mathew Leckie

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World Cup 2022 schedule – how to watch, last 16, calendar, match schedule, brackets, dates

By Joe Prince-WrightDec 3, 2022, 12:45 PM EST

The World Cup 2022 schedule is locked in and this tournament in Qatar has been sensational as the knockout rounds will capture the imagination of the globe.

[ LIVE: Watch World Cup en Espanol en Peacock ]

Japan, Australia and Morocco made the last 16 with so many huge shocks during the tournament, while Germany, Denmark and Belgium all crashed out in the group stage.

From the USMNT and England getting out of their group to Lionel Messi dragging Argentina through and Mexico just missing out on getting out of the group stages and amid upsets galore, there are plenty of intriguing games in the latter stages.

[ MORE: World Cup rosters for all 32 teams ]

We now have the small matter of the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final to look forward to. Bring. It. On.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Below is the schedule in full, details on how to watch the games and everything else you need..

[ MORE: World Cup odds ]

World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

When: November 20, 2022 to December 18, 2022
Knockout round kick-off times: 10am, 2pm (both ET)
Location: Qatar
TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, scores, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup, and be sure to subscribe to NBC Sports on YouTube!

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H | Full tables

Round of 16 schedule

Match 49 – Saturday, December 3: Netherlands 3-1 USA – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan

Match 50 – Saturday, December 3: Argentina vs Australia (live) – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm

Match 52 – Sunday, December 4: France vs Poland – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha – 10am

Match 51 – Sunday, December 4: England vs Senegal (preview) – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Match 53 – Monday, December 5: Japan vs Croatia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 10am

Match 54 – Monday, December 5: Brazil vs South Korea – Stadium 974, Doha – 2pm

Match 55 – Tuesday, December 6: Morocco vs Spain – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am

Match 56 – Tuesday, December 6: Portugal vs Switzerland – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm

Quarterfinal schedule

Match 58 – Friday, December 9: Winners Match 53 vs Winners Match 54 – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am

Match 57 – Friday, December 9: Winners Match 49 vs Winners Match 50 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 10am

Match 60 – Saturday, December 10: Winners Match 55 vs Winners Match 56 – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha – 10am

Match 59 – Saturday, December 10: Winners Match 51 vs Winners Match 52 – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Semifinal schedule

Match 61 – Tuesday, December 13: Winners Match 57 vs Winners Match 58 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm

Match 62 – Wednesday, December 14: Winners Match 59 vs Winners Match 60 – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Third-place play-off

Match 63 – Saturday, December 17: Losers Match 61 vs Losers Match 62 – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm

Final

Match 64 – Sunday, December 18: Winners Match 61 vs Winners Match 62 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 10am

Group stage results

Group A

Recap/highlights: Qatar 0-2 Ecuador – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Senegal 0-2 Netherlands – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 5am
Recap/highlights: Qatar 1-3 Senegal – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Netherlands 2-0 Qatar – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Ecuador 1-2 Senegal – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan

Group B

Recap/highlights: England 6-2 Iran – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: USA 1-1 Wales – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: England 0-0 USA – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Wales 0-2 Iran – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Wales 0-3 England – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Iran 0-1 USA – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor

Group C

Recap/highlights: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Mexico 0-0 Poland – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Poland 2-0 Saudi Arabia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Argentina 2-0 Mexico – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Poland 0-2 Argentina – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Saudi Arabia 1-2 Mexico – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail

Group D

Recap/highlights: France 4-1 Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Denmark 0-0 Tunisia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: France 2-1 Denmark – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Tunisia 0-1 Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Tunisia 1-0 France – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Australia 1-0 Denmark – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah

Group E

Recap/highlights: Spain 7-0 Costa Rica – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Germany 1-2 Japan – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Spain 1-1 Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Japan 0-1 Costa Rica – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Japan 2-1 Spain – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Costa Rica 2-4 Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor

Group F

Recap/highlights: Belgium 1-0 Canada – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Morocco 0-0 Croatia – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 5am
Recap/highlights: Belgium 0-2 Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Croatia 4-1 Canada – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Croatia 0-0 Belgium – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights Canada 1-2 Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor

Group G

Recap/highlights: Brazil 2-0 Serbia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Brazil 1-0 Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha – 11am
Recap/highlights: Cameroon 3-3 Serbia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Cameroon 1-0 Brazil – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Serbia 2-3 Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha

Group H

Recap/highlights: Portugal 3-2 Ghana – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Uruguay 0-0 South Korea – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Portugal 2-0 Uruguay – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: South Korea 2-3 Ghana – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: South Korea 2-1 Portugal – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Ghana 0-2 Uruguay – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah

Follow @JPW_NBCSports

2022 World Cup Venues:

Where will the 2026 World Cup take place?

2026 World Cup host cities

When is the 2026 World Cup?

2022 World Cup U.S. Group Stage Schedule:

2022 World Cup Mexico Group Stage Schedule:

How to watch the 2022 World Cup:

Latest World Cup news

Pride and progress the key words for Berhalter

What next?

Latest World Cup news

How to watch Argentina vs Australia live, stream link and start time

Key storylines, players to watch closely

Argentina quick facts

Australia quick facts

Latest World Cup news

World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H | Full tables

Round of 16 schedule

Quarterfinal schedule

Semifinal schedule

Third-place play-off

Final

Group stage results

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H