World Cup groups face main journey calls for in event unfold throughout US, Canada and Mexico

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — The Czech Republic began its World Cup marketing campaign by touring from its base camp in Dallas throughout the border to Guadalajara in Mexico. The workforce is now again in Texas making ready for its subsequent sport in Atlanta. It will then return to Mexico for its third group match.

Newcomer Curacao is anticipated to journey some 5,300 miles (8,600 kilometers) back-and-forth from its base in Florida to games in Houston, Kansas City and Philadelphia. Bosnia-Herzegovina will rack up almost 5,200 miles (8,400 kilometers) throughout Canada and the U.S. whereas going from its base in Utah to games in Toronto, Los Angeles and Seattle.

The biggest World Cup ever has introduced some logistics challenges to the 48 groups within the event being performed throughout three nations and 4 time zones.

“We just have to live with it because that’s what others planned for us,” Czech Republic coach Miroslav Koubek stated by a translator after a 2-1 loss to South Korea in Guadalajara final Thursday. “We’re happy to be here and we want to have the best possible results. Our logistics behind the scenes is good, but of course it’s not ideal that we have to travel that much.”

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella stated “this is the reality, we have to adapt.”

His squad trains in Arizona, about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) from Vancouver, the place it opened with a 2-0 loss to Australia.

“Of course after the match we’ll be back at 5 o’clock in the morning, and it’s not easy to recover, especially for people my age,” the 51-year-old Montella stated by a translator forward of the match. “After a night out you know it takes a few days to recover. America is big, Canada is very big. Mexico is big. We have to adapt. I know these things you can’t change. You can’t choose. You just have to adapt so you don’t have any excuses.”

Host groups on the transfer

Canada’s squad needed to fly almost 5 hours to cowl the greater than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) between Toronto and Vancouver after its opener. The U.S. workforce will journey almost that distance in whole whereas going back-and-forth between its coaching camp in Irvine, California, and its games in the Los Angeles area and Seattle. Mexico is anticipated to journey lower than 600 miles (965 kilometers) throughout the nation.

The England workforce is about to journey probably the most among the many primary title contenders, having its camp in Kansas City and taking part in video games in Dallas, Boston and New York. Spain must fly almost 4 hours from its base in Atlanta to a match in Guadalajara.

Argentina and France, the finalists on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, face fewer journey challenges. Argentina is predicated in Kansas City, the place it should open its title protection earlier than taking part in two matches in Dallas. France has its camp in Boston. It will play one sport there and the opposite two in Philadelphia and New York.

FIFA has lengthy acknowledged the logistical challenges for the World Cup scattered throughout North America. It tried to separate groups in geographical clusters the place they’re based mostly and the place they’ll play most of their matches.

Lengthy touring was a non-issue on the earlier World Cup in Qatar, which is roughly the scale of Connecticut and is smaller than Switzerland. But groups confronted related journey challenges in 2018 in Russia and 2014 in Brazil.

High altitude additionally an element

South Korea’s squad doesn’t have to depart Mexico for its group matches, however does need to deal with the high altitude each in Mexico City (about 2,200 meters, 7,200 toes) and Guadalajara (about 1,500 meters, 4,900 toes).

The South Koreans did particular coaching to regulate to the altitude, and coach Hong Myung-bo stated it “helped a lot” however nonetheless wasn’t sufficient.

“In the second half, I think we could see that everyone was very tired,” Hong stated after his workforce’s come-from-behind win over the Czech Republic.

Heat and humidity may additionally change into a difficulty for a lot of groups coaching and taking part in in U.S. cities corresponding to Houston, Dallas, New York and Miami.

Brazil ahead Vinícius Júnior complained of the situations after the 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“Because of the weather, the heat, the field dries up too quickly and the game gets really stuck and we can’t have game rhythm. That makes it difficult for us because we want to play, we want to move the ball from side to side, and that gets in the way of our game,” he stated. “But we’re going to have to adapt because I believe it’s going to be like that for the whole competition where everyone is going to have the same field of play.”

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer

AP Sports Writer Anne M. Peterson contributed from Vancouver.