⚽ Fear Not, USMNT: World Cup Energy Can Shift

Some World Cup triumphs have come from teams that recently looked unsettled. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: United States Men’s National Team coach Gregg Berhalter has found himself in the internet crosshairs over the past week and change … Following a disastrous Week 4 outing, all eyes will be on Trevor Lawrence and how he responds this week vs. the Texans … and more! These days, an international soccer coach whose form fails to meet the liking of his team’s fans should be steeled to expect the emergence of snarky Twitter handles and hashtags calling for him to be fired. Plus a meme (or a thousand), poking fun at everything from his tactical methods to his choice of clothing. United States Men’s National Team coach Gregg Berhalter has found himself in the internet crosshairs over the past week and change, a response to a pair of friendly games against Japan and Saudi Arabia that produced desperately disappointing performances and created widespread concern about the squad’s preparedness for the World Cup, now just over six weeks away. Yet while the headaches loom large for Berhalter as he gets ready for soccer’s greatest show — even if he steers clear of the online nonsense of @fireberhalter and #firegregg — he may take some solace in the fact he is joining a long line of esteemed soccer men who have had their credentials similarly questioned in the run-up to a major tournament. Sometimes, the criticism rings true and plays itself out, the warmup performances somehow worsening further in the cauldron of elite competition, and the cries of "told you so" chasing the incumbent out of his job as soon as things are done. But not always. Some of the most famous triumphs in World Cup history have come from teams that looked unsettled and coaches whom public opinion sneered at just months before glory arrived. Even the most ardent soccer historian might be hard-pressed to remember specific examples because … that’s how it’s supposed to work. Victory soothes all. No one is minded to recall gloomy predictions that turned out wrong. If a nation finds itself favored enough to raise soccer’s ultimate trophy, it is like the doubt never even existed. But it did. Argentina's 1986 World Cup run is one of the most memorable of all time due to the controversial magnificence of Diego Maradona, but heading into that event there was a groundswell for coach Carlos Bilardo to be axed. "Some even criticized me for picking Maradona as captain," Bilardo said in later years, according to The Guardian. "We were not even in the list of contenders, but we took advantage of that." Same thing for Brazil duo Carlos Alberto Perreira and Luis Felipe Scolari, each widely mocked before spearheading championship runs in 1994 and 2002. Sandwiched between those was France's Aime Jacquet, belittled and derided and accused of over-defensiveness shortly before helping his country win the World Cup on home soil in 1998. Now, this isn’t a prediction that the U.S. is going to suddenly emerge from the ashes and win it all in Qatar in December. On the evidence of the Japan and Saudi Arabia games, serious improvement is required, not helped any by the reality that the rescheduling of the tournament to winter means there are no more tune-up games. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - Trevor Lawrence turned the ball over five times against the Eagles. [How he responds this week vs. the Texans will be telling](. - Four games into the 2022 season, what do we know? [We rank all 32 teams through the volatile first quarter of the campaign](. - With Quinn Ewers potentially returning for Texas in Week 5, [coach Steve Sarkisian's ability to mold QBs will again be on display](. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros (TBS, 8:10 p.m. ET) Ranger Suarez and the Philadelphia Phillies take on Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros. Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN+, 10:10 p.m. ET) Ryan Feltner takes the mound for the Colorado Rockies in a matchup against Julio Urias and the Los Angeles Dodgers. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints: Seahawks +6 From FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz: Seattle is definitely entertaining, and they actually might be good, folks. After four weeks, the Seahawks’ offense ranks No. 1 in the NFC. Yes, you read that correctly. According to expected points added (EPA) the Hawks are slightly ahead of the Eagles, but they just faced a defense allowing 35 points per game. On the other side of the ball, Seattle ranks near the bottom of the NFL on defense. What does that mean for this week? Well, New Orleans is not healthy nor playing particularly well. The Saints' defense was ranked 26th in DVOA entering their game against the Vikings in London, and they lived up to that ranking. The Vikings easily moved the ball but stalled out too much in the red zone, kicking five field goals in a 28-25 win. The Saints now have to travel back from London and will attempt to get their quarterback, best running back and best receiver back on the field to face a feisty Seahawks team. I’ll gladly take the points early with the Seahawks in this spot. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. 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