COLUMBUS, Ohio — The forecast says the temperature at kickoff for all three over the next seven days will not make it above freezing — and in one case barely stay in double digits and threaten to snow.
This is what happens when, not by choice, soccer matches must be played in the dead of winter. It’s also what happens when, by choice, the selected venues are better suited for the NHL’s Winter Classic than for lean men in shorts and thin jerseys running for 90 minutes.
To reach the warmth of Qatar for the World Cup later this year, the U.