Much about the planned 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is an exercise in theory. Most notable are the proposed air-conditioned stadiums and a denied proposal for splitting matches into 30-minute periods to account for the heat instead of the 45-minute halves that have been in practice for, oh, 150 years.
Two D.C. United matches last week proved that handling extraordinary heat with in-half timeouts is already a reality.
Twenty minutes into D.C. United’s midweek regular-season match against New England and in its friendly against Everton three days later, things came to a halt when nearly every player on the field went to the sideline for water during a precautionary injury stoppage.
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With little to lose in an exhibition and three times as many substitutes, the Everton game remained an entertaining, attacking clash, but the Revolution match was a grinding 1-0 affair befitting the oppressive conditions — not the product FIFA wants to show to the world.
Unless it can manufacture air conditioning outdoors, that’s what FIFA will get in 11 years.
