What World Cup teams do on their days off could decide who wins it all

World Cup teams’ use of rest days can influence performance, as coaches try to extract marginal advantages through recovery, travel planning, team bonding, and time away from training. The article contrasts how U.S. coach Bob Bradley once gave the United States team a day off after the 2010 group stage, with players choosing activities ranging from golf to rehabilitation depending on needs. It notes a FIFA agreement reached last summer with FIFPro that requires 72 hours of rest between matches, and says this tournament’s expanded schedule and longer breaks have increased time for teams to recover and prepare. Norway’s 1994 experience is cited as an example of how heat management and off-field choices can become problematic; the team played in U.S. summer temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and even held a tennis tournament during the hottest part of the day. The story also describes past team outings, including a Pisa trip in 1990 and a 2002 visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone that involved travel by Chinook.