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Soccer

Canada’s COVID rules cause USMNT’s Tim Weah to miss World Cup qualifier

The US' pursuit of a World Cup appearance hit a speed bump

By Megan Turner OutKick
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USMNT midfielder Tim Weah didn’t accompany the team to Ontario and will miss Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against Canada due to his vaccination status not meeting the country’s entry requirements.

ESPN reports his manager Gregg Berhalter provided the update on Saturday and said Weah had received one dose of a vaccine before catching the virus, preventing him from getting the second shot with enough time to satisfy Canada’s requirements.

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Tim Weah moves with the ball during a training session at Ohio Health Performance Center on January 25, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio.

Tim Weah moves with the ball during a training session at Ohio Health Performance Center on January 25, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (John Dorton/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

"[Weah] had one shot, one vaccination. He got COVID, he was awaiting the second shot," Berhalter said, per ESPN. "Due to the time of when he got COVID he wasn’t able to get that second shot yet. However, in France, he is listed as fully vaccinated because in France, the one shot plus COVID means you’re vaccinated and you’re OK. As a technicality, it wasn’t acceptable in Canada. This is something we can’t control, the nuances of COVID protocol, and we just have to deal with it."

"This was a nuanced technicality that we were hoping was going to get pushed through and unfortunately it didn’t," Berhalter said.

Timothy Weah of Lille OSC competes for the ball with Quentin Merlin of FC Nantes during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lille OSC and FC Nantes at Stade Pierre Mauroy on November 27, 2021 in Lille, France.

Timothy Weah of Lille OSC competes for the ball with Quentin Merlin of FC Nantes during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lille OSC and FC Nantes at Stade Pierre Mauroy on November 27, 2021 in Lille, France. (Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)

To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveler, an individual must have received at least two doses of a vaccine accepted for travel, a mix of two accepted vaccines, or at least one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the Government of Canada’s website.

The second dose must have been received at least 15 days before an individual enters Canada, and travelers must also have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

ESPN reports that Weah’s absence will be a blow for the U.S. given his recent excellence.

Tim Weah #21 of the United States controls the ball during the World Cup qualifying game against El Salvador at Lower.com Field on January 27, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio.

Tim Weah #21 of the United States controls the ball during the World Cup qualifying game against El Salvador at Lower.com Field on January 27, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

The 21-year-old midfielder created the game-winner in the 2-1 win over Costa Rica in October, scored the lone goal in the 1-1 draw at Jamaica and had the game-winning assist against Mexico during the November window, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle reports.

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Carlisle says the U.S. has cover at the wide forward position, with Brenden Aaronson also showing well during qualifying.