USMNT

Time is running out: Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for free Domino’s pizza if a red card is issued to a U.S. player during the World Cup

Domino’s is running one of the stranger promotions during the World Cup in which US fans coiuld be rooting for their side to be playing down a man.

Brendan McDermid
Update:

You’ve heard of sweetening the deal, but what about savoring the suffering? That’s kind of the idea behind Domino’s promotion during the World Cup. In order to take advantage of the pizza chain’s free pizza offer, the USMNT will have to play with a man disadvantage at any point during the World Cup.

Rooting for red

If you are a glutton for pizza and for punishment then this offer is right up your alley, but hurry because you only have a few more hours to sign up for this offer. Here’s the deal. Domino’s is offering free pizza if any USMNT player is shown a red card during the World Cup. Perhaps the idea of downing a couple of slices while down a man is Domino’s way of easing the stress for fans around the country.

On May 18th, the delivery pizza moguls announced they would be giving away up to $1 million of free “Emergency pizzas” as long as a U.S. player is sent off during the tournament. Fans who sign up in time will be able to cash in on one of 60,000 two topping medium pizzas. The offer ends tomorrow, Wednesday June 10th at 11:59 p.m. ET.

To be honest, I’ve never heard of an offer that incentivizes putting your team’s success in the balance. It will be an awfully strange sight to see fans in the stands cheering as a USMNT player is sent his marching orders while the World Cup is being played on home soil. In a country where soccer is growing, this will be a good way of testing allegiances. Who are fans more loyal to? Pizza or the beautiful game?

Pizza for the pain

There are promotions around the sports world that seem to encourage fans to root for their team or at least against the opposing team. In basketball, you see prizes or free food given away if a team scores 100 points, or free chicken for those in attendance if the opposing team misses two free throws. In hockey, fans can sometimes get a free meal if their team scores during a power play. Could you imagine fans going wild if their team missed two free throws, or got sent to the penalty box?

The justification for this bizarre promotion was explained by Domino’s executive vice president, Kate Trumbull. “Soccer gurus know the worst thing to happen in a game is for a player on the team you’re rooting for to receive a red card. If that happens to the American squad, Domino’s is here to help ease the pain by giving away Emergency Pizzas.”

Hungry fans wondering when and if the USMNT will hook them up with some from Domino’s can tune into the group stage matches against Paraguay on June 12th at at 9:00 p.m. ET, against Australia on Friday June 19th at 3:00 p.m. ET and against Turkey on the 25th and 10 p.m. ET. Hopefully the USMNT will go further than just the group stages, for our fandom and to increase our chances for free pizza. If you are wondering when the last time the USMNT was shown a red card, it was in the Copa America back in June of 2024. Tim Weah was sent off in the 18th minute of the group stage match against Panama in what ended up being a 2-1 loss.

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