Major issue at USA-Slovakia semifinal quickly goes viral

The second semifinal of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 is underway, with the United States and Slovakia battling for a spot in Sunday’s gold medal game against Canada.

But just moments after puck drop, the focus online wasn’t on the pace of play: it was on the uniforms.

With both teams sporting heavy shades of royal blue, with matching blue helmets to round it, fans, pundits and even insiders immediately took to social media to point out how difficult the matchup was to follow on television.

“That’s a lot of royal blue out there.”

"This uniform matchup in the USA vs. Slovakia game is less than ideal," said former NFLer JJ Watt.

“These teams are wearing the same jerseys,” commented Paul Bissonnette.

“This uniform matchup is incredibly confusing. I can’t even imagine what it’s like on ice level,” even said Vegas Golden Knights insider Jesse Granger, who then added: “Can we put red pinnies on one of the teams during the TV timeout?”

While the colour palettes are technically distinct, the similar base tones under arena lighting, and especially on broadcast cameras, have created a visually challenging viewing experience early on.

With a trip to the gold medal game on the line, fans are hoping the action tops the confusing colours.