Fans are eager to see Elijah Just again, a standout from the tournament’s opening round.
Check out the latest podcast episode covering the World Cup action.
Lamine Yamal injected vital energy into Spain’s offense as they began their World Cup journey with a dominant victory over Saudi Arabia.
This was exactly the way the coach would have wished it. Lamine Yamal scoring 10 minutes into his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in April. Mikel Oyarzabal adding two more in the first quarter, Marc Cucurella forcing the fourth on 49, victory secured so early that De la Fuente could withdraw those players who needed protecting and give minutes to those that needed them, Mikel Merino and Nico Williams invited to join the party too. Unai Simón was the last to arrive, not making a significant save until the 80th minute.
Ben Fisher reported from Los Angeles, where Belgium and Iran each fought to keep their World Cup aspirations alive in a match filled with action. This result means that Group G will remain competitive, with all four teams in contention for the knockout stage going into the final day.
There was simply no debate over the moment of the match, and it is one that Iran will cherish, even more so if they progress to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. Every angle of Alireza Beiranvand’s stunning save to deny Belgium a lead approaching the hour adds to the miraculous nature of it all. Perhaps the most ludicrous element was that Beiranvand had seesawed to his left in an attempt to intercept Kevin De Bruyne’s rolled cross into the six-yard box and yet, scrambling on the turf, stuck out a left glove to shut the door in the face of Maxim De Cuyper. Belgium finished with 10 men after Nathan Ngoy was sent off for hauling down Mehdi Taremi.
If Iran advance to the last 32, they will surely reflect on Beiranvand’s divine intervention. De Bruyne glittered in moments, none more so than graciously bringing Leandro Trossard’s lifted pass down on the byline. Beiranvand made it his mission to reach De Bruyne’s pass before Romelu Lukaku, who by starting became the third-most capped Belgium player. In the end Ali Nemati stopped the cross, legs splayed as Beiranvand thwarted De Cuyper. Iran believes. Meanwhile, Belgium, who went out at the group stage four years ago, are in a precarious position.
Welcome to the live coverage of the match between New Zealand and Egypt at Vancouver Stadium. Kick-off for this Group G encounter is set for 6 PM local time (9 PM EDT/2 AM BST/11 AM AEST).
Historically, only Honduras has played more World Cup matches (nine) than Egypt (eight) and New Zealand (seven) without securing a win. Both teams came close to breaking their streaks in the first round, with Egypt thwarted by Romelu Lukaku’s second-half entrance and New Zealand held to a draw by Iran.
Ranked 85th globally by FIFA, New Zealand is considered the underdog at these finals. However, they displayed potential in their opening match, with Chris Wood standing out as a target man, using his physicality to help his team progress downfield. With every match, they face the challenge of being the underdogs, so coach Darren Bazeley is focused on keeping strategies straightforward.
On the other hand, Egypt focused heavily on defense in their clash against Belgium, employing double and triple marking on Jeremy Doku to neutralize their biggest threat. Tonight, they must shift their focus to offense to fulfill the expectations that accompany their seven Africa Cup of Nations victories.
After the earlier match in Group G ended in a draw, both teams know that a victory tonight would have historic significance.
I’ll return shortly with the team news and a summary of all the action from matchday. In the meantime, keep an eye on Cape Verde’s impressive tournament debut as they challenge Uruguay, and feel free to share your thoughts about the World Cup at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@.
