DOHA, Qatar: England got off to a flying start in their World Cup campaign as they rattled in the goals past a shell-shocked Iran and cruised to an impressive 6-2 Group B victory Monday, November 21, in a timely return to form, a Reuters report in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says.
Jude Bellingham scored his first for England goal, who came into the tournament without a win in six games. Bukayo Saka doubled the lead and Raheem Sterling grabbed a third.
Saka’s second goal after the break allowed England to ease up a bit. But this gave Iran a chance to grab one back through Mehdi Taremi, before substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish rounded off England’s scoring.
Iran were awarded a penalty for a minor shirt pull, given after a VAR review, which Taremi converted in the 13th minute of stoppage time.
Tireless Bellingham
England’s 19-year-old midfielder Bellingham underlined why some of Europe’s biggest clubs have got him in their sights.
Timing his run perfectly, Bellingham rose to meet Luke Shaw’s cross from the left, and directed a looping header over the keeper and into the top corner in the 35th minute to become the first player born in or after 2000 to score at the World Cup.
Shaw was the provider again for England’s second goal as his corner was headed back across the area by Harry Maguire to Saka, who volleyed expertly into the top corner.
The game was then effectively ended as a contest when Sterling added a third, finishing with the outside of his boot on the volley from Harry Kane’s cross after Bellingham was once again involved in the build-up.
England were not done however, as Saka grabbed his second in the 62nd minute.
Short Takes
Fans fume over JioCinema streaming issues
New Delhi: With JioCinema, the official streaming app for the World Cup facing some issues on Sunday, many Indian fans were left disappointed due to a choppy live-stream feed of the opening match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. JioCinema apologised on Twitter, posting: “Dear @JioCinema fans, We are continuously working to give you a great experience. Please upgrade your app to the latest version. Apologies for any inconvenience.”
Ochoa, Guardado join five-timers club
Doha: Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is among the four players in Qatar who will join an exclusive group with five World Cup appearances, including Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Mexico teammate Andres Guardado.
Ticketing app problem delays fans
Doha: Problems with FIFA’s mobile application for World Cup match tickets delayed fans from getting into the stadium to watch England play Iran. Hundreds of fans were lined up outside the Khalifa International Stadium less than an hour before the kickoff in Doha. Agencies
Iranian women feeling at home in Qatar: For 27-year-old Mariam, the World Cup match ticket was a precious gift. A sports fanatic, she travelled to the World Cup from Tehran to catch Iran’s opening game against England, her first live soccer match.
Women are banned from attending men’s matches in Iran. “I’ve never attended a football match in my life so I had to take this chance,” said Mariam, a student of international relations who like other Iranian women at the match declined to give her last name for fear of government reprisals.
Iran is competing in the World Cup as a major women’s protest movement is roiling the country.
Security forces have violently cracked down on demonstrations, killing at least 419 people, according to the Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests.
The unrest was spurred by the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police.
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