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Key occasions
The individuals being hauled out for media duties in Qatar right this moment are those that will likely be bringing us the conclusions of Group C and Group D tomorrow. At 3pm GMT on Wednesday France face Tunisia, realizing that the defending champions have already secured a berth within the final 16. Didier Deschamps is predicted to make adjustments, together with doable resting Kylian Mbappé.
Deschamps advised the media “Bodily he’s very nicely. Does he wish to play? You guys don’t know however I do know. He’s a part of a collective undertaking and naturally he has this capability to be within the limelight as a result of he’s decisive however he’s not 18 anymore. Usually talking, all of the gamers wish to play however they can’t all begin.”
The French coach, who’s bidding to steer his nation to the primary back-to-back World Cup victories since 1962, stated he was not taking the Tunisia recreation flippantly, regardless of France sitting on high of the group.
“The momentum comes with outcomes. The truth that we’re already via like Brazil and Portugal provides us a little bit of leeway however we aren’t going to be relaxed. The group who will play tomorrow will do all the things to get the absolute best consequence, even when I’ve this chance to shuffle issues round.”
Jonathan Liew
Jonathan Liew is in Doha for the Guardian, and writes for us on the conundrum that’s the gulf between Harry Maguire for Manchester United, and Harry Maguire for England at tournaments:
In some ways, the bomb risk [aimed at Maguire’s home and family] was maybe the logical fruits of what we’d describe as English soccer’s Maguire-industrial complicated: an trade that grew up round his towering performances within the 2018 World Cup earlier than juddering violently within the different route. Simply as Maguire grew to become the face and the brow of a brand new, humbler and extra relatable England facet, so he would turn into the face and flailing limbs of their regression, the logo of a United group struggling to outline their id below 4 successive managers.
Why Maguire? There have been different flatlining gamers round him, and but no person – so far as we all know – ever despatched a bomb risk to Paul Pogba or threatened to kill the household of John Stones. Maybe, on some degree, the identical qualities that fleetingly made Maguire a cult hero additionally made him a goal: his visibility and thinly veiled eagerness, his willingness to place himself on the market, to maintain making an attempt issues, to maintain volunteering for post-match interview duties. Should you’re offended sufficient to swing a punch, you’re most likely simply going to punch the primary face you see.
Learn extra right here: Jonathan Liew – Acquainted faces and vibes: match life is a greater match for Harry Maguire
Our neighborhood group are concerned about your experiences in case you are out in Qatar in the intervening time. Are you having fun with the match? Is it totally different to what you anticipated? Has it confounded or bolstered any of your concepts about Qatar or the World Cup?
You will get in contact right here: Soccer followers in Qatar – what’s your expertise of this World Cup?
In non-World Cup soccer information, Kolo Touré has been appointed as the brand new supervisor of Championship membership Wigan in England.
Group B: What do England, Iran, the US and Wales have to do to qualify?
Right here is how every of the 4 groups in Group B can nonetheless attain the final 16 of the World Cup:
England: A win in opposition to Wales will see England high the group. A draw will qualify them. Actually, England will progress with any consequence apart from a heavy defeat to Wales by greater than three objectives.
Iran: Presently second within the group, a win in opposition to the US will put Iran via to the World Cup second spherical for the primary time of their historical past. A draw in opposition to the US can even be sufficient for them, offered Wales fail to beat England.
US: The US should beat Iran to qualify. That’s it.
Wales: Wales should beat England and hope that Iran and the US draw. If the US v Iran match ends with a winner, then Wales should beat England by 4 objectives or extra.
Group A: What do the Netherlands, Ecuador and Senegal have to do to qualify?
Right here is how every of the three groups in competition in Group A can attain the final 16 of the World Cup:
The Netherlands: A draw will likely be sufficient in opposition to Qatar for qualification.
Ecuador: Ecuador want only a draw in opposition to Senegal to progress.
Senegal: Senegal should beat Ecuador to overtake them. There’s a mathematical chance that Senegal may qualify with a draw if the Netherlands endure a heavy defeat in opposition to Qatar, however this isn’t 1978, and that isn’t going to occur.
If each Ecuador and the Netherlands win, then the margin of victory and variety of objectives scored will decide who tops the group. In the event that they each win by the identical rating right this moment, they’ll find yourself with equivalent information, and who finishes first will likely be decided by their disciplinary information. The Netherlands’ is at present higher, with only one yellow card to Ecuador’s three. If these find yourself degree, Fifa draw heaps to see who performs wherein second spherical match.
One of many subplots in that top vitality 3-3 draw between Cameroon and Serbia on Monday was the non-appearance of Cameroon’s first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana. Onana was marked as “absent” on the group sheet, with head coach Rigobert Track saying he needed to “put the group first forward of a person” amid studies of a falling out over ways.
The Cameroon soccer affiliation has now, in accordance with Reuters studies, formally suspended Onana. It quotes an announcement from Fecafoot saying:
The Cameroon soccer federation hereby informs the general public that following Rigobert Track Bahanag’s determination, head coach of the Indomitable Lions, the participant Andre Onana has been quickly suspended from the group for disciplinary causes.
The Cameroon soccer federation reiterates its full assist to the pinnacle coach and his complete employees as they implement the federation’s coverage geared toward preserving self-discipline, solidarity, complementarity and cohesion inside the nationwide group.
Fecafoot additional reaffirms its dedication to create a peaceable environment for the group and to offer them with ample services for an excellent efficiency.
The final time that the US and Iran performed one another at a World Cup was in Lyon at France 98. The 2 groups posed collectively for a bunch {photograph} earlier than the match, which Iran went on to win 2-1.
With the tone of pre-match feedback out of Carlos Queiroz forward of right this moment’s conflict, in the intervening time it’s tough to think about such scenes being repeated.
It grew to become clear in direction of the tip of that Portugal and Uruguay match yesterday that I don’t actually perceive the handball rule any extra, and I most likely am not alone. Chief VAR nerd Dale Johnson at ESPN was 100% satisfied it shouldn’t have been a penalty in opposition to Jose Maria Gimenez within the 89th minute on Monday. He writes:
The IFAB stripped again the handball final yr, eradicating a lot of the wording to make it simpler. However with it got here a protracted presentation to set out when a participant shouldn’t be penalised for handball – even when their arm is away from the physique.
A kind of particular examples covers when “arm place is for assist when falling or when getting up from the bottom.” It doesn’t matter if the ball hits the hand earlier than it touches the bottom.
Gimenez may be very clearly utilizing his left arm for assist as he falls to problem Fernandes, and this needs to be coated by the exception. It’s nearly equivalent to the instance the IFAB issued.
My old-fashioned view is that, certain I get all that, however Bruno Fernandes had clearly bought himself via on purpose if it doesn’t hit the hand, so certainly it has to be a penalty, whether or not Gimenez meant it or not, was in a pure place or not?
However one factor I do know is that there would have been lots of people having fun with watching Uruguay protesting a couple of final minute handball penalty at a World Cup, that’s for certain.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has put in an early bid for quote of the day, branding social media as “all that shite”.
He advised the press in Qatar “If there’s one factor I discovered on the Olympics, it was after a giant win in opposition to Argentina, there was an excessive amount of celebration. And that celebration, I’m sorry, is social media.
“They get on that till 4 or 5 within the morning, watch all the good feedback and revel in all that shite, if I can say that.
“It impacts gamers, it impacts their sleep patterns … it’s killing us. Simply eliminate it and don’t take a look at it.”
In a remark that I’d fee a seven out of 10, Arnold stated “I’m actually glad I performed within the days when there was no cellular telephones and no journos providing you with scores out of 10 and issues like that.
“It’s a giant factor … I feel gamers today are so mentally sturdy due to that.
“However on the finish of the day, I’ve to get my spouse off social media, I’ve to get my children off social media, as a result of it almost kills them on this time and setting. However that’s the best way it’s now.”
Additionally having his say this morning is former England worldwide John Barnes, who has written within the Occasions that everyone ought to lay off knocking Qatar and respect the progress they’ve made. The previous Liverpool and Watford man, who has beforehand labored for Qatari broadcasters, writes:
The vitriol and disdain in direction of Qatar because the match approached has been laughable. You’ll have thought the match had been awarded to the nation just a few months in the past. It’s the identical debate that was had ten years in the past. Since Qatar was awarded the match, issues have modified, and progress has been made on the human rights of migrant employees. Whereas there’s nonetheless a protracted method to go, the state of affairs is streets forward of the place they had been ten years in the past – with enhancements in housing, services and wages.
Placing a observe considerably just like the “But you take part in society! Curious!” man in that “We must always enhance society considerably” meme, he additionally says:
It’s fascinating to watch that a few of those that are making a number of noise now have had little to say in regards to the improvement of Qatar over the earlier 20 years.
Nevertheless, he does make this level within the opening of his column, which could have confused “anti-woke” readers about simply whose facet he’s on:
How would we prefer it if African TV stations, pundits and journalists got here to a World Cup in England and highlighted injustices in direction of black individuals, the dearth of black managers, abuse of black gamers, and worse, the therapy of black individuals within the internal cities by the authorities? How would we prefer it in the event that they demanded change and made calls to boycott matches, and for the World Cup to be taken off England, whereas residing at our high accommodations and consuming at our most interesting eating places? How dare they?!
So whereas discrimination is enshrined in Qatari regulation, discrimination can also be enshrined in British society and tradition. A lot of black individuals are stopped, searched and detained simply because they’re black. Let’s type ourselves out earlier than we begin to lecture and preach to the remainder of the world.
We have now some phrases right this moment from Elis James, who’s writing on how Wales should play with the handbrake off to earn an overdue win in opposition to previous foes England:
After the 1-1 draw with the USA within the opening recreation, followers hoped for a repeat of Euro 2020: a nervy stalemate within the first match in opposition to Switzerland adopted by Bale and Ramsey rolling again the years to outclass Turkey and see us attain the final 16; Gareth and Aaron including to the proof that there are in truth two actual Princes of Wales. We had been all to be dissatisfied. A deserved win for Iran as a lacklustre Wales cracked within the last two minutes of stoppage time. Even a victory within the last group recreation is probably not sufficient.
And so, on to England. Many, if not most, of our followers had been dissatisfied once we had been drawn in the identical group as our nextdoor neighbours. If the European Championship is about massive worldwide derbies and the continent’s heavyweights being pitted in opposition to one another, a part of the World Cup’s attract is new groups, unusual fixtures, totally different experiences, one thing that may’t be offered by the familiarity of Luke Shaw and Mason Mount. Earlier than final Monday night time the one aggressive video games Wales had performed in opposition to non‑European opposition had been in opposition to Mexico and Brazil in 1958. Declan Rice was not a part of the plan on this international pageant of soccer.
Learn extra right here: Elis James – Wales should play with handbrake off to earn overdue win in opposition to previous foes England
Should you missed it in a single day, Max and the gang had been laborious at work to provide one other day by day World Cup episode of Soccer Weekly, wherein they talk about the extraordinary clashes between South Korea and Ghana, after which between Serbia and Cameroon, in addition to the qualification of Portugal and Brazil, and preview right this moment’s matches as nicely. You will get that in your ears right here: Aboubakar scoop and Kudus strike add to World Cup goalfest – Soccer Every day
Preamble
It’s positively whizzing previous, isn’t it? It is just day ten of this World Cup like no different, and already we’re on the sharp finish of the group phases. By shut of play tonight, eight groups could have “performed three” subsequent to their names, and 4 of them will likely be going dwelling. Nicely, allow us to be trustworthy, three of them will likely be going dwelling, and Qatar will simply be sat glumly within the nook of their very own celebration.
There are 4 matches forward. At 3pm GMT it’s Netherlands v Qatar, and Ecuador v Senegal in Group A. Get your second screens prepared. Attracts will suffice for the Netherlands and Ecuador, a win is a should for Senegal.
Group B concludes at 7pm GMT. England should keep away from a 4 purpose defeat to Wales to progress. Wales should beat England by any rating, and hope that the extremely charged assembly between the US and Iran leads to a extremely charged draw. A win for both of the US or Iran will see them via.
I’m Martin Belam, and I’ll be bringing you all of the buildup in the course of the day, plus the media quotes from the groups in Group C and Group D who will likely be taking part in tomorrow, and all the opposite World Cup information, on and off the sphere, because it occurs. You may attain me on martin.belam@theguardian.com.
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