World Cup 2022: England and US plan for final 16, Australia hope to hitch them – dwell | World Cup 2022

Staff information: France v Tunisia – Mbappé and Griezmann rested in a lot modified French aspect

We’re going to get workforce information very shortly for the 2 afternoon kick-offs in Qatar. France tackle Tunisia, realizing they’ve virtually actually topped the group no matter as we speak’s outcomes. Australia face Denmark within the different match, in what’s successfully a straight knockout for the opposite place. A draw will suffice for Australia, however Denmark should win.

There are a complete host of different permutations if Tunisia could cause a World Cupset™ towards France, however the Tunisians, whereas they’ve been powerful to beat, are but to attain a objective to date, so let’s not get forward of ourselves.

German coach Hansi Flick has dominated out resigning if Germany get knocked out of the World Cup tomorrow towards Costa Rica.

“I can affirm that from my aspect – I don’t know what else goes to occur,” he instructed the media in Qatar. I’ve a contract till 2024, I’m trying ahead to the European Championships at residence, however that’s nonetheless a great distance off.”

Germany host Euro 2024.

“The primary two video games had been inferior to we hoped. We didn’t present the whole lot we’re able to,” Belgium’s Timothy Castagne has stated to the media in Qatar as we speak, including “However we’re not in disaster” in the best way that no one who isn’t already firmly within the grip of a disaster does.

Addressing the tales that there had been a frank workforce assembly about their shortcomings to date, Castagne stated ““It was vital to get issues off our chests and share our views. We additionally shared our concepts about how we will enhance.”

For his half, haunted-looking coach Roberto Martinez stated the stress had bought to them. “There was no enjoyment. There was an excessive amount of duty. Each participant was frightened of shedding. We aren’t anticipated to lose …Tomorrow there isn’t any doubt. A draw and we’re out.”

Anita Kobylinska is in Doha for Reuters and he or she writes that Spain could look to their youthful gamers to seal their last-16 spot on the World Cup once they meet Japan tomorrow, and a few of these gamers together with defender Pau Torres can be drawing on their Tokyo Olympics expertise to assist them put together.

A lot of Spain’s under-23 squad from Tokyo are actually in Qatar, and keep in mind their semi-final conflict with Japan all too properly. Spain gained 1-0 and ultimately took the silver medal, whereas Japan misplaced out within the bronze medal match.

“Within the semi-final, we would have liked to go all the best way to additional time to win,” Torres, who performed all six of Spain’s video games in Tokyo, instructed Reuters as we speak.

“Japan are a really organised workforce, very constant in what they do. I at all times assume they’ve the sport beneath management, they don’t get out of the sport till the ultimate minutes,” Torres stated.

“And they’re snug defending with out the ball, they don’t have to really feel that they’ve possession to be snug. It’s going to be a tricky sport.”

Spain might have booked their final 16 spot already however drew their second match towards Germany, which means all of it comes all the way down to match quantity three.

“In opposition to Germany we knew that they may problem us a bit for possession. We performed a bit in an analogous manner,” Torres stated. “We’re maybe a bit extra organised with regards to urgent and we took the lead. After that objective they began to build up extra folks in assault and I believe it was a good draw.”

It’s 1986 golden boot winner Gary Lineker’s birthday as we speak, and his England World Cup teammate Peter Shilton has damaged open the field marked “warning: age-based banter”.

Gary is 62.

Sion Morgan has been over in Qatar reporting on the Wales workforce for the Wales On-line web site, and he has signed off with a bit saying “it has been the privilege of my profession and my life to report on Wales on the World Cup”. There’s fairly the final couple of paragraphs in it:

I’m going residence now to see my spouse and my youngsters. To inform my dad and mom what it was like. To inform my buddies the issues I can’t print right here. To inform the story of when little Wales stood up and sang and cheered and confirmed the world who we’re. If just for a short while. A proud nation of people that have at all times needed to battle for recognition. For a platform and a voice.

Name me sentimental. Name me foolish. Name me a idiot. Have a look at the little Welshman being joyful to be despatched packing. Small workforce mentality. Pathetic. That’s what they’ll say. They don’t get it. They by no means will. I couldn’t care much less.

A considerably under-played component of this 12 months’s World Cup is that you simply bought a proper outdated rum do of it for those who had been drawn in Group G or Group H. If you find yourself runners-up in H or win G, you find yourself within the – frankly – ludicrous place of being anticipated to play your last group sport on 2 December, and spherical of 16 match on 5 December with simply two relaxation days to organize, after which a possible quarter-final on 9 December.

For that purpose, Brazil coach Tite is predicted to rotate his World Cup squad for his or her last Group G match towards Cameroon on Friday, with a view to preserving some gamers contemporary. With their ticket already booked for the knockout levels after two wins, Brazil can relaxation gamers and look ahead to the return of others together with Neymar, Alex Sandro and Danilo from harm.

Juventus left again Alex Sandro suffered a hip harm in Brazil’s 1-0 win over Switzerland, whereas Paris St-Germain ahead Neymar and Juventus proper again Danilo picked up ankle accidents within the opening 2-0 win over Serbia. Brazil workforce physician Rodrigo Lasmar has given no particular timetable for his or her return.

A number of Brazil gamers had been additionally ailing on Sunday, together with midfielder Lucas Paqueta who missed Saturday’s coaching session and was used as an alternative within the sport towards Switzerland.

Reuters reviews that in response to Brazilian tv station Globo, Tite has already instructed the squad that he plans to offer some gamers their first begin at a World Cup match once they meet the African aspect. Cameroon have to beat Brazil to have any hope of progressing themselves.

Vince Rugari has been teeing up as we speak’s Australia v Denmark conflict for the Sydney Morning Herald, and makes this level concerning the important potential affect on sport in Australia if the Socceroos can prosper as soon as once more at a World Cup. He writes:

Had Tim Cahill not struck twice towards Japan, had John Aloisi not sealed that magical first win in Kaiserslautern, had Harry Kewell not scored the late objective that secured a draw with Croatia and a spot within the spherical of 16, Mathew Leckie is likely to be kicking a ball of a unique form.

Sixteen years on, Leckie and his teammates – all of whom, save for one or two with a Scottish accent, had been additionally impressed by that 2006 run – have the chance to match the achievements of their heroes and affect a complete new technology of aspiring footballers.

It’s been a lean few years for Australian soccer. In contrast to 2006, there are only a few male gamers breaking by into any of Europe’s high 5 leagues, the event pipeline has dried up, the Socceroos misplaced a few of their lustre within the eyes of most of the people after struggling by two arduous World Cup campaigns with out success on the match correct, and the A-League’s attraction – each domestically and overseas – has dropped away consequently.

Residents in Iran took to the streets cheering and honking automobile horns on Tuesday night time, celebrating the nationwide workforce’s exit from the World Cup following defeat by the USA in Qatar. Movies acquired by the Related Press confirmed vehicles out on the streets of Saqqez within the Kurdistan province, and a few folks chanting “loss of life to the dictator” in reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme chief. In Mahabad, folks might be seen dancing on the streets. Iran’s western, Kurdish-majority areas have seen waves of unrest in current months amid nationwide protests towards the federal government. The workforce’s loss is considered by some as a victory towards what they see as oppression by the federal government.

For his or her half, Canada have gotten nothing to lose. Having narrowly misplaced to Belgium after which bought Croatia riled up sufficient to do a quantity on them, they’re heading residence anticipating to be at consecutive World Cups for the primary time of their historical past.

“There’s loads for us to play for,” Canada coach John Herdman has insisted in his press briefing. “We got here right here to make historical past. The primary sport, they stated they needed to indicate fearless(ness) and entertain. They did that. The second sport, they stated they needed to attain targets, and if these targets had been sufficient to win a match, then that may have been us with three factors, however it wasn’t.

“So this final sport is about getting a end result and profitable for Canada and actually making this nation consider we’re in the appropriate course for 2026.”

Canada will co-host the following World Cup alongside the US and Mexico, and whereas it’s but to be confirmed, it’s anticipated that every one three would mechanically qualify for the expanded 48 workforce match.

Morocco are again in motion tomorrow and so they’ve put themselves able the place a draw towards already-eliminated Canada will see them by to the following spherical.

Coach Walid Regragui has been up earlier than the media, and stated “We’re a really troublesome workforce to beat. We’ve matched two of one of the best groups on the planet. That’s what we have to proceed.”

His aspect are but to concede a objective, having secured a 0-0 towards Croatia and a 2-0 win over Belgium in what appeared like a frightening pair of opening fixtures.

Regragui recalled Hakim Ziyech to the squad after a 15 month absence beneath the earlier coach, and his boss spoke concerning the 29-year-old Chelsea midfielder, saying:

Lots of people speak about him, about he’s a loopy man, he’s a troublesome man to handle, he can’t assist the workforce. For me, what I say, while you give him the love, the boldness, he can die for you. And it’s what I give him. He’s a giant participant, enjoying on a giant workforce in Europe and also you see he’s a unique participant with the nationwide workforce. The entire coaches give him the boldness, the identical with the employees.

Morocco final certified for the final 16 in 1986, once they emerged from a gaggle containing England, Portugal and Poland, to be knocked out by eventual finalists West Germany 1-0.

Even a defeat won’t impede Morocco this time. If Croatia beat Belgium, then Morocco are by.

Group D: What do Australia, Denmark and Tunisia have to do to hitch France within the subsequent spherical?

Group C: What do Poland, Argentina, Saudia Arabia and Mexico have to do to succeed in the following spherical?

Earlier I wrote questioning “how will France’s free-flowing soccer fare when it hits the strain of a post-colonial conflict with Tunisia?”

Olivier Bourassin emails me to level out that he expects will probably be “most likely higher than the best way England managed their post-colonial conflict with the USA”.

Touché sir, touché.

Don’t neglect for those who do wish to put me in my place, you may drop me a line at martin.belam@theguardian.com. Put “WORLD CUP BLOG” within the topic line and I’ll spot it extra simply amongst all of the emails from editors gently asking me about missed deadlines elsewhere.

The tempo of this match is lightning quick. I maintain excited about how Ecuador and Qatar had been within the opening match on 20 November, and by shut of play on 29 November they’d each performed all their three group video games and been despatched packing.

Reuters is carrying a report from Doha and Quito on Ecuador, saying that veteran striker Enner Valencia had supplied a tearful apology to the nation.

“We provide an apology to all of Ecuador,” Valencia stated, crying within the aftermath of Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to African champions Senegal which stopped them from progressing. “We didn’t count on this, we had been very pleased with what we had been doing … Sadly we couldn’t meet Ecuador’s expectations,” he added.

The 33-year-old stays a hero at residence, nevertheless.

“They gave their all and couldn’t win ultimately, however they confirmed that they will match larger groups,” stated Margarita Vidal, 36, in a park within the coastal metropolis of Guayaquil. “Ecuador is spoken of and identified in many countries, that’s an achievement no-one can take away from us.”

Reuters reviews that Ecuadorian media had been united of their reward of coach Gustavo Alfaro who it says remodeled the workforce with an injection of contemporary expertise to enhance the expertise of Valencia.

Ecuador had been attending their fourth World Cup. 2006 was the one time they certified from the group for the following stage, once they completed second in Group A and went on to play the winners of Group B … England. Bizarrely, had they managed a draw or win towards Senegal yesterday, Ecuador would have discovered themselves in precisely the identical state of affairs.

France have dug out the outdated DJ Khaled soundtrack to get folks within the temper for his or her 3pm GMT kick off towards Tunisia.

We all know France are positively by, and any end result towards Tunisia will nonetheless go away then high of Group D, except Australia completely tonk Denmark once they kick off on the identical time, which feels unlikely.

Taking a look across the French press this morning I relatively loved the flip of phrase of Vincent Duluc in L’Équipe, who stated that the third group sport while you’ve already certified can typically be “a Bermuda triangle of excellent intentions.”

All people appears to count on Didier Deschamps to rotate the squad, and the French press are already anticipating a spherical of 16 match-up with Argentina, which you’ll recall was an absolute humdinger in Russia. There’s a two minute spotlight reel of the targets right here, which you’ll not remorse urgent play on.

One of many joys of podcasting is you could paint photos together with your thoughts when you are listening. If, alternatively, you aren’t significantly good at imagining Max and the gang having uncontrollable giggles on the concept of “the reverse Schmeichel” in objective, then you may wrap your eyes round this.

Final night time’s full Soccer Weekly podcast is out there right here.

Members of the LGBTQ group can go to the World Cup in Qatar however the West can’t “dictate” to Qataris what they need to consider, Qatar’s vitality minister has instructed Germany’s Bild newspaper.

Reuters reviews that within the interview minister of state for vitality affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi stated:

In the event that they wish to go to Qatar, we’ve got no downside with it. If you wish to change me in order that I’ll say that I consider in LGBTQ, that my household needs to be LGBTQ, that I settle for LGBTQ in my nation, that I alter my legal guidelines and the Islamic legal guidelines with a view to fulfill the West – then this isn’t acceptable.

Croatia simply want a draw to ensure a final 16 place once they play Belgium on Thursday. They’ve simply posted a bit coaching excerpts video with a really funky soundtrack.

The TV numbers are in. 16.59 million folks watched Wales v England final night time dwell within the UK.

I’m having fun with that for me Twitter has marked the picture as “the next media consists of doubtlessly delicate content material” and while you click on reveal it’s simply England celebrating. Perhaps Twitter HQ is simply making an attempt to assume kindly of the Wales followers.

Every single day is a college day when you’re a journalist, however right here is a few information that’s making me really feel as if I’m kindergarten age once more professionally. Fifa have been celebrating the achievement of reknowned Argentine sports activities reporter Enrique Macaya Márquez.

Márquez is reporting on his seventeenth consecutive World Cup, having first been deployed on the match in 1958 in Sweden when he was 23. That first match didn’t go with no hitch. On the Fifa web site Márquez says:

We thought we had been one of the best on the planet, together with in soccer. Argentina missed a number of the World Cups because of political choices, however the phantasm was shortly shattered [in 1958]. Czechoslovakia put six targets previous us. I couldn’t consider it, it was inexplicable. How might we concede six targets to a workforce who [I] had by no means heard of? I couldn’t deal with it and I began smoking once more, three years after giving up. It was a tricky lesson.

The 88-year-old, who celebrated his birthday whereas protecting Qatar v Ecuador this 12 months, claims that he used to have kickabouts with the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano, as they grew up in the identical neighbourhood.

In a journalism story as outdated as time, he bought his fortunate break as a result of whereas working at a radio station as a younger lad he made his enthusiasm for soccer well-known, after which at some point the common commentator failed to show up. (That is just about how I bought the Physician Who and Eurovision gigs on the Guardian to be trustworthy.)

He says the key to journalism at a World Cup is:

You want information, and it’s important to know the right way to talk what you already know, it’s important to know the right way to cope with know-how, it’s important to know the sport and interpret it accurately. It’s not straightforward and it’s important to study on a regular basis, speaking to folks and studying from them – that’s the way you get higher.

He says his favorite ever World Cup workforce is the Dutch aspect from 1974, and that finally “my ardour is soccer, relatively than journalism”. So I’ve simply bought the 14 extra World Cups to cowl to emulate him then.

The row about concussion substitutions at this World Cup rumbles on. Wales defended their determination final night time to maintain Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams on the pitch after he suffered a head harm towards England. Coach Robert Web page defended how the workforce dealt with it, saying:

Neco took a blow to the top, so there are protocols in place understandably with concussion. He handed the preliminary take a look at. We adopted the Fifa pointers. The Fifa physician OK’d him to remain on the pitch, however he was suggested if there was any signs then to flag it up immediately, and that’s what he did. There was no second ideas in any respect, he was off immediately. We’ve coated all of the protocols and the Fifa pointers.

However PA Media factors out that in its report that mind harm charity Headway criticised the dealing with of the incident, saying “but once more medics are given no choices” whereas calling for the introduction of a brief concussion rule.

BBC pundit Alan Shearer was additionally vocal on the subject throughout the match final night time, saying “I might say to IFAB, ‘what on earth are you ready for?’ as a result of everyone seems to be beneath stress then to decide. You’ve bought the medical doctors and the physios on the pitch making an attempt to purchase a bit little bit of time. In the event that they had been in a position to get him off for 10 minutes, assess him, carry somebody on after which make their thoughts up there relatively than be put beneath enormous stress on the pitch.”

US president Joe Biden’s social media workforce have posted a bit behind the scenes clip of him being knowledgeable of the US-Iran rating, after which saying it at a political occasion in Michigan final night time.

With apologies to Wales followers, I’m simply going to depart this image right here.

Right here is how Rory Smith on the New York Occasions considered that US efficiency in Qatar final night time, writing:

These previous couple of minutes weren’t about expertise. They had been, as an alternative, probably the most thorough examination possible of Gregg Berhalter’s workforce’s poise, and composure, and grit. They had been a take a look at of nerve. It’s to their immense credit score that they handed.

Victory was not snug, under no circumstances. There have been moments when their hearts rose up into their mouths, moments when their legs appeared heavy and their minds weary, moments once they needed to battle off the siren name of blind panic. However then, it couldn’t be every other manner. It will not be a take a look at if it had been straightforward.

This stays an intensely younger workforce, one which has been designed not less than partially with the following World Cup, 4 years away and (principally) on residence soil, in thoughts. That they weathered what’s most certainly probably the most traumatic state of affairs any of them have skilled is to their huge credit score.

The Netherlands now stand in the best way of this US workforce emulating their friends from 2002, who reached the quarter-finals, one of the best US efficiency of recent occasions.

The US workforce did attain the semi-finals in Uruguay in 1930 within the inaugural World Cup, in a match which noticed the winners of every of 4 teams paired up because the final 4. The US had been crushed by Argentina in Montevideo on that event, having overcome Belgium and Paraguay within the group levels.

the drill by now. Max and the gang had been up late after the matches completed yesterday to carry you the most recent each day version of Soccer Weekly. Mr Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Troy Townsend, Elis James, Barney Ronay and Nick Ames as they speak about England, Wales and all that jazz. Get it in your ears right here.

Preamble