DOHA, Qatar — England started the 2022 World Cup campaign in style in their win over Iran with a 6-2 victory thanks to a brace by Bukayo Saka, as well as the efforts of Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Grealish.
Bellingham started the scoring with his debut England score in the 34th minute. Sterling and Saka assisted Gareth Southgate’s team in building a comfortable lead of 3-0 before half-time.
Saka made a superb individual effort to put England further from view shortly after the hour mark. Mehdi Taremi struck a consolation for Iran; however, substitutions Rashford and Grealish gave the gloss to the Three Lions’ Group B opener, despite a penalty in stoppage time by Taremi.
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Rapid response
England makes a football-related statement, and Iran makes a political one.
A day that started with a scuffle over discrimination-free One Love armbands as England attempted to express their political views ended with Gareth Southgate’s team playing a football-themed game when they reached victory. Amid the possibility of a yellow card for Captain Harry Kane due to FIFA refusing to give a special exemption for the seven nations who were scheduled to wear the armbands, England ended the gesture three hours before the game began.
The incident didn’t hinder England’s performance; however, neither did a delay of 10 minutes as Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand suffered a concussion only to attempt to continue before he was forced to make his substitution as an odd and confusing demonstration of the supposed rules. Three goals in just 11 minutes resulted in what appeared to be a sloppy game into a relative stroll in Khalifa International Stadium. Khalifa International Stadium.
However, England was kneeling before the game’s start, which was in line with the anti-racism message they communicated at the end of last summer’s postponed European Championship. On the other hand, it was reported that the Iran players didn’t sing the national anthem before the game.
Although no one in their team has been able to confirm the reason, this comes amid over two years of unrest in Iran that was triggered by the tragic death of a woman who was 22 years old while being held by the morality police of the country that has led to one of the most arduous protests against the country’s religious officials since 1979’s Islamic Revolution.
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Bellingham has justification for the hype to give England some hope
The most notable change in the England team following last year run up through finals in the Euro 2020 final is the rise of Jude Bellingham, a central midfielder with the ability to bring the dynamism and inventiveness to the area England has been lacking for a long time. It was an abundance of confidence in Bellingham, who is 19 years old, making his ninth appearance in international competition and, on Monday, becoming the third-youngest person to make his debut in the first World Cup match for England.
It couldn’t have been better. Bellingham got his superb shot over Luke Shaw for the opening goal at the end of 35 minutes. It was the ultimate goal of a period in which he finished all 40 attempts to pass, 10 of which were at the end of the third. Bellingham became the only player born this century to score in the World Cup. Bellingham was at the center of the third England goal pushing forward and finding Kane, who, in turn, allowed Raheem to score his first goal at the nearest post.
Bellingham’s skillful use of the ball could give England’s attacking players a kind of service they can profit from. There’s still an extended way to go, but this was a promising start. It also caught the attention of some of the biggest clubs interested in setting a move to Bellingham. Borussia Dortmund players, including Liverpool, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.
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Change in the system lets England take the lead.
The argument over England coach Gareth Southgate is this: When he plays with a third back, England tends to be too cautious; however, when they play with a back four, England tends to be more aggressive. The failures of England’s tournaments influence Southgate’s views in the past before his arrival in the year 2016 (losing the ball in midfield and being too cautious in open play, for instance, often he prefers the security of an additional central defender to overcome the limitations.
However, the argument is that this team of players is skilled enough to play in a more open style of play without the inherent prudence as well as the choice to play England in the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 form in this game instead of the previous 3-4-3 matches was the correct choice since Southgate’s team was full of imagination and flair.
A well-organized and compact Iranian team, though primarily focused on defense until the game ended, could not cope with the depth of attacking potential Southgate is able to draw from was evident in the substitutions Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, both scoring in the final minutes.
There were a few problems with the defense. There were a few defensive issues. Mehdi Taremi scored an excellent consolation goal after 65 minutes before adding a third deep strike in stoppage time for the penalty awarded following a VAR review. However, the call for Southgate to turn the handbrake off will only get louder following this.
Player ratings (1 = worst, 10 = best)
England: Pickford 7, Trippier 7, Stones 7, Maguire 7, Rice 7, Shaw 7, Bellingham 9, Mount 8, Kane 8, Saka 9, Sterling 8.
Subs: Dier 7, Rashford 7, Foden 7, Grealish 7, Wilson 7.
Iran: Beiranvand 5, Moharrami 4, Cheshmi 4, Pouraliganji 4, Hosseini 4, Mohammadi 4, Nourollahi 5, Jahanbakhsh 5, Hajsafi 5, Karimi 5, Taremi 6.
Subs: Hosseini 4, Gholizadeh 5, Ezatolahi 5, Azmoun 5, Toradi 5.
Best and worst performers
BEST: Jude Bellingham
The tone was set for a dominating display with the first goal and was the center of some of England’s finest performances.
WORST: Hossein Hosseini
The process is complex after a concussion hits Beiranvand. However, he was also beaten too often, at least once.
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Highlights and notable moments
If England scores goals during a World Cup, there is only one place you can go for the wildest reactions from the fans: BOXPARK Croydon. The fans at the venue celebrated Jude Bellingham’s 35th-minute opening goal.
The revelers barely had the chance to have fresh pints until England added two goals, bringing them to 3-0 at half-time.
After the game After the match: What players and managers had to say post-match quotations are expected to be available in this section.
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Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)
Jude Bellingham became the first player born in the century to score in the World Cup.
At 19 years old and 145 days old, Bellingham is the third-youngest goal scorer for England during the World Cup. Michael Owen scored two goals in the 1998 World Cup, aged 18 years 191 days and 18 years 191 days.
At the age of 21 at 77 and 21 days, Bukayo Saka was the youngest England player to score more than one goal in a game in the World Cup.
It marked the first occasion England recorded three goals at the FIFA World Cup opener since 1982. It was also the first time they had scored three goals in the opening part of the opener.
Marcus Rashford became only the fourth substitute to score for England in a World Cup and the first since Steven Gerrard’s win over. Sweden in 2006.
Harry Kane became the first English player to score two assists in the same World Cup match since David Beckham against. Trinidad & Tobago in 2006.
England’s six goals were scored against. Iran was the joint-most they’ve ever scored in a FIFA World Cup match, in addition to the six goals they scored in their 6-1 victory over Panama in the year 2018.
England joins Germany as the only team in the last thirty years World Cup to score six or more goals in their first match. Germany 2002 beat Saudi Arabia 8-0 in match No. 1 to finish as a losing finalist.
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Next
England: After their fantastic performance at the expense of Iran, England may feel like Friday’s Group B match against the United States (kickoff at 2 p.m. ET) will be late. The Americans, however, have an advantage over the Three Lions, shocking them with a 1-0 victory in the 1950 World Cup and then drawn 1-1 at the 2010 event. The Americans will then finish the group stage by playing neighbors Wales, whom they defeated in a 2-1 win the last time they met in an event at Euro 2016, on November 29 at 2 p.m. ET.
Iran: Fresh from this humiliation, Iran will face Gareth Bale & Co. on Friday at 5 a.m. ET and will take off on the US in a repeat of their famous match in 1998. World Cup meeting at 2 p.m. ET on November 29.
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