World Cup live updates: Wales and Iran scoreless in critical Group B clash
Wales #Wales
The World Cup continues in Qatar on Friday, when teams began playing their second games of the group stage. In a Group B game the United States will be watching closely, Wales and Iran are underway in the first match of the day. Host Qatar and Senegal will both be seeking their first points in Group A at 8 a.m., before Group A leaders Netherlands and Ecuador meet at 11. Finally, the Americans take on England in the day’s marquee event at 2 p.m.
5:31 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar, who is officiating his first World Cup, is tolerating a whole lot of physical play so far. The match was scoreless through 30 minutes; Wales still has yet to score in the run of play at this tournament.
5:27 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Wales’ Neco Williams was limping badly after a hard challenge from an Iranian defender, but he stays in the match.
5:21 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Wales star Gareth Bale takes an elbow to the face from Milad Mohammadi, but Harry Wilson’s close-in free kick from the side of the goal is cleared away.
5:20 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Iran thought it went ahead in the 15th minute but Ali Gholizadeh was determined to be offside by automated video review. Still, some shaky play from Wales.
5:16 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Wales nearly takes the lead in the 12th minute, but Kieffer Moore’s close-in chance is batted away by Hossein Hosseini. Moore stayed down on the pitch after taking a boot to the face on the play but stayed in the game.
5:13 AM: A delicate time for Iran’s players
Before the match against Wales, a few Iran supporters said while they were happy at the team’s refusal to sing the national anthem before the match against England, they worried the players were facing an inordinate amount of pressure to comment on politics.
“It’s a very delicate time,” said a 28-year old Iranian who lives in Britain and attended Friday’s match with his brother. “I don’t think we should be throwing hate and shame at the players.”
“They are young guys, here to play football,” his brother said.
5:09 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
With the knowledge that Wales isn’t a dynamic goal-scoring team, Iran in the early going is pressing the attack with much more vigor than in its calamitous opener against England.
5:03 AM: Analysis from Kareem Fahim, Istanbul bureau chief covering the Middle East
Iran’s players, who stayed silent during the playing of the national anthem before their last match against England, appeared to sing when the anthem was played before Friday’s match, as whistles of disapproval echoed around the stadium.
4:56 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Wales is +115 to win on the moneyline at DraftKings, while Iran is +280 and the draw is +215.
4:55 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Iran’s starting 11 includes five changes from its opener, and one more defender than in its opening 6-2 loss to England. Hossein Hosseini will start in goal after coming in early because of Alireza Beiranvand’s injury against England.
4:48 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Wales is out with its starting 11 for Friday’s match against Iran. One change from the opener against the United States: The 6-foot-5 Kieffer Moore gets the nod at striker instead of Daniel James.
4:39 AM: Iran’s last time out: Routed by England
England’s World Cup debut was a splendid success Monday, when the Three Lions scored early and often in a 6-2 demolition of hapless Iran to open play in Group B. Only a last-minute penalty kick for Iran prevented England from matching its biggest margin of victory at a World Cup.
Bukayo Saka scored twice for England in the 43rd and 62nd minutes, with Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish also finding the back of the net.
Mehdi Taremi scored Iran’s lone goal in the flow of play in the 65th minute with a nifty move and keen finish through England’s defense. He also converted the penalty kick in the waning minutes.
Iran got off to an inopportune start when starting goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand had to leave the match after only three minutes when he collided with a teammate, apparently suffering a head injury. From there, the heavy underdogs seemed to fall apart, with Iran’s defense not doing backup goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini any favors.
By: Matt Bonesteel
4:21 AM: Wales’s last time out: Late penalty salvages draw vs. United States
RAYYAN, Qatar — Wales had waited 64 years for its return to the World Cup on Monday against the United States, and Gareth Bale’s penalty kick in the 82nd minute salvaged a 1-1 in its Group B opener.
As they took to the field for warmups, the Dragons were serenaded over the speakers by “Yma o Hyd,” the Welsh folk song written by Dafydd Iwan that became the team’s rallying cry during its historic run to the World Cup.
The Americans were lively in the early stages, showing no signs of the tentativeness and insecurity that marred two dismal tuneups in September. Christian Pulisic’s touch was off, in the run of play and on set pieces, but the Americans used the wings and overlapping fullbacks to serve dangerous crosses and apply pressure.
In the 36th minute, Tim Weah met Christian Pulisic’s delivery in stride and coolly one-timed a low 11-yarder past advancing goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey for his fourth international goal in 26 appearances.
Wales made an adjustment at halftime by introducing 6-foot-5 striker Kieffer Moore, who promised to wreak havoc on set pieces. The Dragons gained traction in possession against a U.S. team losing its way. The performance became sloppy and disjointed. After doing as they pleased in the first half, the Americans found themselves under duress, unable to relieve pressure or keep the ball.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner read Bale’s penalty kick perfectly by diving to his left, but the shot was struck with so much pace that he couldn’t prevent the Welsh captain’s 41st international goal.
By: Steven Goff
4:01 AM: Best of Thursday: Brazil’s Richarlison makes the World Cup gasp
LUSAIL, Qatar — Just when you might start to wonder if the enticing idea of Brazil exceeds the more grinding reality, the Brazilians might remind that they always reserve the right to go and do something that’ll make your eyes just about pop out of your head.
That’s what happened Thursday night, when the goal of the nascent World Cup graced Lusail Stadium two days after the upset of the ages had done likewise. It happened on 73 minutes. It cemented Brazil’s 2-0 opening win over Serbia. It came from Richarlison, the 25-year-old who has been doing a lot of scoring lately. It made people gasp and holler when they hadn’t even planned on gasping and hollering.
It wreaked a stadium noise that sustained itself for longer than such noises tend to do. That lingering noise carried the unmistakable sound of wonder.
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By: Chuck Culpepper