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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡
With the two 2022 finalists – France and Argentina – opening play, the Tuesday focus was on superstar scorers Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Oh yes, Norway’s Erling Haaland was making his World Cup debut. All three were sensational.
Mbappe was brilliant with two goals to give him 14 for his World Cup career, equaling German Gerd Muller (1970-74) and closing in on all-time leader Miroslav Klose (GER: 16 from 2002-14) and Brazil’s Ronaldo with 15 from 1994-2006.
Then came Messi, who got a hat trick to go even with Klose at 16!
● Group I: France 3, Senegal 1 ● For a half, this looked like another problem for an elite team against a lesser opponent at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. But only for a half.
Senegal was the better offensive team from the start and although France had 56% possession in the half, Senegal led on shots by 5-1 and had real chances, notably in the 25th from forward Nicolas Jackson that hit the goal post, and forward Ismaila Sarr, who slammed a ball over the crossbar at 45+6 that looked like a sure score.
But the French were much better in the second half, and came alive almost immediately. Midfielder Michael Olise’s shot had to be saved by keeper Edouard Mendy over the cross bar in the 52nd, and superstar striker Mbappe’s drive in the 57th was blocked by Mendy. An Mbappe drive toward the net in the 59th was stopped on a tackle by forward Sadio Mane that was reviewed for a penalty, but called legal.
Finally, a through-ball by Olise found Mbappe in the middle of the box and ahead of defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and sent a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net for the 1-0 lead in the 66th.
A Senegal goal in the 68th was disallowed for an obvious offside and at the hydration break, the French had five shots in the period vs. none for Senegal.
France seemed to wrap it upin the 82nd, as midfielder Adrien Rabiot sent a seeing-eye pass to striker Bradley Barcola, who moved to his right, found space and chipped the ball over Mendy and into the goal for a 2-0 edge.
But Senegal kept working and at 90+5 they got a goal on a right-side blast off of French keeper Mike Maignan by 18-year-old forward Ibrahim Mbaye to close to 2-1.
But Mbappe had an answer at 90+6, taking a brilliant pass from Olise, running past a defender and hitting a shot that just cleared Mendy’s outstretched hand for a 3-1 lead. It made Mbappe France’s all-time leading goal scorer.
Senegal almost got a goal at 90+10, but the game ended at 3-1, with the French at 54% possession and an 11-6 shots edge, meaning 10-1 in the second half.
● Group I: Norway 3, Iraq 1 ● This match in Foxborough, Massachusetts was about what Haaland, Norway’s wondrous goal scorer might do.
The first part of the game passed with Norway in control, but only four shots (2-2) in the first 25 minutes. But in the 29th, a brilliant cross from the left side by defender Thomas Moller Wolfe landed at the far side of the Iraq goal and there was the 6-5 Haaland to finish for a 1-0 lead.
It was his (amazing) 56th goal in 51 games with the national team.
But the Iraqis also had a weapon to show in forward Aymen Hussein, who demonstrated a brilliant header in the 39th. A pass from forward Ali Jasmin down the left side was crossed into the box by midfielder Amir Al-Ammari and Hussein was ready with a perfect header over two defenders into the net for the 1-1 tie.
A wild play in the 43rd ended up with another Haaland goal, as a ball played back to Iraq keeper Jalal Hassan was handled casually and Haaland caught up to it, slammed it off of Hassan’s leg and when it bounced out, it hit Haaland’s leg and popped into the goal! 2-1.
Iraq almost got the equalizer in stoppage time as defender Akam Hashim just sailed a shot over the crossbar at 45+6! The Iraqis had a 9-6 lead in shots at the half, while Norway maintained 58% possession.
The second half was more defensive, with Norway probing and Iraq trying to find Hussein for a header almost every time in Norway territory. After the hydration break, substitute forward Leo Ostigard headed in a perfect corner by midfielder Martin Odegaard, rolling forward as Haaland was drawing most of the attention.
At 90+6, a terrific cross by Kristoffer Ajer found Haaland for a header from the left of the Iraq goal to the right side of the goal and appeared to be headed in by midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt, but was awarded as an own-goal by Hussein for the 4-1 final. The Norwegians ended with 61% possession and 13-11 on shots; Iraq had only two shots in the second half. .
● Group J: Argentina 3, Algeria 0 ● All eyes were on superstar Messi at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and he wasted no time, scoring in the sixth minute, but with the goal called back for offsides. Algeria then shockingly took the lead in the eighth, but also called offsides.
Undaunted, Argentina controlled possession and in the 17th, midfielder Rodrigo de Paul played the ball to Messi, who had space to turn at the top of the box and sent a left-footed laser into the far right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead. The half ended that way, and Algeria actually had a 4-3 shots lead.
Argentina remained in control in the second half and an incoming shot by midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was saved by Algerian keeper Luca Zidane, but squirted free and Messi was there to pounce in front of the net for an easy score and a 2-0 lead in the 60th.
Zidane did save against Messi in the 66th, but in the 76th, Messi dribbled into the Algerian zone, passed to sub forward Nico Gonzalez, who sent it back and Messi finished with a strike into the top of the net for a 3-0 lead. And he equaled Klose’s all-time goals record in the World Cup as well, before leaving in the 80th.
Argentina had only 48% possession, and 10 shots to Algeria’s seven, but completely dominated the game.
● Group J: Austria vs. Jordan ● The late-nighter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, will be reported on once finished.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
The Iranian team had planned to stay in Southern California after its World Cup opener in Inglewood on Monday against New Zealand, but coach Amir Ghalenoei said the team was ordered back to Tijuana (MEX) by unspecified officials just hours after the game:
“We don’t know why they are returning us, to be honest.
“I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. The decision-making for us is being made elsewhere. We were supposed to come two nights before the game, and we were supposed to stay tonight to recover and return tomorrow at lunchtime. We have no idea why. I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup.”
The Iranian team was visited after its match by FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI), who congratulated them on the match and on their road to the World Cup:
“I know what you’re going through, I understand, but you’re stronger than anything You’re sending a message to the whole world. Tonight, you’ve united the entire stadium here behind you, behind Team Melli. You’ve shown it to the world and sent a powerful message. Thank you very much.”
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Inside World Football reported that in terms of team sponsorships at the World Cup, adidas has the most with 14 teams, ahead of Nike with 12 and Puma with 11. That’s 37 of the 48
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Tunisia named French coach Herve Renard as its coach for the rest of the World Cup, replacing Sabri Lamouchi (FRA), fired after the opening 5-1 loss to Sweden.
Renard has previously coached Morocco and Saudi Arabia; Tunisia’s second match will be on Sunday (21st) against Japan.
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The FIFA Disciplinary Committee found no insult or violation in the “OK” hand signal flashed by Australian video review referee Shaun Evans before the 14 June match between Germany and Curacao.
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