Confident performance sees England top Iran in opening game win
England looked confident in a display as they netted six goals past a lackluster Iranian side.
Nineteen-year-old Jude Bellingham put England ahead with a 35th-minute header. The Dortmund star turned in a performance that went well beyond his teenage years and looks set to be a bona fide star for years to come.
Bukayo Saka scored twice, his second goal being a great individual effort. Receiving the ball on the right wing, the Arsenal striker cut inside the box and left three teammates free to his left. Instead of playing the ball, Saka took a few extra touches to get past some Iranian defenders and shot low into the far corner.
Raheem Sterling scored England's third and final first-half goal in the first of fourteen minutes of added time awarded following a fierce clash of headers that saw Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand gravely concussed.
Incredibly, Alireza continued to play after the treatment, but soon signaled to the bench that he had to retire.
This should have been the decision of the Iranian medical team immediately after seeing the incident and assessing the injury. It was an unpleasant incident and it looked worse each time the FIFA cameras insisted on broadcasting from many different angles.
Harry Kane's somewhat anonymous display is perhaps Gareth Southgate's only concern when it comes to his forward line. The captain never tested any of the Iranian goalkeepers who took part in the match.
Gareth Southgate took out the three point guards he started with and let Marcus Rashford and Callum Wilson get away. Both were instrumental in England's last two goals of the match.
Marcus Rashford scored a well conceded goal, taking two touches to control the ball before firing low from the Iran substitute goalkeeper.
Wilson deliciously assisted the English sixth when he could have shot on goal instead. The Newcastle man returned the ball selflessly to replace Jack Grealish who found the net with ease from a few yards out.
My main concern about the win was that Iran managed to score twice. Southgate was a centre-half when he played and both conceded could play on his mind as he focuses on the next two group games. Both the United States and Wales will be much harder to break down than Iran today and Southgate could sacrifice some of the smooth attacking football seen today for some extra caution at the back.
>VAR again made a questionable decision in the first half when Harry Maguire was knocked to the ground at England's first corner.
The referee was called in by VAR in the dying moments of ten extra minutes at the end of the game to look into a similar foul by an England defender. It was much less cynical but the penalty was given and Iran's top scorer Taremi sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way to make it 6-2.
Next, the United States on Friday. This will be the first real test of the tournament.
England looked confident in a display as they netted six goals past a lackluster Iranian side.
Nineteen-year-old Jude Bellingham put England ahead with a 35th-minute header. The Dortmund star turned in a performance that went well beyond his teenage years and looks set to be a bona fide star for years to come.
Bukayo Saka scored twice, his second goal being a great individual effort. Receiving the ball on the right wing, the Arsenal striker cut inside the box and left three teammates free to his left. Instead of playing the ball, Saka took a few extra touches to get past some Iranian defenders and shot low into the far corner.
Raheem Sterling scored England's third and final first-half goal in the first of fourteen minutes of added time awarded following a fierce clash of headers that saw Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand gravely concussed.
Incredibly, Alireza continued to play after the treatment, but soon signaled to the bench that he had to retire.
This should have been the decision of the Iranian medical team immediately after seeing the incident and assessing the injury. It was an unpleasant incident and it looked worse each time the FIFA cameras insisted on broadcasting from many different angles.
Harry Kane's somewhat anonymous display is perhaps Gareth Southgate's only concern when it comes to his forward line. The captain never tested any of the Iranian goalkeepers who took part in the match.
Gareth Southgate took out the three point guards he started with and let Marcus Rashford and Callum Wilson get away. Both were instrumental in England's last two goals of the match.
Marcus Rashford scored a well conceded goal, taking two touches to control the ball before firing low from the Iran substitute goalkeeper.
Wilson deliciously assisted the English sixth when he could have shot on goal instead. The Newcastle man returned the ball selflessly to replace Jack Grealish who found the net with ease from a few yards out.
My main concern about the win was that Iran managed to score twice. Southgate was a centre-half when he played and both conceded could play on his mind as he focuses on the next two group games. Both the United States and Wales will be much harder to break down than Iran today and Southgate could sacrifice some of the smooth attacking football seen today for some extra caution at the back.
>VAR again made a questionable decision in the first half when Harry Maguire was knocked to the ground at England's first corner.
The referee was called in by VAR in the dying moments of ten extra minutes at the end of the game to look into a similar foul by an England defender. It was much less cynical but the penalty was given and Iran's top scorer Taremi sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way to make it 6-2.
Next, the United States on Friday. This will be the first real test of the tournament.
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