FIFA World Cup 2022

[Durhamfootman]

no 'onelove' armbands

folded at the first hurdle

England should let Kane wear the armband, take the booking, then pass it to 'another' captain and keep on going. I'd love them to test FIFA's resolve. Would they really let an entire team get yellow cards before the ball is even kicked. What if England passed it around a second time? Would they then have to send players off for having a moral compass? How good would that make Qatar and the corrupt FIFA look?

Come on England.... grow a pair.... you're going to limp out early anyway, so go out in a blaze of glory and make a stand

[Gingerfinch]

Walker over Trippier

1 hour Phillips over star of the season Maddison

I thought Walker was injured?

[sussexpob]

Ticket app is not working, apparently England fans trapped outside for the last two hours

[sussexpob]

Two blatant penalties at the same corner, apparently VAR didnt think so.

So the rules changed, and its ok to simply bear hug someone and drag them to the floor off the ball?

[Durhamfootman]

I have been watching the game and England have done very well. Iran, I know, but these are the sorts of matches that England perennially struggle with

Nice touch from Iran as they refuse to sing their national anthem in support of Iranian women. Mrs DF tells me that were Iran to score they intend to not celebrate the goal but are going to make a hair cutting gesture.

All the England players have played well, including Maguire who has been solid enough in defensive and a right bloody handful at set pieces. Trippier and Saka look to have knitted well and Bellingham has been everywhere. 3 good goals, a couple of very good opportunities squandered, a header off the bar and stonewall pen turned down. Could easily have been 5 or 6

[Gingerfinch]

An excellent goal from Iran.

Kane smacking Maguire on the head as he's goes off with concussion did make me chuckle.

[sussexpob]

Two blatant penalties at the same corner, apparently VAR didnt think so.

So the rules changed, and its ok to simply bear hug someone and drag them to the floor off the ball?

Then a penalty is given the other way for something about 30% as much a penalty...

Got to love VAR

[Durhamfootman]

I had a feeling SP was going to love that VAR pen

astonishing really. Letting the first one go without interfering and then dragging the ref back for that

hey ho. Didn't matter on this occasion.

[Durhamfootman]

Good win and pretty emphatic in stark contrast to the rubbish they've been serving up this year

Good to see Saka getting a couple and then for Rashford to score within moments of coming on. Along with Sterling getting off the mark early, England may actually have some goals in them this tournament. If they can't score against the USA then it won't be from lack of confidence in front of goal.

Great ball from Bellingham to Wilson, btw. Loved it

The only concern will be England switching off for a moment or two leading to the Iran goal. There were a few sloppy passes which crept in after going 4-0 up. I didn't notice any hair cutting gestures from Iran, but then the TV cut away from them pretty quickly, so maybe they did and it just wasn't shown. They certainly didn't celebrate overly, but then they were getting hammered, so that might equally have been the reason

[Gingerfinch]

Two blatant penalties at the same corner, apparently VAR didnt think so.

So the rules changed, and its ok to simply bear hug someone and drag them to the floor off the ball?

Then a penalty is given the other way for something about 30% as much a penalty...

Got to love VAR

Good job it didn't matter! The fact that VAR didn't ask the ref for ours is mindboggling.

[mikesiva]

Mendy had a shocker, as Netherlands beat Senegal 2-0.

[yuppie]

I know its hard to believe that FIFA might be corrupt but i reckon England are going to get a few more poor decisions via VAR. They are to vocal about gay rights and migrant deaths. Fifa cant have them going to far i would think.

England looked good against a team that seemed to have other things on their minds. God knows what will happen to the players when they get back home. Fair play on their own protests against a regime that has hopefully had its day.

Perhaps a winter world cup helps England, their players wont be knackered from the PL and arguably they are at their peak. Still think they will get shafted by FIFA though.

Strange Stat for the day. Saka has one more world cup goal than Wayne Rooney But only the same amount of WC goals as John Stones

[Durhamfootman]

Goodness me, Wales are a poor team. I don't think I'd quite realised how bad they are. They're being flogged to death by the USA atm. Can't keep the ball, can't play the ball forward, no movt anywhere on the field so no-one to pass to meaning they're always under pressure. Dreadful

[Durhamfootman]

half time tactical substitution for Wales and they played better in the second half. USA guilty of a drop in intensity and Wales got into the game more and more. Stupid challenge, penalty for Wales and both teams ended up with exactly what they deserved

England top the group after round one. Whether they're still there after round 3 is up to England, nobody else

[sussexpob]

Both those sides looked horrendous. No quality in the final third. The USA goal came from kamakaze defending from Rodon, and I have no words to express what that Zimmerman challenge was on Bale.

England should annihilate both of these teams