Key events
Soon we will get a second look at Elijah Just, one of the breakout players of the opening round.
Here’s the latest pod.
Laine Yamal added some much needed spark to Spain’s attack as the World Cup favourites kickstarted their campaign with a rout of Saudi Arabia.
This was exactly the way the coach would have wished it. Lamine Yamal scoring 10 minutes into his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in April. Mikel Oyarzabal adding two more in the first “quarter”, Marc Cucurella forcing the fourth on 49, victory secured so early that De la Fuente could withdraw those players who needed protecting and give minutes to those that needed them, Mikel Merino and Nico Williams invited to join the party too. Unai Simón was the last to arrive, not making a significant save until the 80th minute.
Here’s Ben Fisher’s match report from Los Angeles where Belgium and Iran each kept their World Cup campaigns afloat in a match full of incident. It’s a result that means Group G will go down to the wire with all four teams capable of reaching the knockout stage on the final day.
There was simply no debate over the moment of the match and it is one that Iran will cherish, even more so if they are to progress to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. Every angle of Alireza Beiranvand’s preposterous save to prevent Belgium taking the lead approaching the hour adds to the miraculous nature of it all. Perhaps the most ludicrous element was that Beiranvand had seesawed to his left in an attempt to intercept Kevin De Bruyne’s rolled cross into the six-yard box and yet, scrambling on the turf, stuck out a left glove to shut the door in the face of Maxim De Cuyper. Belgium finished with 10 men after Nathan Ngoy was sent off for hauling down Mehdi Taremi.
If Iran advance to the last 32, they will surely reflect on Beiranvand’s divine intervention. De Bruyne glittered in moments, none more so than graciously bringing Leandro Trossard’s lifted pass down on the byline. Beiranvand made it his mission to reach De Bruyne’s pass before Romelu Lukaku, who by starting became the third-most capped Belgium player. In the end Ali Nemati stopped the cross, legs splayed as Beiranvand thwarted De Cuyper. Iran believes. Meanwhile Belgium, who went out at the group stage four years ago, are in a spot of bother.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of New Zealand v Egypt from Vancouver Stadium. Kick-off in this Group G clash is 6pm local time (9pm EDT/2am BST/11am AEST).
In this history of the World Cup only Honduras have played more matches (nine) than Egypt (eight) and New Zealand (seven) without winning. Both nations came close to breaking their ducks in round one with the Pharaohs undone by the second-half introduction of Romelu Lukaku, and the All Whites twice pegged back by Iran.
Ranked 85th in the world by Fifa, New Zealand are the weakest team on paper at the finals. But they looked capable in their opening match with Chris Wood excelling as a target man, using his strength with his back to goal to help his side gain a foothold downfield. They will begin every match as underdogs so Darren Bazeley doesn’t need to overthink anything.
Egypt, by contrast, had more than one eye on defence when they took on the Belgians, double and triple teaming Jeremy Doku to neutralise their opponents’ greatest threat. This evening they will need both eyes on attack if they are to finally live up to the reputation they have earned winning seven Africa Cup of Nations.
With the earlier match in Group G ending in a draw, these two protagonists know that a win will deliver an outcome of historic proportions.
I’ll be back shortly with team news and a roundup of all the matchday action so far. In the meantime you can keep an eye on Cape Verde’s magical tournament debut as they terrorise Uruguay, and email any thoughts about the World Cup to jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
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