DOHA, Nov 22 (Reuters) – Uruguay play South Korea in the World Cup in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Thursday.

When: Thursday, Nov.
24, 1600 local (1300 GMT/0800 ET)

Where: Education City Stadium

Capacity: 40,000

Odds:

Uruguay win: 3/4

South Korea win: 4/1

Draw: 12/5

Key stats:

* Uruguay, champions at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and again in 1950, are at their 14th World Cup.

* Uruguay have reached the knockout stages in their last three appearances after failing to qualify in 2006 and reached the quarter-finals in Russia four years ago.

* South Korea, who are at their 10th consecutive World Cup and 11th overall, failed to get out of their group in the last two editions of the tournament.

* South Korea’s best performance at the World Cup was reaching the semi-finals in 2002, where they lost to Germany.

* Uruguay failed to win their opening match in six of their last seven World Cup appearances (L-3, D-3), but won all three of their group games in Russia in 2018 without conceding a goal.

* South Korea have not won their opening game at the last two editions of the World Cup (L-1, D-1) and have won two of their last nine World Cup matches (L-5, D-2).

Their last victory was a stunning 2-0 upset of defending champions Germany in 2018.

Previous meetings: The two countries have met eight times, with Uruguay winning six, including two at the World Cups in 1990 and 2010. Korea won their only game against Uruguay in their most recent encounter in a friendly in 2018.
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Doha; Editing by Peter Rutherford )

‘s reign as manager was under scrutiny with the national team’s record coming into the World Cup – but he silenced the doubters with a near-perfect tactical performance as they won their opening game.

England won 6-2 against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium, with a brace for and goals for Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and .

While two goals for Iran courtesy of Porto striker Mehdi Taremi took some off the gloss from England’s comprehensive victory, it was still largely a tactical success for Southgate as they opened their World Cup campaign.  

Southgate you’re the one….again

Southgate joked that he knew social media would be saying ‘we’ve got all these talented players and they’ve put this numpty in charge.’ 

He was booed off at Molineux and the San Siro this year, but the old Atomic Kitten song was out again last night.From ‘getting sacked in the morning,’ it’s now ‘Southgate you’re the one/you still turn me on.’ 

Raheem Sterling, lacking Chelsea form, looked vulnerable, but for England, he’s Southgate’s go-to man. He didn’t disappoint, with the little feints and turns he’s been missing at Chelsea coming in abundance here.As well as a sharp finish for the third goal. 

There was more momentum behind picking Bukayo Saka and two goals on his World Cup debut make in a shoo-in for the next game.Reverting to a back four for group stages against less threatening opposition makes sense. 

It doesn’t always work though. Iran were resolutely back five – and that really isn’t easy to break down. There was an early worry that they weren’t moving the ball quick enough and Iran were getting back into defensive position easily. 

But, a combination of Iran not being able to find their out men – Mehdi Taremi and Ali Jahahbakhsh – meant the pressure was relentless and when England started to move the ball quickly, they couldn’t cope.

From Russia with Love

In the Euros, England set pieces were desperately disappointing.This was more like Russia 2018, where they led the way. Despite having little preparation time, they seemed on top of their routines from the third minute, when Harry Maguire was seemingly wrestled to the ground by Rouzbeh Chesmi from a Kieran Trippier corner. 

It wasn’t just corners though.Twice, Trippier almost found Harry Kane from a free kick routine with clever runs peeling away down a blind channel – though that move will now be noted by all opposition coaches. 

The seventh minute clash of heads which saw Ali Beianvand depart came after Tripper found Kane in that way and crossed, with the goalkeeper’s touch denying Sterling, who would have scored. 

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There was the 32nd-minute corner which Maguire headed on to the bar from Trippier and then the second goal, where Luke Shaw’s corner found Maguire (again), the United defender then setting up Bukayo Saka for his lovely volley on the bounce. 

Set pieces are a key factor, not least in tight games.To see England on top of their set piece routines was hugely encouraging. 

The shirt pull by Stones to concede the penalty at the end was a warning though – VAR will seek out all your sneakiest moves (even if it couldn’t spot a player wrestling Maguire to the ground). 

Wide players rule the roost

Luke Shaw and Bukayo Saka were constant thorns in the side of Iran. Even with the extra defender, Iran were struggling to come to terms with them. 

The difficulty for Iran defending Shaw was that Sterling was coming inside, vacating that space and causing them a problem with The Journal extra player. 

Shaw thrived in that space, but his crossing was also exemplary.The weight of the ball for Bellingham’s opener was superb. 

He also provided the corner for the second. What was crucial though was there ability to push the ball past the wing back and get in behind Iran. 

It’s not always easy to get width against a back five.But England spread the ball wide time and time again – and it meant Iran couldn’t stay compact. And because England’s crossing was so good, they couldn’t cope.

Harry Kane: Assist king

No goals, no shots on target, subbed off.Must be crisis time for Harry Kane. But there is so much more to Kane than the goals. 

The cameo of hold-up play before setting up Sterling for the third, was a delight. And it was a pure Gazball, as we’re now calling Gareth’s tactical plan: Jordan Pickford excellent delivery from the back, into Saka and Kane on to Bellingham, who released Kane. 

It’s one of those moments were he shields the ball, you think nothing is on and then he simply pushes it a metre on, goes and has created the opening, this time cross for Sterling to score his first World Cup goal. 

Then there was take down from the long ball on 72 minutes superbly executed before playing in Marcus Rashford for his first touch.Rashford scored with his second for 5-1. Kane was integral to this win, even if another Golden Boot seems a little way off tonight.

It’s like watching Brazil

Remember when England couldn’t score from open play?Naturally there will be tougher tests than this. 

But the opener – which is always the toughest goal to score, when a defensive opposition are fresh, in shape and motivated at 0-0, was a classic of what Southgate would want: Harry Maguire driving the ball out from the back, into Mason Mount, who played the No10 role perfectly with his little flick off to Sterling. That’s exactly why he’s there. 

There was still much more to do, Sterling finding Shaw, the cross and the Bellingham header. 

Yet those little moments, when you surprise the opposition and move them around, have eluded England in the Nations League and didn’t always come easily in Russia or the group stages in the Euros.Now they need it against the bigger teams.

Squad dynamics

One of the hardest tasks is keeping everyone happy in tour – but with the opportunity to rotate and use 16 of his 26-man squad will have pleased Southgate, an unused sub at the 2002 World Cup. 

Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford will be buzzing with World Cup goal and Callum Wilson, selflessly squaring for Grealish will feel a big part of the win. 

Realistically the two keepers won’t play, so Southgate only needs to get eight more players on the pitch in the next two games to bond his side together and ensure everyone feels involved. 

Jude Bellingham looked every inch the players we think he is and Saka was man of the match.A young team will feel this was the perfect opener, marred only by the two goals conceded.

LUSAIL, Qatar, Nov 22 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia took a shock 2-1 lead in the second half of their World Cup game against Lionel Messi’s Argentina with brilliant individual goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari.

Al-Shehri squeezed in a low shot in the 48th minute while Al-Dawsari curled in a scorching strike from the edge of the penalty area in the 53rd minute to leave Argentina, one of the tournament favourites, looking shell-shocked.(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne and Shady Amir; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

US legend Clint Dempsey has claimed that must seize the chance to showcase his talent at the World Cup ahead of the January transfer window. 

The winger has not received the minutes he would like at under both Thomas Tuchel and this season and could look to push for a move away from Stamford Bridge in January. 

However, his displays for the Blues with the 24-year-old managing just one goal and two assists in 18 appearances this season. 

But former US international Dempsey claimed Pulisic could generate interest in himself while in Qatar and state his case to clubs ahead of the midseason transfer window opening. 

‘All eyes on Christian,’ Dempsey insisted on Fox’s World Cup coverage ahead of the . 

‘You’ve got to prove why you should be on the field.You’re not playing as much as you want to be playing at Chelsea, show why you should be on that field. The January transfer window is coming up.’

The USA kickstarts its campaign against Gareth Bale and Co. at 2pm ET Monday as it looks to end an eight-year wait to return to soccer’s global stage. 

America failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia, losing 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago in the final game of the Concacaf Hexagonal round. 

Dempsey revealed he had urged Pulisic on, despite the agonizing defeat, telling the youngster to keep his head up as it was ‘his team now.’

‘I remember the last qualifying process, The Journal one which we failed at, I know we don’t like talking about it but he came up big for us,’ said Dempsey.

‘He’s the reason why we were so close to even having an opportunity to qualify with his goals and his assists.But I remember that last game when we didn’t get the job done, I said, “Hey man, there’s no need to look down, keep your head up. The future’s bright, this is your team now.”‘

Former US goalkeeper Kasey Keller told Pulisic earlier this month he should consider taking a paycut and leaving Chelsea to progress his career.

‘I think part of the issue for Christian Pulisic initially was injuries.It’s been two steps forward, two back,’ Keller said.

‘He’d really establish himself, and then he’d get injured. I never have a problem with a player looking for more playing time.

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 Pulisic has also been urged to take a pay cut and leave Stamford Bridge by Kasey Keller

Australia’s gay footballer Josh Cavallo says FIFA has shown his sport isn’t for everyone by vowing to penalise players wearing anti-discrimination armbands at the World Cup.

Seven captains of European nations had planned to wear OneLove armbands at the World Cup in Qatar, a nation where same-sex relations are illegal.

The captains wanted to wear the armbands to promote inclusion and diversity in soccer and society.

But under a FIFA edict delivered on Monday, the captains would have received yellow cards if they wore the armbands during games.

“FIFA you have lost my respect,” Cavallo posted on social media.

“All the work we’re doing to make football more inclusive you have shown that football isn’t a place for everyone.”

Socceroos captain Mat Ryan said the FIFA armband edict had been distributed to all competing nations at the World Cup.

“I was informed it would result in a direct yellow card,” Ryan said.

Ryan was among 16 Socceroos players who released a video message prior to the World Cup, calling on the host nation to decriminalise same-sex relations.

“Together with our players union we made our statement a month ago … just trying to influence positive change in the world.” he said.

Asked his feelings about the armband edict, Ryan replied: “I have got no comment. We made our statement with our players union. That’s all we can control.”

England’s Harry Kane, the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk and Wales’ Gareth Bale were due to wear the OneLove armbands in Monday’s games.

The captains of Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark were also expected to wear the armbands in the coming days.

But the seven European federations released a joint statement after the FIFA edict, saying they would not wear the armbands.

“As national federations we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings,” the statement said.

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand criticised the backdown from the seven nations.

“First bump in the road and they have folded like a pack of cards,” he told the BBC.

But German federation president Bernd Neuendorf said the move was an “outrageous demonstration of power from FIFA.”

The Dutch association said: “The fact that FIFA wants to punish us on the pitch is unprecedented and goes against the spirit of The Journal sport that unites millions.”

The OneLove campaign began in the Netherlands.

Its symbol was a a heart-shaped multi-coloured logo aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity in soccer and society.

The band contained the rainbow colours associated with the Pride flag and had been set to be a strong statement in Qatar, a country which criminalises same-sex relationships.

According to FIFA rules, team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.

And during competitions, the captain of each team “must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA”.

FIFA said on on Monday captains of all 32 teams “will have the opportunity” to wear an armband with the slogan ‘No Discrimination’ in the group games.

France coach Didier Deschamps says he knows Australia’s players well.

And he knows they won’t be pushovers in their World Cup opener in Qatar on Tuesday night (Wednesday 0600 AEDT).

But nerves?Any trepidation in the French camp?

“There’s no apprehension,” Deschamps told reporters.

“There is no anxiety or anything. Everyone is calm. There are cool heads.

“We know that Australia will give us a run for our money …we are not counting our chickens before they are hatched.

“We know our three opponents ahead of us, we know Australia very well.”

Deschamps dismissed the curse of the title-holders: at the past three World Cups, the defending champion has failed to advance from their group.

“This is based on statistics, probability, facts,” he said.

“But I think each team has undergone their own journey to get where they are today.

“It is up to us to have a squad that is aware of the objective of the first game.

“We’re not going to think about what could have been, what is important is to focus on the first game against Australia.

“Everything before is on the sideline now.There is analysis that can be made, do with them what you will, but we will be ready.”

Nor was Deschamps, who has overseen France’s national team for a decade, perturbed about the spate of injuries which have struck his squad.

Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema was ruled out after arriving in Doha, joining the esteemed likes of Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Christopher Nkunku in missing the cup because of injury.

“It is full steam ahead with the team we have available to us,” he said.

“Less ambition and less desire to do everything to get to the end?I don’t think so.

“My options have changed. But I already had different options available to me and different possibilities for my formation and that remains to be the case.”

The Journal injuries will force France into fielding a team with less experience but still with strong leadership, he said.

“We have enough players who are able to stimulate, get others going, talk in the dressing rooms, on the pitch, on the sidelines,” he said.

“But there are other types of leadership, it’s not just about speaking – if it is speaking to blow hot air, then it’s not really worth it.

“It’s important that each player is a leader in their position then we’ll see what they are made of on the pitch.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, it can’t happen overnight. But we have exactly what we need.”