England kick off World Cup on a high note with six goals against Iran

tomtidgewellNovember 21, 2022

Toby Davis

Reuters

DOHA — England is their world cup He made a timely return to Gareth Southgate’s squad and took an impressive 6-2 win in Group B on Monday.

England entered the tournament without a win in six games, but Jude Bellingham scored the first England goal, Bukayo Saka doubled the lead and Raheem Sterling set up the third with a second-half walk. It was a dynamic start 45 minutes that won.

Saka’s second goal after half-time allowed Saka to keep his foot off the gas, opening the door for Iran to regain one through Mehdi Taremi before substituting Marcus Rashford. Jack Grealish rounded out the scoring for England.

Iran were awarded a penalty for a minor shirt pull given after a VAR review, which Talemi converted into 13 minutes of stoppage time.

England’s cause was helped when Iran’s influential goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was forced off the pitch after 20 minutes after an unpleasant head-butt with a teammate, but they made the most of it.

England’s 19-year-old midfielder purrs like a Rolls-Royce in the engine room and some of Europe’s biggest clubs have his eye on him when he puts England ahead at the Khalifa International Stadium. I emphasized why.

Bellingham, who timed his run perfectly, stood up to Luke Shaw’s cross from the left and, in the 35th minute, landed a loop header past the goalkeeper into the top corner, becoming the first player born since 2000 to do so. have become. world cup.

Shaw again scored England’s second goal. His corner was headed over the area by Harry Maguire and Saka deftly volleyed top his corner.

The game then effectively ended as a contest when Stirling added a third and Bellingham was again involved in the build-up before finishing on the outside of his boot with a volley from Harry Kane’s cross.

However, England were not finished as Saka scored their second goal in the 62nd minute.

Following Chelsea’s mixed form, Sterling, whose flank locations were under scrutiny, turned to midfield and fed Saka.

Iran pulled one back when Vahid Amiri fed Talemi and slammed past England keeper Jordan Pickford into the top corner, but Rashford emerged in the 70th minute with England’s raft of change, Cut to the inside of a defender and slotted his team’s slot five minutes later.

England’s Grealish scored their sixth goal from close range in the 90th minute after fellow substitute Callum Wilson’s run and cross from the right before Talemi’s late spot kick. They next face the United States on Friday when Iran will play Wales.