Netherlands and Senegal advance to knockout spherical
Kalidou Koulibaly’s Seventieth-minute purpose gave Senegal a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ecuador to advance out of Group A.
Ecuador solely wanted a draw to advance and appeared to have that time in hand when Moises Caicedo scored an equalizer simply three minutes earlier than Koulibaly’s tie-breaking purpose.
Netherlands beat host Qatar, 2-0, and gained Group A with two victories and a draw.
The Group A champs will play the second-place squad of Group B at 10 a.m. EST Saturday within the spherical of 16. Senegal will tackle the highest finisher of Group B at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The US is taking part in ‘ee-RON’ and never ‘eye-RAN’
An Iranian journalist referred to as out U.S. participant Tyler Adams for mispronouncing the title of America’s upcoming soccer opponent and questioned how he might play for Workforce USA within the context of America’s racial divide.
“My apologies on the mispronunciation of your nation,” Adams instructed reporters Monday after saying his facet was taking part in “eye-RAN” versus the popular pronunciation of “ee-RON.”
Adams, whose father is Black, acknowledged his dwelling nation’s ongoing racial reckoning however concluded that: “I feel so long as you see progress, that’s an important factor.”
Qatar official estimates World Cup employee deaths ‘between 400 and 500’
DOHA, Qatar — A high Qatari official concerned within the nation’s World Cup group has put the variety of employee deaths for the match “between 400 and 500,” a drastically greater quantity than every other beforehand provided by Doha.
The remark by Hassan al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Supply and Legacy, appeared to come back off the cuff throughout an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, portions of which Morgan posted online.
It additionally threatened to reinvigorate criticism by human rights teams over the toll of internet hosting the Center East’s first World Cup for the migrant labor that constructed over $200 billion price of stadiums, metro traces and new infrastructure wanted for the match.
Within the interview, the British journalist asks al-Thawadi: “What’s the trustworthy, life like complete do you consider migrant staff who died from — because of work they’re doing for the World Cup in totality?”
“The estimate is round 400, between 400 and 500,” al-Thawadi responds. “I don’t have the precise quantity. That’s one thing that’s been mentioned.”
However that determine hasn’t been mentioned publicly by Qatari officers beforehand. Studies from the Supreme Committee courting from 2014 by way of the top of 2021 solely embrace the variety of deaths of staff concerned in constructing and refurbishing the stadiums now internet hosting the World Cup.
These launched figures put the whole variety of deaths at 40. They embrace 37 from what the Qataris describe as nonwork incidents akin to coronary heart assaults and three from office incidents.
In a later assertion, the Supreme Committee mentioned al-Thawadi was referring to “nationwide statistics masking the interval of 2014-2020 for all work-related fatalities (414) nationwide in Qatar, masking all sectors and nationalities.”
Blinken takes impartial stance on World Cup match
Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted there are not any “geopolitical features” to the large U.S.-Iran soccer match that is prone to decide all sides’s World Cup destiny.
“Let’s let the sport converse for itself,” he mentioned.
America’s high diplomat even performed it down the center in naming the game the 2 groups are taking part in later right now at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
“With regards to, to soccer or soccer, because it’s typically extra correctly recognized, let’s get, let’s let the athletes do their factor,” he mentioned. “I’m trying ahead to a really aggressive match between america and Iran.”
The US should win to advance to the spherical of 16.
Protests have engulfed earlier matches this World Cup
Iranian soccer gamers appeared to have some sympathy for protesters because the staff remained silent whereas the nationwide anthem was performed earlier than its first World Cup match in opposition to England final week.
Gamers have been criticized by Iranian officers again dwelling for his or her obvious silent protest and went again to singing the anthem forward of their subsequent match in opposition to Wales — at the same time as followers contained in the stadium booed and whistled.
Then, over the weekend, the U.S. Soccer Federation briefly displayed Iran’s flag on social media with out the logo of the Islamic Republic in help of protesters.
“We wished to indicate our help for the ladies in Iran with our graphic for twenty-four hours,” in accordance with a U.S. Soccer assertion.
That assertion angered Iranian soccer and authorities officers who demanded that the Individuals be thrown out of the match.
Second assembly between Iran and the U.S.
Tuesday’s match marks simply the second contest between the 2 sides in World Cup historical past. That earlier sport led to a 2-1 Workforce Melli victory in France in 1998, which additionally stored the Individuals from knockout play.
That 1998 sport was performed 17 years after 52 U.S. hostages have been launched by Iran following 444 days of captivity. The emotional scars of that disaster have been nonetheless recent within the minds of many Individuals when the 2 sides met in Lyon.
Tuesday’s match can be being performed within the shadows of large geopolitical occasions which were unfolding hundreds of miles away from the pitch in Al Khor.
Weeks of anti-government protests throughout Iran, led by girls and college students, have stunted public enthusiasm for the nationwide soccer staff.
The 1998 Workforce Melli victory over america sparked prompt pleasure throughout Iran as followers flocked to the streets for celebrations.
