Let’s close with the latest from the England camp, ahead of Saturday’s game with Panama. Thanks for reading today.
double quotation mark Toney is under no illusions as to where he stands in the England No 9s pecking order – firmly behind Kane. probably Ollie Watkins too. But with knowledge and clarity come comfort and focus. As England prepare for their final group game against Panama in New Jersey on Saturday, Toney is waiting. He is ready.
The 30-year-old is one of Thomas Tuchel’s finishers – a player to come off the bench towards the end. even at the very end, for a specific purpose. In Toney’s case. it is to make his presence felt inside the area, to bring a bit of chaos, to make something happen, maybe on a set piece; especially if England are chasing a goal.
Fredrik Aursnes. the Benfica midfielder, playing as a right-back here, is the only starting player remaining from Norway’s game against Senegal.
Starting lineups for Senegal v Iraq:
Senegal: Mory Diaw. Abdoulaye Seck, Ismail Jakobs, Krepin Diatta, Moussa Niakhate, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra, Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Ibrahim Mbaye
Iraq: Ahmed Basil. Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashim, Merchas Doski, Frans Putros, Ibrahim Bayesh, Zidane Iqbal, Amir Alammari, Ali Alhamadi, Ahmed Qasem, Ali Jasim
First-choice Senegal goalkeeper Mendy injured in Monday’s loss to Norway
Iraq leave team’s lone World Cup goal scorer Aymen Hussein on the bench
Alhamadi and Qasem join Ali Jasim in leading the attack for Iraq
Senegal include Ibrahim Mbaye in place of Nicolas Jackson
Habib Diarra replaces Pape Gueye in Senegal midfield
That’s 10 changes for Norway, Haaland benched in Foxboro.
Norway: Egil Selvik; Leo Ostigard. Fredrik Bjorkan, Henrik Falchener, Patrick Berg; Kristian Thorstvedt, Thelo Aasgaard, Andreas Schjelderup, Oscar Bobb, Fredrik Aursnes; Jorgen Strand Larsen;
France: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde. Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix, Theo Hernandez; Manu Kone, Aurelien Tchouameni; Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, Desire Doue; Ousmane Dembele.
Mbappe is included with assistant coach Guy Stephan. stepping in for Didier Deschamps who flew home to attend his mother’s funeral, making four changes to their starting team.
Roberto Martinez says he is ready for Portugal against Colombia. In fact, the Portuguese coach has been ready for months.
“We started preparing for the match against Colombia back in March.. We’ve already had 13 training sessions here in Miami to adapt to the weather. The plan was to stay in Miami (Florida) to prepare for the match against Colombia.
“The players are ready for the physical challenge of playing in a different stadium. on a different pitch that is a different turf from what we have in Europe. That’s what we did, we’ve prepared since the first day we arrived in the US.“
Get your weekend guide to sport coverage on the Guardian here.
The buildup begins to the first pair of matches from Group I.
It’s the World Cup of goals, as this video explains.
Japan are readying to face Brazil in the last 32. “There is no bigger stage,” defender Yukinari Sugawara said. “We need to give 120 percent against Brazil,. to do that we need to be together as one as a team and a country, and prepare with everything we’ve got.”
“Perhaps because of that match, they will be motivated even more,” said Hajime Moriyasu, Japan’s coach.
Defender Shogo Taniguchi: “From here on, if we lose it’s all over. We need to move into a higher gear for the next game,” he said.
Zion Suzuki: “We know that they’re a strong team but if we do things right, we can definitely win. I want to approach this game as if it’s the final.”
Per Reuters: Bastian Schweinsteiger has rejected claims his comments on African football were racist. saying he was merely delivering an analysis of a playing style, with Germany’s state broadcaster backing him.
“I was talking about football, not people,” Schweinsteiger said in a statement through broadcaster ARD. “This is a football analysis – nothing more, nothing less. I certainly did not intend to offend anyone.”
He said Ivorians played “African football”. which he characterised as “a bit unorthodox sometimes, a bit wild, not quite as tactical”. These comments were criticised by the Côte d’Ivoire coach, Emerse Fae.
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“Bastian Schweinsteiger commented on his expectations regarding the Côte d’Ivoire team’s style of play, summarising his experiences. observations from recent matches,” said ARD Sports’ coordinator Axel Balkausky in the statement. “The discussion was about a footballing assessment, not the people themselves. I cannot detect any form of racism in his remarks or his choice of words.
“If the Ivory Coast coach. Emerse Fae, were to speak directly with Bastian, I am certain his suspicions would be dispelled in no time. Perhaps such an opportunity will arise later in the tournament.”
David Tindall has penned today’s Football Daily.
double quotation mark An iffy defence, no world-class striker, the Eredivisie getting naffer, Arne Slot being hoofed into touch by Liverpool. a history of being nearly men meant Dutch football didn’t carry the same cool as before. And yet here we are.
Jeremy Boyce gets in touch: “As regards the transfer market, we are long way on. in a different football universe than 1930, the first World Cup, with no less than 13 (thirteen) teams competing in a competition hosted by Uruguay, and won by Uruguay.
“It was for a national badge worn with pride by players who earned very little for their efforts. There were few big clubs, most countries weren’t even professionalised, so it was a place for national pride. glory, not a marketplace.
“Fast forward 96 years/96 Tears (see? and the Mysterions). we are now in the cattle market of the four year cycle that is the modern World Cup. And it’s been this way since our 60 years of hurt, maybe more. And why not? It’s the biggest stage for talented players to market their wares, outside the hum-drum of the year-in year-out NotChampions League. the contractual obligation League Cup 3rd round away at Rochdale?
“Criticising the transfer market whilst enjoying the show those players are providing smells of something. A bit like allowing your prize bull to be judged winner at the country show. never getting a sniff of a heifer.”
analyses. Many are documenting fan culture, diaspora communities and stories that exist beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch. For a growing number of supporters, particularly younger fans, the World Cup is just another sporting event to experience through creators before, during. after kick-off.
Reece James is the only player missing at England training in Kansas City this morning. The right-back complained of hamstring tightness after the draw with Ghana. is expected to miss the game against Panama on Saturday. Ezri Konsa looks likely to move to right-back. Declan Rice is out of training but is also a doubt.
Sindre Karvedt gets in touch: “As per the speculation surrounding the proverbial clash of the goalgetter titans this evening, Norwegian broadcasters have dropped the following lineup, suggesting that coach Solbakken is looking to the Ivory Coast game,. resting his starters. ALL of his starters.
“Egil Selvik – Fredrik Aursnes. Leo Østigård, Henrik Falchener, Fredrik Bjørkan – Thelo Aasgaard, Patrick Berg, Kristian Thorstvedt – Oscar Bobb, Jørgen Strand Larsen og Andreas Schjelderup.”
West Ham are in talks to appoint FC Copenhagen’ s Nils Koppen as their new head of recruitment. Koppen was previously at Rangers.
Should transfer business be allowed to go on during a World Cup? Feels a bit off, a bit unnecessary. Pipe down, club game, the stage will be yours soon enough. What does Thomas Tuchel think about his key midfielder having such a significant life change during the tourney?
Anyway, Will Unwin profiles the British transfer record elect here.
double quotation mark Anderson is the first pillar to arrive in a new era at Manchester City. with Pep Guardiola’s reign retreating into the background. Enzo Maresca will be greeted by an all-action midfielder who is aggressive in the tackle and impressive on the ball. Before all the technical stuff, Anderson’s fitness is an important trait because he does not miss matches. This season he started all but one of Forest’s league games, coming on in the other,. clocked up 3,334 minutes of a possible 3,420, in effect playing five more games than City’s most-used midfielder, Bernardo Silva. In a hectic schedule, availability will be important for City, who will be in four competitions.
If you are someone who gets their kicks from this stuff or finds it useful in some fashion. Many do. The xG philsophy X account states Australia 0-0 Paraguay expected goals was “Paraguay (0.24) 0-0 (0.58) Australia”. the fifth lowest xG World Cup game this century.
Club news. where Milan have had an executive shuffle, with Massimo Calvelli as chief executive officer on Friday in a bid to “bring a winning culture” back to the club.
The 51-year-old Calvelli replaces Giorgio Furlani. who was fired by owner, RedBird Capital Partners, last month as it cleaned house after what it deemed “an unequivocal failure” of a season.
“The mandate is clear — we will play to win, instead of playing not to lose — in everything that AC Milan touches,. most importantly on the field,” RedBird managing partner Gerry Cardinale said in a statement. “The entire organization at AC Milan will now benefit tremendously from his full time appointment. sense of urgency to bring a winning culture and results back to the club.”
A tense. nervous evening for Australia and Paraguay last night but progress was booked for both, as Jack Snape reports.
double quotation mark At 0-0 against Paraguay. Australia had been inching towards the World Cup knockout rounds with each passing minute of this cool evening by the San Francisco Bay. The result felt further away. however, every time Paraguayan playmaker Julio Enciso found space, or when goalkeeper Patrick Beach was forced to make another save.
Even the Socceroos coach, Tony Popovic, started checking the clock, so close was his team to the last 32. So close, but still within reach of elimination’s reaper. The eyes of 12,000 Australians striping the stadium yellow had watched the digits tick by for much of the second half. hanging on every clearance.
Both teams are qualified. which takes some of the sting from proceedings though Senegal beating 1-0 Iraq will vanquish Scotland altogether.
Good evening, some big matches tonight, with Norway v France perhaps the pick of the entire first round.
With that, my watch is over. I hand over to John Brewin who will take you through the next few hours. Enjoy the football!
Seattle’s World Cup committee is pushing forward with “Pride Match” celebrations this week despite backlash from Egypt. Iran, who have called for the cancellation of LGBTQ+ rights festivities around the game.
Last year. Seattle’s local organizing committee, which is separate from Fifa, made plans for 26 June to be a Pride-themed match coinciding with the city’s annual Pride weekend.
In December, Egypt. Iran were drawn to play each other on that date in Seattle, causing a swift firestorm and condemnation from the two countries.
Ecuador have been enjoying a national holiday today in celebration of the team reaching the last 32 of the World Cup after beating Germany 2-1. But for reader Matthew Carpenter-Arevalo, the win is much more important than it may seem:
double quotation mark Much has been made of the celebrations after Ecuador defeating Germany, including Ecuadorians taking over Times Square. For Ecuadorians. the result is more than just about football: in a few short years, we’ve seen our country go from the safest to the most dangerous in South America. Drug gangs have infiltrated so many aspects of our lives. society that it feels like our country has been taken from us and our lifestyles radically altered.
The violence. along with economic mismanagement, has forced millions to migrate, which divides families in what is a very family-centric country. The victory felt like a bit of good news after years of bad news,. proof that we can still triumph over adversity. Ecuador’s players often originate from some of the deepest wells of poverty, yet they showed the world what they are capable of. they’re an example for us all.
We’ve completed the Southgate leadership lessons and now we find ourselves at the beginning of the Tuchelosophy course. We can already see some of the key modules we’ll be studying over the next few weeks. But it’s important we’re ready to learn with open minds and ditch some of the old tropes.
The dominant simplistic narrative that accompanied the shift from Gareth Southgate to Thomas Tuchel was that the former wasn’t ruthless enough. therefore the latter will be more ruthless. There are already assumptions and interpretations of Tuchel’s actions and words being made through that lens which need challenging.
“Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-equalling sixth World Cup got off to a disappointing start,” began the Reuters match report of Portugal’s 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo last week. And yes, OK: everyone knows how this game works and why everyone plays it.
On one hand, perhaps the greatest sporting day in the history of the world’s 15th most populous country. On the other, 41-year-old man does not score. It’s no contest, really. Get those sweet keywords front and left. Harvest that delicious search traffic. Perhaps you even noticed how I just did exactly the same thing.
The Haaland starting debate rages on and here is another perspective from Daniel Howell:
double quotation mark Ståle has not explicitly said that he will rest Haaland. But, in quotes in today’s “Aftenposten” newspaper he was crystal clear that he would be heavily rotating the squad. Here a few quick. dirty translations of his quotes: “we mustn’t be the naïve nation which doesn’t understand what you need in the knockout round”, “there we need to be physically and mentally rested and 100% tactical if we are to be up to speed”, “this match is important but the round of 16 is the most important, so I am now evaluating what remedies should be used”.
Did he say outright that Haaland won’t play? No, not quite. But he is doing everything he can to prepare the Norwegian fans (and make no mistake. Norway has gone football crazy) for heavy rotation. Personally I would be surprised if Haaland doesn’t play –. even more surprised if he plays for the full 90 minutes plus overtime (plus advert break time).
Here is some insight from Norway itself. “I haven’t heard. screams of outrage here in Norway, so there is no confirmation on Haaland (other than his “I don’t care”, and that he is willing to be paid to wear glasses for the Norwegian version of SpecSavers),” Bob O’Hara says. “The Norwegian news doesn’t have anything.”
We won’t have official confirmation over the team news until around 7pm BST/8pmCEST when the line-ups are announced.
Anthony John Lappin believes the reports around Erling Haaland not starting for Norway against France are “clickbait”. He says:
double quotation mark The manager did say. there would be changes in the lineup for France; even they wouldn’t stretch credibility by suggesting he might be dropped. Solbakken actually refused to mention any names, though, so even benching is extrapolation.
There was a revealing vignette at the end of Solbakken’s pre-match press conference yesterday. when a Brazilian reporter -- looking forward to a possible showdown with Brazil in the round of 16 -- pointed out that “curiously Norway has never lost to Brazil”; Solbakken corrected him, “We lost 3-0 in the Old Boys’ game in 2020. You remember, at Ullevaal, we lost 3-0 in the Old Boys’ game. I’d torn the hamstring in the first half, that’s why”. Only the very faintest of smiles.
Panama apparently have nothing to play for when they face England in New Jersey on Saturday. After an attritional 1-0 loss to Ghana in their opener,. a slightly unlucky 1-0 defeat by Croatia, there is no path to the knockouts for Los Canaleros.
There is, however, something else at stake: a first point at a World Cup at the sixth attempt. Panama lost all three matches on their debut appearance at the 2018 edition. so getting anything against England would be a statement result.
For a veteran generation of players. their long-time coach, it would be a crowning achievement on a body of work that has elevated a once-irrelevant program on to the global stage.
Here is how you can watch all of them:
Which games are on today? Here is the full fixture list:
Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia
New Zealand v Belgium
John Merrick messaged us earlier to flag he had heard that Erling Haaland would be rested against France. Reports had pointed towards L’Equipe for the source of that information. on the publication’s website they are suggesting it is more of a question of if the Manchester City star will start or not. Surely he will? It seems crazy for him not to. There has been no confirmation on Norway’s team news but what do you make of it? Email us and let us know.
L’Equipe is also basing this suggestion Haaland may not start on Ståle Solbakken saying he “didn’t care” about the star’s statistics. so the coach has not said explicitly that he will start or not.
Sticking with the US, they lost their final group game 3-2 against Turkey. It was a thrilling match. the outcome has raised some questions over the team’s ability to go deep into the tournament. They did still top their group and the players have say momentum is still with them:
The New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani is a big football fan and is an Arsenal supporter at club level. His love for the sport and his city has been clear during the US’ co-hosting duties, this piece explains all:
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