It was a Monday greeting afloat of goals astatine the World Cup, with the 5 a.m. opener of Cameroon vs. Serbia delivering the drama, and Ghana and South Korea ratcheting up the hostility themselves. Plus, the United States men's nationalist squad marque their last preparations for a must-win radical signifier finale against Iran connected Tuesday.
Be definite to cheque successful with ESPN passim the tourney arsenic we bring you the latest from Qatar. Here's what you mightiness person missed from the Monday World Cup happenings, and a look up to what's adjacent connected Tuesday.
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US, Iran hole for contentious radical finale
It's been 24 years since the United States faced Iran. It did not spell good for the USMNT astatine France '98, ending successful a 2-1 decision that eliminated them from the tournament. If manager Gregg Berhalter wants to debar different embarrassing radical signifier exit, he'll request to pb his squad to triumph connected Tuesday astatine the Al Thumama Stadium.
- How the US, Iran lucifer up connected the transportation arsenic tensions emergence disconnected it
Much much volition beryllium asked of Berhalter and his counterpart with Iran, Carlos Queiroz, though, arsenic this crippled won't conscionable travel down to tactics and unit decisions. The geopolitical rivalry betwixt these 2 countries has loomed ample ever since April's draw, and events successful Qatar person done small to defuse that simmering animosity.
Throughout this World Cup, the Iranian squad person been asked astir the protests successful their location country, 2 months of unrest pursuing the decease of a 22-year-old pistillate portion successful custody of the country's morality police, resulting successful the deaths of 410 protestors. The US Soccer Federation wanted to amusement their enactment for the protestors by scrubbing the emblem of the Islamic Republic from Iran's emblem connected societal media, which brought a stark rebuke from the state and wide condemnation. It didn't assistance matters that ex-USMNT manager Jurgen Klinsmann criticised Iranian shot culture successful the aftermath of their 2-0 triumph implicit Wales connected Friday, comments that Queiroz called a "disgrace to football."
The hostility that has built up up of this crippled is thick, harking backmost to that politically charged gathering successful the summertime of 1998 successful Lyon, and the stakes are similar. The Americans' destiny astatine this World Cup rests connected winning this game; thing abbreviated of that and they volition endure their 3rd radical signifier exit successful their past six tourney appearances.
Between each that has transpired disconnected the pitch, and the stakes connected it, this stands to beryllium 1 of the astir contentious, aggravated matches of this radical stage.
Finally, a 5 a.m. kickoff worthy waking up for
This World Cup has gotten disconnected to a dilatory start. Not successful the broader sense, of course, but successful presumption of each day's archetypal match. In the six 5 a.m. ET kickoffs truthful acold this tournament, conscionable 8 goals person been scored.
Cameroon and Serbia sought to alteration that up connected Monday.
Jean-Charles Castelletto staked Cameroon to a pb connected 29 minutes, but Strahinja Pavlovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic each scored successful first-half stoppage clip to enactment Serbia successful beforehand astatine the interval. Aleksandar Mitrovic struck conscionable 8 minutes aft the interval to marque it a 3-1 lead, lone for Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to people successful the 63rd and 66th minutes to level the score.
It would decorativeness each square, 3-3, marking conscionable the 3rd clip an African federation had ever flooded a two-goal shortage to assertion a effect (South Africa against Paraguay successful 2002 and Ivory Coast against Serbia and Montenegro successful 2006). The six goals successful 90 minutes made the morning's java superfluous, particularly successful opposition to the remainder of the decaffeinated encounters we've witnessed astatine dawn.
Oh, and the amusive didn't halt erstwhile the full-time whistle blew. An hr later, erstwhile Ghana and South Korea kicked disconnected astatine 8 a.m. ET, they treated america to a five-goal thriller themselves: the Black Stars jumping retired to a 2-0 pb done goals from Mohammed Salisu and Mohammed Kudus, lone for the Tigers of Asia to level the people with a Cho Gue-Sung brace scored 3 minutes apart. Seven minutes later, though, Kudus struck again, and Ghana near Education City Stadium with a 3-2 victory.
Today's apical reads
USA-Iran astatine the 1998 World Cup: Political tension, teammate betrayal and humiliation
This is the communicative of heartache, betrayal and embarrassment from the players who lived the USA's nonaccomplishment to Iran astatine the 1998 World Cup.
World Cup instrumentality costumes: Supporters spell each out
We've seen an astounding array of costumes and fancy formal worn by fans of each squad astatine the World Cup, with immoderate genuinely sensational outfits spotted.
How Wales fans are making Doha's 'Floor of Fun' consciousness similar home
Rhodri Williams' 3 restaurants, dubbed the 'Floor of Fun,' pull tons of Wales fans. It's 1 man's effort to marque Doha consciousness similar home.
Your champion bets (odds via Caesars Sportsbook)
If you're looking to stake connected the World Cup, ESPN contributors Dan Thomas and Dalen Cuff are present to springiness you cardinal tips on odds, options and futures. Here's what we person for the Tuesday matches.
Group A
Netherlands (-650) vs. Qatar (+1750), Draw (+500)
Paul Carr: Netherlands spell done with either a triumph oregon a draw, but they should beryllium motivated to triumph this crippled successful an effort to triumph Group A and debar (probably) England successful the circular of 16. Having said that, the Dutch were highly unimpressive against Ecuador, taking lone 2 shots the full game. I don't spot them to screen the extremity line, and I thin toward Qatar astatine +1.5 (+135).
Dalen Cuff: The Dutch person yet to play a coagulated 90 minutes successful this tourney -- and Ecuador were the amended broadside against them. They volition beryllium motivated to win, but I'm not playing this match. It's pugnacious to find worth anywhere, and I similar Paul's thought above, but Qatar person been truthful atrocious I can't enactment my wealth connected them performing.
Ecuador (+140) vs. Senegal (+205), Draw (+215)
Carr: Assuming Enner Valencia plays, I thin Ecuador here. They've simply been amended than Senegal astatine some ends done 2 games, allowing lone 7 shots -- and conscionable 1 of which was wrong 14 yards. Senegal indispensable triumph to advance, truthful astatine immoderate constituent they'll unfastened up, which plays close into Ecuador's hands ... er ... feet.
Cuff: I've been bullish connected Ecuador this tournament, and they've delivered successful some matches. Valencia's availability is key. If helium plays, I mightiness spell with a consecutive triumph bet. Regardless of their quality to score, they're a stout antiaircraft radical and teams (including the Dutch) conflict to make chances against them. My favourite play present is Ecuador to support a cleanable expanse (+160).
Group B
United States (-110) vs. Iran (+320), Draw (+235)
Carr: My favourite stake present is nether 0.5 goals successful the archetypal fractional (+170). Things mightiness get weird precocious successful the game, but I deliberation some teams volition again commencement retired cautiously, knowing however overmuch 1 extremity tin alteration everything.
Cuff: I'm besides connected nether 0.5 goals successful the archetypal half. However, I bash deliberation the US volition triumph this lucifer -- and I'm not being biased. I firmly judge that, if you took this aforesaid American broadside with their past performances and enactment them successful a antithetic jersey, I'd simply accidental the US is simply a amended squad than Iran. I'll spell with a consecutive triumph stake (+101).
Wales (+675) vs. England (-235), Draw (+330)
Carr: I'm amazed that nether 2.5 goals is adjacent wealth here. Wales are arsenic bully defensively arsenic their reputation, but England besides haven't been large offensively. Even successful the 6-2 triumph implicit Iran, England had "only" 2.1 expected goals, meaning they conscionable had a immense finishing blistery streak successful that game. I wasn't prepared to instrumentality the nether due to the fact that I figured it would beryllium heavy juiced, truthful I emotion it astatine adjacent money.
Cuff: The nether present has gotten juiced to -125 -- and rightfully so. I ideate things volition proceed successful that direction. Wales' onslaught is insipid. England's hasn't been inspired either, but their endowment is obvious. I similar England to triumph to nil (+110).
News and notes
Queiroz said connected Monday his broadside volition not usage off-field contention arsenic motivation successful their important World Cup Group B clash against the US connected Tuesday. The buildup to the crippled has been marred by tensions betwixt the country's shot bodies, including US Soccer's societal media accounts displaying the Iranian emblem without its Islamic emblem, which led to the Iranian federation calling connected FIFA to instrumentality enactment against the USSF. "If aft 42 years successful this game, I inactive judge I tin triumph shot matches by intelligence games, I deliberation I didn't larn astir the game," Queiroz said.
Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana was near retired of the squad for their 3-3 gully with Serbia connected Monday owed to "disciplinary reasons" and his availability for Friday's lucifer against Brazil has yet to beryllium determined, according to manager Rigobert Song. The manager was unwilling to supply circumstantial details of Onana's exclusion and said determination would beryllium clip to sermon the contented successful much item successful the future, but sources person told ESPN that Onana and Song clashed implicit the coach's preferred antiaircraft approach.
Berhalter said connected Monday that he and his players had nary portion successful US Soccer societal media posts that removed the cardinal representation of Iran's flag, has apologized for them and has insisted that the absorption of his squad is connected the decisive Group B match. The US manager added that his thoughts are with the Iranian people, galore of whom person engaged successful protests implicit the attraction of women aft the decease of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by the country's morality police. "We had nary thought astir what US Soccer enactment retired -- the staff, the players had nary idea," Berhalter said. "And for us, our absorption is connected this match. I don't privation to dependable aloof oregon not caring by saying that, but the guys that worked truly hard for the past 4 years, we person 72 hours betwixt England and Iran, and we truly are conscionable focused connected however to get past Iran and [how] we tin spell to this knockout signifier of the tournament."
A protester carrying a pridefulness emblem entered the pitch during Portugal's triumph implicit Uruguay connected Monday earlier being led distant by information staff. The transportation invader, who concisely stopped the Group H lucifer successful the 2nd half, was besides wearing a T-shirt carrying the messages "respect for Iranian women" and "save Ukraine." After the match, Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves said: "We cognize what has happened astir this World Cup. It's a mean happening to happen. Of course, we are each with them arsenic well. Iran arsenic well, due to the fact that I saw his shirt. I anticipation thing happens to the lad due to the fact that we recognize his connection and I deliberation each the satellite understood it arsenic well."
What other caught our eye
Give it up for Niclas Fullkrug, who got to unrecorded each sports fan's imagination successful scoring a large extremity astatine the World Cup arsenic Germany fought backmost for a 1-1 gully with Spain connected Sunday. Now, you tin relive the extremity successful Lego form.
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Niclas Füllkrug's equalizing extremity for Germany vs. Spain astatine the World Cup gets the afloat Lego treatment.
Matches connected pat for Tuesday
Group A: Netherlands vs. Qatar (Al Bayt Stadium; 10 a.m. ET)
The big federation has thing but pridefulness to play for connected Tuesday arsenic they were the archetypal squad of the 32 to beryllium eliminated, but pridefulness goes a agelong way. Can they adhd to their World Cup goals against a robust Oranje squad that would apical the radical -- and look the Group B runners-up successful the past 16 -- with a triumph of their own? We deliberation the Dutch marque it 3 wins from 3 here.
Group A: Ecuador vs. Senegal (Khalifa International Stadium; 10 a.m. ET)
Ecuador person a one-point borderline connected the ever unsafe African broadside heading into their decider, but either could beforehand from the radical with a win. The seemingly ageless Enner Valencia (who turned 33 2 weeks earlier the World Cup began) has scored each of Ecuador's goals truthful far; tin idiosyncratic other measurement up? As for Senegal, galore experts thought the wounded to Sadio Mane doomed them to an aboriginal exit, but a 3-1 triumph implicit Qatar past Friday shows they inactive person plentifulness of firepower.
Group B: Iran vs. USA (Al Thumama Stadium; 2 p.m. ET)
We covered this astatine the top, but it's truly the eventual script successful sports: triumph oregon spell home. The question is ... who volition triumph and who volition spell home?
Group B: Wales vs. England (Ahmad bin Ali Stadium; 2 p.m. ET)
Gareth Southgate's broadside played to a 0-0 snoozer against the US connected Friday that doesn't wounded their chances of advancing -- they person 4 points from 2 games, capable to apical Group B -- but they'll privation to amusement a spot much beingness and spark successful bid to decision their noisy neighbours. Meanwhile, successful what could beryllium Gareth Bale's past nonrecreational game, would determination beryllium immoderate amended goodbye to the nationalist squad than a game-winning extremity that beats England and puts you into the past 16? Anything could hap ... including that.
English (US)