Day two of the Qatar 2022 World Cup saw few goals, three points and a draw with the Group A and B starting out.
Gareth Bale rescued Wales with a late penalty to snatch a 1-1 draw with the United States in their World Cup Group B clash on Monday in Qatar. Welsh skipper Bale lashed home an 82nd-minute spot kick after earning the penalty moments earlier when defender Walker Zimmerman crashed into the former Real Madrid star.
It cancelled Tim Weah’s superb first-half goal for the Americans which had threatened to ruin Wales’s return to the World Cup after a 64-year absence.
Bale’s equaliser triggered roars from a large and raucous contingent of Wales fans in a crowd of 43,418 fans at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on the outskirts of Doha.
Wales were outplayed for long periods of the first half, with manager Rob Page’s decision not to start towering centre-forward, Kieffer Moore, depriving them of an attacking outlet.
The positive early play almost resulted in a goal after just nine minutes when Sergino Dest played in Weah down the right.
The Lille winger’s cross caused panic in the Welsh area as Joe Rodon powered a header that cannoned off goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey’s midriff.
The US dropped deeper and Wales pressed more aggressively as they chased an equaliser.
On 80 minutes Ramsey surged down the right and cut back for Bale, who shielded the ball and tempted Zimmerman into a wild lunge.
Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al-Jassim pointed to the spot and Bale stepped up to save Wales.
Wales face Iran on Friday in their second Group B game while the United States face England, 6-2 winners over the Iranians earlier on Monday.
Meanwhile, late goals by Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen gave the Netherlands a 2-0 victory over African champions Senegal on Monday on their return to the World Cup stage. With Senegal missing injured star man Sadio Mane and the Dutch without their main attacking threat Memphis Depay at kick-off, the Group A encounter in Doha looked set to end in a goalless draw.
But with just six minutes remaining PSV Eindhoven forward, Gakpo got up in front of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to head in a floated Frenkie de Jong cross from the left.
Substitute Klaassen then secured the victory deep in injury time, following up to score after Mendy had saved from Depay, who had also come off the bench.
The result leaves the Netherlands level at the top of the group with Ecuador, who beat hosts Qatar 2-0 in the tournament’s opening match on Sunday.
England, however, made a scintillating start to their World Cup campaign as Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham inspired a 6-2 rout of outclassed Iran in Monday’s Group B opener in Doha. Saka and Bellingham were England’s driving forces with dynamic displays that underlined their emergence as two of the game’s brightest young stars.
Bellingham, 19, shattered Iran’s hopes of frustrating England when he rose to head his maiden senior international goal in the first half.
Gareth Southgate’s side were in sparkling form at the Khalifa International Stadium and goals from Saka and Raheem Sterling put them in complete control before half-time.
England eventually penned Iran deep inside their own half and Bellingham delivered in the 35th minute.
Sterling found Luke Shaw on the left flank and his cross was perfectly weighted for Bellingham, who looped a fine header into the far corner.
Playing for Birmingham in the Championship just two years ago, the Borussia Dortmund star’s goal made him England’s second youngest scorer at a World Cup behind Michael Owen. Eight minutes later another of England’s gifted prodigies doubled the lead.
Maguire headed down a corner and Arsenal forward Saka swivelled to lash a superb left-foot finish into the top corner. Sterling put the result beyond doubt with his first goal at a World Cup in first-half stoppage time.
Bellingham fed Kane, whose pin-point cross was volleyed home by Sterling with the outside of his boot. Saka made it four in the 62nd minute when he shuffled across the Iran area before stroking his shot past Hossein Hosseini.
Taremi fired into the roof of the net to reduce the deficit three minutes later. Rashford’s cool finish in the 71st minute, 49 seconds after he came on, was followed by Grealish’s 90th-minute tap-in.
Taremi struck from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game after a shirt pull by John Stones, but the margin of victory reflected England’s total dominance.
Alleluia is the Assistant Editor and Content Writer at LagosPost.ng. She is a prolific writer and editor, she has written features and news stories on Lifestyle, Sports, Business, Politics and B2B marketing. She is also an event coordinator, host and social media content creator.
