Saka and Bellingham sparkle as England crush Iran, With a 6-2 thrashing of inferior Iran in their Group B opening on Monday in Doha, England got off to a scorching start in their World Cup campaign. Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham provided the spark. Saka and Bellingham, two of the game’s brightest rising talents, served as England’s driving forces with explosive performances. When Bellingham, 19, rose to head his first senior international goal in the first half, he dashed Iran’s hopes of frustrating England. At the Khalifa International Stadium, Gareth Southgate’s team was in excellent form, and goals from Saka and Raheem Sterling gave them a commanding lead before halftime.
Saka and Bellingham sparkle as England crush Iran
After the break, Saka, 21, scored again, and even though Iran’s Mehdi Taremi scored twice, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish finished the job of total destruction. In order for England to win their first major title since the 1966 World Cup, they will face more tougher challenges in the future. But for Southgate, whose team entered Qatar on a six-match winless streak that sparked scathing criticism of the Three Lions manager and his perceived unfavorable tactics, this was a welcome step in the right direction. Only Harry Maguire’s replacement in the second half after being examined for a potential head injury caused Southgate any concern.
On Friday, November 27, England plays their second game against the United States, and on November 29, they play Wales to round off Group B. After the Football Association and several other European nations abandoned their campaign in support of LGBTQ rights, England quickly announced that captain Harry Kane would not wear a rainbow-themed “One Love” armband. It was reported that any player wearing the armband would receive a booking because it was not a FIFA-approved piece of equipment, a risk England were apparently unwilling to take.
The match also took place against the background of turmoil in Iran after months of female-led demonstrations sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman of Kurdish origin who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran. Iran’s players refused to sing their national anthem in apparent support for anti-government protesters.
– Sublime Saka –
Having reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 before losing to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, England are desperate to take the last step to silverware in Doha. Southgate had urged his team “play on the front foot” and they responded in style, after initially finding their rhythm disrupted by a long delay when Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand smashed into team-mate Majid Hosseini.
Despite being in no state to continue amid fears of a concussion, the bloodied Beiranvand played on before finally being substituted. 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.
In the 62nd minute, Saka added a fourth goal by moving across the Iran area and firing a shot past Hossein Hosseini. Three minutes later, Taremi cut the deficit in half with a shot into the top of the net. Grealish’s tap-in in the 90th minute came after Rashford’s calm finish in the 71st minute, 49 seconds after entering the game. After a shirt pull by John Stones, Taremi scored the game’s final goal from the penalty spot, but the margin of victory reflected England’s complete dominance.