England win group as US eliminate Iran
AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Nov 30, (AP): Marcus Rashford dropped to his knees and pointed up to the sky.
The England forward had just scored against Wales at the World Cup, starting off a 3-0 victory that sent his team into the round of 16.
His celebration, he said, was in tribute to a friend who recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. It could have also been in celebration of working his way into the starting lineup in Qatar.
Rashford scored two goals at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, making him the co-leading scorer at the World Cup with three goals - the same as France striker Kylian Mbappe and two others. Phil Foden, another England player who made his first start in Qatar , got the other.
SOCCER
Rashford played at the last World Cup in 2018 and also at the 2020 European Championship, but the 25-yearold Manchester United forward was considered to be fortunate to make England coach Gareth Southgate’s squad for this year’s tournament.
Ever since his miss in the penalty shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, Rashford has been going through a turbulent period in his career, compounded by injuries. He and teammate Bukaya Saka, both of them Black, were racially abused after missing their penalties in the shootout at Wembley Stadium.
In Qatar, Southgate opted to leave Rashford and Foden on the bench in the first two matches against Iran and the United States, starting with Saka and Raheem Sterling up front alongside captain Harry Kane.
Rashford came on a substitute in the 6-2 victory over Iran and scored one of the goals. Foden played 19 minutes in
that match.
Against the United States, England were held to a 0-0 draw with Rashford again coming in off the bench.
The lineup changed for the final Group B match against Wales, and both Rashford and Foden took advantage of their time on the field.
Rashford put England in the lead with a free kick in the 50th minute, and followed it with that tribute to his late friend. Foden added the second only one minute later, and Rashford made it 3-0 in the 68th.
The win guaranteed England first place in the group. The team will next face Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Wales, which were playing at the World Cup for the first time in 64 years, finished last in the group and were eliminated. The United States ended up in second place and will next face the Netherlands, while Iran finished third and were also eliminated.
It may have been captain Gareth Bale’s last match for his national team.
The former Real Madrid player had to come off the field at halftime because of a hamstring injury, but Wales coach Rob Page said he expects Bale to continue.
Christian Pulisic kicked the ball, scored the goal and then crashed into the goalkeeper, a collision that sent the American star to the hospital and the United States into the second round of the World Cup.
More than an hour later, he contacted his teammates by FaceTime to join the celebration.
Pulisic’s 38th-minute goal held up, and the United States beat Iran 1-0 on Tuesday in their politically charged rematch to advance to the World Cup’s knockout stage.
The Americans finished second in Group B with five points, two behind England, and will play the Netherlands