World Cup qualifiers

TIMO WERNER produced an incredible miss in Germany’s 4-0 win against Iceland on Wednesday.Hansi Flick’s side made light work of their opponents in the World Cup qualifier.
Timo Werner missed an open goal for Germany against Iceland before eventually scoringCredit: Getty
But Werner could have made the scoreline even bigger had he tucked away a chance in the second half.
The Chelsea star found space in the box as the ball was whipped in from the right flank.
Werner was onside as the ball sailed through Iceland’s defenders and oncoming goalkeeper.
And all the striker needed to do was tap it into an empty net.
However, Werner fluffed his lines in magnificent fashion, skying a heavy touch into the top stands from about seven yards.
And fans were quick to have their say on social media.

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One said: “Keeper wasn’t even troubled enough to take a look.”
Another wrote: “Three guarantees in life: Death, taxes and Werner missing open goals.”
One added: “He doesn’t even celebrate his goals any more. Confidence has been shattered.”
It certainly wasn’t an effort to remember from the ex-RB Leipzig forward.
But Werner made up for his miss in the dying moments with Germany’s fourth goal of night.

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It means Werner netted three times in as many games during the international break.
And with Romelu Lukaku nursing a potential thigh injury, Werner could be called into action when Chelsea play Aston Villa at the weekend.
Germany’s other scorers on the night included Blues team-mate Antonio Rudiger, as well as Bayern Munich duo Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane.
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WALES honoured the late Gary Speed during the 0-0 World Cup qualifier with Estonia.The Red Wall showed their respect to ex-manager Speed with a 60-second applause in the 52nd minute of the Group E clash.
Wales paid tribute to Gary Speed during their 0-0 World Cup qualifier against EstoniaCredit: PA:Press Association
Fans held a 60-second applause in the 52nd minute for their former bossCredit: Getty
Tragic Speed died almost ten years ago in November 2011 when the then Wales boss took his own life at his home on the outskirts of Chester.
The 85-cap Dragons midfielder would have had his 52nd birthday on Wednesday.
Wales fans rose to their feet and sung ‘Speedo’ during the touching applause at the Cardiff City Stadium. 
And his face was shown on the big screens at each end of the ground – the same venue where he took charge of Wales for the final time before his death against Norway.
Earlier, Wales announced the tribute would happen when they tweeted on their official account: “On 52 minutes #TheRedWall will clap in honour of Gary Speed on what would have been his 52nd birthday. 
“Penblwydd Hapus Gary #WALEST #TogetherStronger | #TheRedWall.”

Speed had a stellar career with Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United.
Then he was the national manager for almost a year before his passing at the age of just 42.
Unfortunately for Wales, they were unable to beat Estonia on Wednesday.
Gareth Bale and Co were held to a 0-0 draw at home despite dominating possession and peppering the Estonian goal with plenty of shots.
Wales now look unlikely to automatically qualify for Qatar 2022 after falling nine points behind Group E leaders Belgium.
And Robert Page’s men will now be looking to wrap up a play-off spot as quickly as possible.
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ENGLAND conceded a last-gasp equaliser to Poland as they ended the international break with a disappointing draw.Captain Harry Kane fired the Three Lions ahead in the second half with an incredible long-range scorcher.
England were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland despite Harry Kane’s stunning goalCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
However, a defensive mix-up in the dying moments allowed Poland to bag a point in Warsaw.
But who was England’s shining light in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier?
And did anyone have a game to forget?
Here, SunSport’s Jordan Davies delivers his England player ratings…
JORDAN PICKFORD – 7/10
Did well to deny Robert Lewandowski with Poland’s only chance of the first half, reacting well to an attempted lob in the box.
Almost blew it after being charged down in his own box but managed to scramble back – yet could do nothing about the equaliser.

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KYLE WALKER – 5
Sloppy start saw him give away possession on several occasions and looked uneasy on the ball.
Was awarded an assist but merely gave Kane a two-yard pass before his teammate belted from distance, and then got beat just before the leveller in his own box.
JOHN STONES – 7
Was dealing with Lewandowski well before worryingly going down with an injury in the 35th minute, but managed to carry on.
Soldiered through the pain in the second half and looked unflappable at times with ball at feet.
John Stones held his own against Robert LewandowskiCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
HARRY MAGUIRE – 6
Had a relatively comfortable first 45 minutes before he was booked for his involvement in a melee with Kamil Glik right at the end of the half.
Still looked flustered in the second half but managed to compose himself.
LUKE SHAW – 6
One of the few England players looking to attack with some neat overlapping runs down the left, albeit without creating a chance.
Went quiet in the second half as England looked as though they would take a point, but then lost his man at the far post as Poland scored late on.
DECLAN RICE – 7
Apart from a few timely interceptions, spent most of the game tracking back and struggled to put his stamp on the midfield.
But imposed himself defensively later and gave his two centre backs great protection.
Jack Grealish had a few livewire moments on the wingCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
KALVIN PHILLIPS – 6
Unlucky to receive an early yellow card for a nothing challenge and did well to keep his composure for the rest of the half.
Not as influential as he has been in an England shirt on and off the ball and will hope to improve on this performance if he is to cement his place.
MASON MOUNT – 6
A few nice flicks were thwarted by a tenacious Polish defence and was kept quiet in and around the box.
Worked hard off the ball however as Poland pushed for a way into the game and eventually found it.
England kept their team spirit going throughout the 90 minutesCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
JACK GREALISH – 6
Spent most of the first half complaining over rough treatment from the Poles before one mazey run before the break almost sparked a goal.
Found more space as the Poles tired but was missing that golden finish he is so used to producing.
RAHEEM STERLING – 7
Pin-point cross almost provided Kane with the opener after 20 minutes but that was his stand-out of the opening half.
Was more adventurous after the break but was up against a really stubborn Polish defence.

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HARRY KANE – 8
Missed a glorious chance to score in the first half with a wayward header and then ended up dropping deep – frustrated with the lack of service.
But he more than made up with it with a 25-yard screamer in the 72nd minute that he thought would be the winner.
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THIS is the crazy moment a goalkeeper conceded a penalty just FIVE seconds into an international match.The comical incident occurred in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier between Tanzania and Madagascar.
This is the moment a goalie conceded a penalty after just FIVE seconds
The hosts kicked off proceedings by immediately sending a long ball towards the Madagascar box.
A Tanzania player quickly pounced on it as he found space in the penalty area.
And it forced Madagascar goalie Melvin Adrien to charge forward with a last-ditch challenge.
But the former Amiens star, who now plays in Ligue 2 with FC Martigues, clattered into his opponent.
And the referee had no choice but to point to the spot.
Tanzania scored the penalty to take an immediate lead.

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And a thrilling game saw them emerge with a 3-2 win.
Footy fans were quick to react on social media, with one saying: “The whole crowd loved it!”
Another wrote: “Did he just deck him?”
One added: “That goalie has cornerback in his blood. Made the incomplete pass signal within a quarter second of mowing the guy over.”
Madagascar have now lost three of their World Cup qualifiers.
And October’s clash against DR Congo is now a must-win if they are to reach Qatar 2022.

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Adrien’s mistake was the latest in a list of high-profile errors by international goalies this year.
Poland’s Wojciech Szczesny became the first stopper to score an own-goal in Euros history when he put the ball in his own net against Slovakia.
Spain’s Unai Simon also produced a howler against Croatia, letting a halfway line back-pass creep under his foot and into the goal.
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LIVERPOOL, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Leeds have been told they CANNOT play their Brazilian aces who skipped World Cup duty.Fifa today informed the Prem clubs that the Brazilian FA had asked them to impose the “five day restriction” on the players who did not travel for the international break.
Liverpool will be without goalkeeper Alisson for their clash against Leeds on SundayCredit: Getty
Manchester United midfielder Fred will play no part in Saturday’s game against NewcastleCredit: Getty
It means Liverpool will be without Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino for their game at Leeds on Sunday, with the home side set to be without Raphinha.
Manchester United’s Fred will miss both the home clash with Newcastle and the opening Champions League game at Young Boys.
And centre-back Thiago Silva will be absent for Chelsea’s game with Aston Villa and Euro tie with Zenit St Petersburg.
Champions City must also plan without Ederson and Gabriel Jesus at Leicester on Saturday.
Wolves striker Raul Jiminez and Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron have also been told they are ineligible for this weekend’s Prem return after not travelling for their qualifiers.
But Everton CAN play striker Richarlison against Burnley on Monday after his name was omitted from the list supplied to world chiefs.

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It is understood that Premier League clubs plan to contest the ruling.
Under Fifa regulations, agreed by the 211 member nations, the five day restriction is automatically mandated if a national association asks for it to be imposed.
It runs from the day after the final match of the international window, so in the case of the Brazilians named that is September 10-14, running out at midnight on Tuesday.
Unlike Mexico, Paraguay and Chile, who contacted Fifa over their unreleased players last week, Brazil did not formally send their letter until overnight.
That left Fifa with no option but to inform the clubs immediately to confirm the disciplinary steps.
But it is likely to spark an angry reaction from the Prem sides involved, especially after the chaotic scenes that saw Brazil’s game with Argentina halted after just six minutes when health officials attempted to detain Spurs pair Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso and Aston Villa pair Emi Martinez and Emiliano Buendia over alleged Covid quarantine breaches.
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizanni insisted yesterday that Raphinha had chosen not to fly back to Brazil when he had been given the chance by the club.
Radrizanni said: “We invited him to make a decision and he decided no.
“He showed great respect for his club and the Premier League in giving up this opportunity to play for his country for the first time.”

But that has not prevented Raphinha being named among the players Fifa were told Brazil wanted action over – which also included Zenit pair Malcom and Claudinha, who will also miss the Chelsea Euro game next Tuesday.
Brazil’s decision to omit Richarlison from the list submitted to Fifa appears evidence of the relationship between Everton and national team bosses after the striker was allowed to play in the Olympic Games in Tokyo when he could have been prevented from travelling.

Fifa have also contacted the FA, who are bound by the regulations to confirm the official notification from Zurich.
And with more World Cup qualifiers due to take place in Covid “red list” hotspots next month and in November, the onus is on Fifa to find a proper solution rather than risking further repeats.
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LYNDON DYKES was the hero for Scotland as his goal secured victory over Austria – and handed them a huge World Cup qualifying boost.Scotland knew all three points were needed in Vienna if they were to give themselves the opportunity to reach next year’s tournament in Qatar.
Lyndon Dykes celebrates with his team-mates after scoring for ScotlandCredit: Kenneth Ramsay

And they duly delivered as two big moments – Dykes’ goal and Craig Gordon’s vital second-half save – achieved exactly that.
Austria dominated the opening stages and put Scotland under plenty of pressure.
David Alaba had a good opportunity to open the scoring for the hosts, while the visitors struggled to operate under the high press.
However, it was the Scots who created the most clear-cut chance in the first 10 minutes.
After picking up the ball on the left-hand side of the box, John McGinn fired in a perfectly weighted cross towards the head of Lyndon Dykes.
The big striker was able to header the ball towards goal but Daniel Bachmann was able to make the save.
But it wasn’t long before Austria had another good chance of their own when Christoph Baumgartner broke free of Jack Hendry and fired a shot wide of the goal.

As Scotland grew into the game, they started to keep more of the ball.
And one particularly good move came when Stephen O’Donnell was able to break away down the right wing after latching on a pass from Billy Gilmour.
However, with both Dykes and McGinn in promising positions, O’Donnell’s cross ultimately hit the first defender and was recovered by Bachmann.
But Scotland’s luck finally changed just before the half-hour mark when Che Adams was brought down in the box by Martin Hinteregger.
The penalty wasn’t initially given but after a VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot.
Dykes duly stepped up and fired the ball under Bachmann’s body into the net to give the national side the lead.
The home crowd were silenced by this development, which would have suited Scotland just fine.
As the first half wore down, Austria did their best to create more chances but Clarke’s men defended brilliantly to keep them out.
The home side made a decent start to the second half but it didn’t put Scotland under nearly as much pressure as it did in the opening 45 minutes.
However, Scotland were wasteful in possession at times as they allowed the Austrians to have more of the ball.
There was another VAR check as well, but this time it was Austria who hoped to benefit from a potential penalty.
Fortunately for the Scots, the referee ultimately allowed play to continue.
Bachmann nearly caused disaster for the Austrians though when he tried to clear the ball away from his box, only to trip over his own foot.
Adams was on him immediately and managed to win possession before passing the ball back to O’Donnell.
But the Motherwell skipper was unable to capitalise as his subsequent shot at goal deflected off a defender before being cleared.
Austria continued to get more desperate for a goal and threw men forward, which left space open at the back for Scotland.
However, it was Craig Gordon who was forced into emergency action as he made a magnificent save to deny Baumgartner’s header from a corner.
Replays only made it look even better as you could see just how precise the keeper had to be in his reaction to stop the ball going into the net.
Austria continued to give it all they had in their desperate search for an equaliser.
But it wasn’t to be as Scotland held on to claim three vital points in Vienna.
The referee checks Scotland’s penaltyCredit: Kenneth Ramsay
Billy Gilmour in action for ScotlandCredit: Kenneth Ramsay
Austria’s Konrad Laimer and Scotland’s Callum McGregor battle for the ballCredit: Kenneth Ramsay
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THIS is the moment footy fans invaded the pitch to take selfies with Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes.The incident happened on Tuesday as Portugal beat Azerbaijan 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
Man Utd star Bruno Fernandes was approached on the pitch for selfies with fansCredit: Reuters
Security failed to intervene as Portugal beat Azerbaijan 3-0Credit: EPA
Three supporters were able to storm the field and run up to United ace Fernandes without being stopped by security.
The youngsters looked to be delighted standing in the playmaker’s presence.
And they instantly produced phones for a round of selfies.
Fernandes appeared to look a bit shocked that local security were doing nothing to intervene.
And he ended up posing for photos before the invaders exited, allowing the game to restart.
Despite having no Cristiano Ronaldo, who was missing through suspension, Portugal were still able to field a strong XI also including Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, as well as Man City trio Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias.

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And Fernandes was quickly involved as he assisted Silva for Portugal’s first goal after 26 minutes.
RB Leipzig striker Andre Silva doubled Portugal’s lead just five minutes later after being played in by Jota.

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Scored for Portugal, made in Manchester. 🤝Bruno Fernandes finds Bernardo Silva who scores a stunning opener for Portugal against Azerbaijan! 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/ZYpQaYTprF— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 7, 2021

And the Liverpool winger ended up on the scoresheet himself in the 75th minute after being teed up by Cancelo.
It means Portugal have won all three of their games in the international break, which also included a 2-1 qualifier against Ireland and a 3-1 friendly over Qatar.
The game against Ireland was extra special as Ronaldo became the all-time leading international goalscorer with a late double to clinch victory.
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