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      Fans all say the same thing about Alex Scott’s outfit during Holland vs USA as BBC pundit wears orange dress

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      ALEX SCOTT has worn the “orangest of orange dresses” today for the Netherlands vs USA World Cup match.Fans loved the coincidence and the 38-year-old seemed delighted with the 2-0 half-time score.
      Scott wore an orange outfit very similar to a traditional Dutch national strip
      She admitted she didn’t mean to sport their colours
      Scott has 140 appearances for England women – who have a fierce rivalry with the US side.
      The Three Lions have just about forgiven Alex Morgan for her tea-sipping celebration when she dumped them out of the semis at the 2019 World Cup.
      But today Scott admitted: “I didn’t mean to wear an orange dress today, I came in neutral!”
      The orange dress even had white collar and cuffs, reminiscent of a traditional Dutch national team kit.
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      One fan on social media asked: “Why has Alex Scott decided to wear orange at the Netherlands USA game?”
      Another added: “Thanks for wearing an orange dress for our Dutch game, Alex!
      “Greetings from Holland”
      And one joked: “BBC are your pundits expected to be neutral in their dress code?
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      “If so, Alex Scott didn’t get the memo before putting on the orangest of orange dresses.
      Netehrlands were firmly in command of the last-16 clash with USA.
      Memphis Depay opened the scoring, sweeping home after a fine passing move.
      And Daley Blind made it two just before half-time in what looked like a carbon copy of the first goal. More

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      Ben White ‘will not travel’ with Arsenal for warm-weather training camp in Dubai after leaving England’s World Cup squad

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      ARSENAL defender Ben White “will not travel” with Arsenal for their warm-weather training camp in Dubai.The 25-year-old left the rest of Gareth Southgate’s squad earlier this week, flying back to England for “personal reasons”.
      Ben White left the England squad earlier this weekCredit: AFP
      And according to ESPN, he will not fly with the Gunners to Dubai on Sunday as those not at the World Cup head to the Middle East for a mid-season training camp.
      It is not yet known whether White will join up with Mikel Arteta’s squad at a later date.
      Arsenal are scheduled to play two matches in the Dubai Super Cup while out in the UAE.
      They will face Ligue 1 side Lyon on December 8, before taking on Italian giants AC Milan five days later.
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      Arteta is aiming to keep those still in England sharp ahead of the return of the Premier League after Christmas.
      White’s departure from the World Cup should mean he is fresh for the return of club football, with the England defender hoping to keep up his record of starting every league match so far this season.
      But a host of Arsenal’s top stars, including the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Granit Xhaka and William Saliba, may not return until towards the end of the competition – which finishes on December 18.
      Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus has left the World Cup after just 100 minutes of football following a knee injury – something that will seriously concern Arteta.
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      He started his first match of the tournament against Cameroon but failed to score and was substituted midway through the second half as Tite’s men suffered a 1-0 defeat.
      It remains to be seen whether he will be fit in time for Arsenal’s first game back after the World Cup.
      They host West Ham on Boxing Day, before travelling to Brighton on New Year’s Eve.
      Arteta’s side currently hold a five-point lead over defending champions Manchester City after 14 matches. More

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      What happened to Netherlands star Daley Blind, and does the ex-Man Utd player wear a pacemaker?

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      DALEY BLIND has been in fabulous form for the Netherlands at the World Cup. Louis van Gaal’s side topped their group with seven points, beating Senegal, drawing with Ecuador and winning their clash against Qatar.
      Daley Blind scored in Netherlands’ World Cup clash against USACredit: Getty
      And now they’re in action against the USA in the last-16 of the competition, with a place in the quarter-final up for grabs.
      Ex-Manchester United star Blind got himself on the scoresheet with a fine finish after a sweeping move, making it 2-0 to the Dutch.
      Blind, who plays for Ajax again, has been instrumental for Netherlands so far.
      But it hasn’t been all plane sailing since he left Old Trafford in 2018.
      What happened to Daley Blind’s heart?
      Blind was playing for Ajax in 2019 against Valencia in the Champions League when he complained he was suffering of dizziness.
      AFter the game, Blind was taken for a medical examination and he was diagnosed with a heart muscle inflammation.
      Blind continued to play after his diagnosis, but in 2020 he collapsed in a pre-season friendly against Hertha Berlin.
      The left-back was fitted with a pacemaker soon after and is back playing at his best for both Ajax and the Netherlands.
      His former team-mate at Ajax Christian Eriksen collapsed Denmark’s Euro 2020 clash against Finaland last year.
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      And Blind recalled the incident having a massive impact on him.
      “[Saturday] had a huge impact on me, never mind the fact that I know Christian well as a friend,” Blind said.
      “The situation for him is terrible. Of course, I have also experienced a few things in that area, so that I had to overcome a mental hurdle to play.
      “I had to persuade myself to play but I’m proud that I did and that’s why my emotion came bursting out at the end of the game.
      “I definitely thought about not taking part. The images on television and the incident had a big impact and I didn’t sleep very well because of them. I really had to overcome a big hurdle to do this.
      “If it didn’t go well, it would have haunted my head even more.
      “When Christian encouraged his own team-mates to play is when I decided to play myself. Also because I’m safe, according to the doctors.” More

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      Watch hilarious moment World Cup stadium staff put inflatable KANGAROO through security scanner

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      THIS is the hilarious moment an INFLATABLE KANGAROO was stuffed through a World Cup security scanner.Australia fans were spotted taking an inflatable of their national animal into a fan park on Saturday.
      Australia supporters carry inflatable kangaroos as a national symbolCredit: AFP
      And Qatar staff sent the poor creature head first into the x-ray scanner.
      News outlet First Edition tweeted footage of the roo being manhandled.
      Footy supporters on social media are loving the kanga’s special moment.
      One wrote: “Check its pouch.”
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      Another added: “Checking for concealed and loaded rainbow flags.”
      While one joked: “It will probably have had worse done to it…”
      The kangaroo was recognised as an official symbol of Australia when it was included on the nation’s coat of arms in 1908.
      Fans will be excited as they enter the Al-Rayyan Stadium tonight.
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      The Aussies face Argentina this evening as both teams look to progress to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
      Lionel Messi and Co will not be taking the Socceroos lightly at all after they beat Denmark to qualify for the last-16.
      The South Americans have put together a good run of results after losing to Saudi Arabia on the opening group match.
      And they must be in form if they are to progress past a resilient Australia side, with a solid defence marshalled by Harry Souttar.
      This will be the first time since 2006 that Australia have reached this stage of a World Cup, and only the second time in the nation’s history.
      Graham Arnold’s men will be hoping to go one step further than 16 years ago however which saw them narrowly lose to eventual winners Italy at this stage. More

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      Uruguay’s Jose Gimenez could face FIFTEEN-game ban for elbowing Fifa official in head and X-rated World Cup referee rant

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      URUGUAY star Jose Gimenez could be banned for FIFTEEN games after elbowing a Fifa official as his side were knocked out of the World Cup.South Korea’s 2-1 win over Portgual sent the South American side home despite them beating Ghana 2-0 in a controversy-filled game.
      Jose Gimenez appeared to elbow an official
      Jose Gimenez argued with the referee at the end of the gameCredit: AP
      He had to be restrained by teammatesCredit: AP
      Uruguay felt they should’ve had a penalty late on as Edinson Cavani was brought down in the box and after the final whistle the emotion got the better of plenty as tempers boiled over.
      Gimenez completely lost his cool as he tried to confront the referee while he was walking off the pitch.
      The Atletico Madrid star had to be held back by teammates as he shouted and chased ref Daniel Siebert.
      Amidst the chaos Gimenez elbowed a Fifa representative in the back of the head.
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      The 27-year-old did not stop there as he continued to fume, he was then spotted shouting down a TV camera in the melee: “They [the referees] are all a bunch of thieves these sons of b***hes.
      “Yes, record me. Son of a b***h.”
      Outlet Mundo Deportivo claim that if these incidents get reported by the Fifa competitions director then he could face a 15-game ban or an “adequate” time away from football.
      It is not clear whether the ban would be served for international games only or be carried over to club football too.
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      Teammate Luis Suarez had his ban for biting carried over to domestic action in 2014.
      Gimenez is not the only Uruguayan who could be in trouble with the authorities after Cavani punched the VAR monitor as he trudged off the field. More

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      Supercomputer predicts World Cup 2022 winners ahead of knockout rounds… but where are England tipped to finish?

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      A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted how the knockout rounds of the World Cup will go… and it’s heartache for England.With an exciting group stage having concluded yesterday, the tournament will now begin to reach its business end.

      England are tipped to go out in the quartersCredit: Getty
      There are set to be plenty more thrills – but the Three Lions are being tipped to go home at the quarter-final stage.
      Boffins and brainiacs over at FairBettingSites.co.uk have crunched the numbers to determine the most likely outcomes.
      They reckon that the Netherlands will beat the USA this afternoon, with Argentina following suit against underdogs Australia.
      Japan defied the odds in the group stage, beating Germany and Spain to go through top of the pile – and they are being backed to add Croatia to their list of scalps in the round of 16.
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      But it could be the end of the road for South Korea, who dramatically battled through yesterday – with Brazil expected to beat them on Monday.
      England face Senegal tomorrow, with the African side without Sadio Mane, the suspended Idrissa Gueye and potentially coach Aliou Cisse, who is unwell.
      The Three Lions are expected to come through unscathed, although France will likely book a quarter-final with Gareth Southgate’s men by beating Poland.
      Spain are then backed to take out surprise package Morocco, with Switzerland tipped to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup campaign by beating Portugal.
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      Argentina are tipped to beat the Netherlands to book a place in the semi-final – where the supercomputer reckons they’ll meet old rivals Brazil after the Selecao take out Japan.
      On the other side of the draw England’s campaign is backed to end at the hands of reigning champions France, with Spain knocking out Switzerland in the remaining quarter-final.
      Brazil are tipped to overcome Argentina in their mouthwatering semi, booking a place in the final against France – who are backed to eliminate 2010 winners Spain.
      This would make for an amazing climax to the tournament, with Brazil dethroning France to bring the trophy back to South America for the first time since they last won it in 2002.
      Richarlison and Co are expected to beat France to become world championsCredit: Getty
      France could go all the way to the finalCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd blow in transfer hunt for World Cup ace Kim Min-jae with Napoli set to rip up South Korean’s £39m release clause

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly received some bad news in their pursuit of Napoli and South Korea defender Kim Min-jae.The 26-year-old centre-back has impressed for his country at the World Cup in Qatar, playing an integral part in them reaching the last 16 for just the third time in their history.
      Kim Min-Jae has been superb for South Korea at the World CupCredit: Getty
      His superb form at international level comes after an excellent start to the season in Italy.
      Min-jae joined Napoli from Fenerbahce for £16million in the summer and made 20 appearances before the World Cup break, scoring two goals.
      And his presence at the heart of their defence has seen them open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Serie A table.
      They also won their Champions League group, beating Liverpool, Ajax and Rangers along the way to set up a second round clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.
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      His swift rise has grabbed the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
      United are one of those, but Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are also monitoring his progress.
      Erik ten Hag’s men were hopeful a £39m fee would seal a deal for the South Korean given that is the release clause in his Napoli contract.
      However, Calcio Mercato are reporting that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis already wants to rip up his current deal – and the existing release clause – in order to tie him down for the foreseeable future.
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      If the Italians were to pen a new contract for Min-jae, that would make him a far more expensive acquisition for United.
      Ten Hag is keen to add to the centre of his defence despite establishing an impressive partnership between Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
      The accomplished pair have kept club captain Harry Maguire out of the side – although the England international is currently showing his quality for the Three Lions at the World Cup.
      Meanwhile, Min-jae’s ability will be tested on Monday when South Korea come up against tournament favourites Brazil for a place in the quarter-finals.
      They reached the second round after scoring an injury-time winner against Portugal – a goal which saw them leapfrog Uruguay on GOALS SCORED in an incredibly dramatic conclusion to Group H. More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo is named in World Cup’s WORST XI of the group stage, according to damning stats

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO has been named in the World Cup’s WORST XI of the group stages.The free agent scored Portugal’s first goal of the tournament against Ghana, but has contributed little since.
      Cristiano Ronaldo scored once in three group stages gamesCredit: Getty
      And even that was a penalty.
      Ronaldo thought he netted in the victory over Uruguay, but his effort was eventually awarded to Bruno Fernandes despite the ex-Manchester United star wheeling away in celebration.
      He then rounded off the group stages with another underwhelming showing against South Korea.
      The 37-year-old registered just one shot and had only 26 touches as Portugal suffered a shock defeat.
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      As a result, he was named in Sofascore’s WORST team of the groups, with his with an average rating across his three outings a disappointing of 6.37.
      Qatar’s Meshaal Barsham is between the sticks, while the back four is made up of Francisco Calvo and Oscar Duarte, Costa Rica’s centre-backs, and Homam Ahmed and Alistair Johnston.
      Abdulelah Al-Malki and Karim Boudiaf make up the heart of midfield and are joined out wide by another Canadian Tajon Buchanan, and Mathew Leckie.
      Ronaldo is up front alongisde Qatar’s Almoez Ali.
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      Despite Ronaldo’s questionable form, his side still won Group H to set up a last-16 tie with Switzerland.
      Portugal will be expected to progress, but they’ll need far more from the forward, who’s cut a frustrated figure for much of the World Cup so far. More