World Cup

IRANIAN journalists have bombarded the US World Cup team with politically-motivated questions in a press conference ahead of the two sides meeting today the tournament.Captain Tyler Adams and coach Gregg Berhalter fielded questions from a press pack – which had little to do with the match set to be held in Qatar’s Al Thumama stadium.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter, left, and US captain Tyler Adams fielded questions from Iranian journalists which had little to do with footballCredit: AP
Berhalter didn’t appear to be happy with the political line of questioning from the Iranian journalistsCredit: AFP
The Americans were quizzed about a number of topics unrelated to football, including if the players were representing a racist country, US visa rules in place against Iranian citizens and the nation’s naval presence in the Persian Gulf.
Even Adams’ American pronunciation of Iran came under fire during the 30-minute press conference which proved to be a highly charged encounter.
It comes after the US soccer federation displayed Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, in support of the anti-regime protests which have been taking place in the country.
The move caused Iran’s government to call on FIFA to expel Team USA from the tournament.
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The first question from an Iranian journalist set the tone for the rest of the encounter.
Addressing Berhalter, the reporter asked: “What percentage of the world’s population will be happy if Iran wins this match [versus a US national team (USMNT) victory]?” forcing the coach to try and mediate the tension.
“For us it’s a soccer game against a good team – it’s not much more than that,” Berhalter replied, attempting the skirt the political implications of the question.
A few minutes later, a journalist from the English language Iranian news organisation Press TV fired off: “First of all you say you support the Iranian people but you’re pronouncing our country’s name wrong. Our country is name Iran, not ‘aye-ran’.
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“Second of all, are you okay to be representing your country that has so much discrimination against black people in its own borders?”
Adams, who has a white American mum and a dad who is black, refused to take the bait.
He replied: “My apologies on the mispronunciation of your country. That being said, there’s discrimination everywhere you go… in the US we’re continuing to make progress every single day… as long as you make progress that’s the most important thing.”
There was a brief reprieve from the onslaught when a US reporter said he intended to ask a “soccer question”.
But it didn’t last long, with the Iranian media returning to ask about political issues.
One journalist asked: “Sport is something that should bring nations closer together and you are a sportsperson.
“Why is it that you should not ask your government to take away its military fleet from the Persian Gulf?”
Berhalter responded: “I agree, sport is something that should bring countries together… you get to compete as brothers,” making comparisons between the Olympics and the World Cup, but avoided touching on the strained relations between the US and Iran.
By the end of the encounter Berhalter appeared to have grown tired of the questioning and when asked about the strict US laws for Iranian citizens, he simply replied: “I don’t know enough about politics, I’m a soccer coach.
“I’m not well versed on international politics so I can’t comment on that.”
Meanwhile, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said he hoped the next World Cup would feature less about politics and more about football, adding there were better ways to use sport as a force for good.
Iran’s team have been pulled into the political turmoil at home, facing pressure from protesters, who want to change the legitimacy of the country’s clerical rulers, to side with them publicly and condemn the ongoing state crackdown.
He was asked about the US soccer federation temporarily showing Iran’s national flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, in a move to show support for the protesters.
Queiroz told a news conference: “I still believe I can win games with those mental games.
“Those events surrounding this World Cup I hope will be a lesson for all of us in the future and we learn that our mission is here to create entertainment and for 90 minutes make people happy.”
For the US side, they face a simple objective – win their final Group B game or they go home.
They have to secure the three points for a win to continue their World Cup adventure.
“It sets up our first knockout game of the World Cup,” US coach Gregg Berhalter said.
“We win or we’re out of the World Cup. Anytime you’re in a World Cup and you get to go into the last group game in control of your own destiny, that’s a pretty good thing.”
GROUP B SITUATION
The US is currently third in the group with two points after drawing their games against Wales and England but only the top two sides in the group games advance.
In the same group, England has four points, Iran three and Wales is currently bottom with one point.
Iran only needs a tie in their next match to advance, as long as Wales does not pull off an upset and defeat England.
Iran took a thumping in their opening group game, losing 6-2 to England but came back in their next match with a 2-0 victory over Wales.
“I really have to thank the Iranian fans. They helped us play 90 minutes of beautiful football,” Queiroz said. 
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“Now, we have to concentrate on the USA. We haven’t finished yet.”
In the only other previous World Cup encounter between the US and Iran in 1998, Iran came out 2-1 winners.
The USA need to win Tuesday’s game against Iran to stay in the World CupCredit: EPA
Berhalter managed to deflect the questions from the Iranian press packCredit: Getty More

THE first British derby ever played at a World Cup finals — and quite possibly the final match for Gareth Bale as an elite footballer.England versus Wales adds a serious dollop of local spice to this global jamboree.
Gareth Bale is Wales’ star man with the key to beat EnglandCredit: Getty
We’ve had Welsh actor Michael Sheen geeing up the boyos prattling on about the valleys and “crimson thunder” and the land of our fathers.
And we’ve had Gareth Southgate suggesting that he will use a video of Wales players celebrating riotously in their team room, after England were humiliated by Iceland at Euro 2016, as motivation for the clash in Doha.
So it seems the perfect time for an Englishman to ask: “Gareth Bale, five-time Champions League winner — was he ever really all that?”
No other British footballer has five European Cup winner’s medals and no other British footballer has ever spent nine years on the books of Real Madrid, the most famous club on Earth.
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There is no doubt that Bale’s career-highlights reel is sensational.The “taxi for Maicon” night against European champions Inter Milan back in 2010.
The sprint down, and outside of, the touchline to  out-pace Barcelona’s Marc Bartra and score in the 2014 Copa del Rey final Clasico.
Inspiring Wales to a major semi-final six years ago, as well as their first World Cup in 64 years.
And his two goals in Champions League finals — especially that sensational bicycle-kick against Liverpool in Kiev in 2018.
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Bale played a significant role in three of those five Champions League triumphs — although last season he only featured for seven minutes of Real’s entire European campaign.
So, of course, Bale was a special player but the idea that he might be British football’s GOAT is unlikely to garner much favour outside of Wales.
Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, George Best and Stanley Matthews would surely rank above him.
In fact, Bale is probably not the greatest Welsh footballer of all time.
If you asked the late, great Jimmy Greaves to name the best British player ever, as I once did, he’d argue for Bale’s fellow Welshman John Charles — world class at both centre-forward and centre-half and a legend at Juventus.
The view of Bale in Madrid is a harsh one, often  centring around the infamous “Wales, golf, Madrid — in that order” flag he posed with after Wales qualified for the last Euros finals.
There was an element of truth in that banner. Bale has a passion for his national team which he has never felt for Madrid. He is also an extremely keen scratch golfer.
And the fact Bale dug in his heels and refused to move when Real wanted his £600,000-per-week contract off their wage bill, was never going to make him popular.
David Beckham, who surpassed expectations on an individual level, and Steve McManaman, a Champions League winner who fully embraced life in Madrid, are the two British players with a strong, lasting affection at the Bernabeu.
Even before things turned sour, during Zinedine Zidane’s second spell as Real manager, Bale was often questioned.
One eminent Spanish journalist argued that Bale “didn’t know how to play football”.
By which he means that Bale had all the attributes to be a great player — pace, physicality, finishing prowess — but he didn’t have the understanding of the game to be as great as he ought to have been.
At his peak, Bale had an uncanny ability to produce decisive moments in matches but he rarely dominated games — partly because Cristiano Ronaldo was Real’s alpha male for so long.
Before Real, Bale was good enough to win two PFA Player of the Year awards in a Tottenham team which won nothing, and became the most expensive footballer on the planet. Although Real tried to pretend his £86million fee was lower to placate Ronaldo’s ego.

In Wales he is adored, not just for his world-class ability but for his fierce patriotism.
They still sing about Bale’s decision — long forgotten in England — to withdraw from Team GB at the London Olympics, with the words: “Said he had a bad back,  f*** the Union Jack, viva Gareth Bale!”
At 33, and after years of serious injury problems, Bale is clearly not the explosive player he once was.
At this World Cup, he scored a penalty in a draw with the United States but was anonymous in the 2-0 defeat by Iran which leaves Wales on the brink of  elimination.
They must either beat England by four clear goals or win by a lesser margin and hope the USA and Iran draw if they are to advance to the last 16. Bale may not be the greatest British footballer — and he was not as great as he might have been.
But he remains a fiercely proud Welshman with a  reputation as a big-game player as well as a lingering dead-ball ability, which will make England wary.
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So we mustn’t discount the possibility of a sting in the tail at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium tonight.
Nor should we fully rule out a second sporting career ending with a Green Jacket at Augusta either.
Gareth Bale scored in Wales’ opener versus USACredit: Getty More

CRISTIANO RONALDO remains level with Lionel Messi for World Cup goals – despite claiming the opener.And when Portugal were given a ridiculous late penalty for handball, Ronaldo was already off the pitch, allowing Fernandes to complete a brace.
Cristiano Ronaldo claimed to have scored Portugal’s winnerCredit: Getty
Ronaldo celebrated as if he had scoredCredit: Reuters
Fifa awarded the goal to Bruno FernandesCredit: Reuters
But of the two superstars to have led their countries to victory at the stadium that will host the final, the Portugal captain looks the more likely to be back here on December 18.
Ronaldo was initially credited with putting the faintest of touches on a Fernandes cross and moving one ahead of his Argentinian nemesis again after Messi’s goal at the other end of the pitch two nights before.
His face when he looked up to the screen to see it had been awarded to the Manchester United man was a picture.
Was Ronaldo playing to the cameras with his look of amazement and amusement?
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Either way, he could yet have the last laugh over Messi at this tournament.
Because Portugal are a better team than Argentina and look less reliant on the genius of one man.
Not that they were brilliant, far from it.
And they were on the ropes as Uruguay went close to grabbing the draw that was probably the limit of their ambitions at kick off.
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Yet this squad has the make-up and look of a World Cup winner, and topping the group gives them a favourable-looking draw.
If Ronaldo does lift the trophy, it would be a popular victory.
If anything, it felt like there were more of his fan boys and girls in the crowd than there had been Messi supporters on Saturday night when the ranks of native Argentinians were swelled significantly by locals and tourists.
Every flick, feint and stepover was greeted with the kind of gasps that normal people reserve for a decent fireworks display.
Ronaldo could not produce the big bang this time but this win guaranteed he will have the chance to make the difference in the knockout stages.
Which is more than Messi can say right now.
Like Mexico vs Argentina, the actual football was a disappointment.
As expected, the injury to Portugal defender Danilo enabled Pepe, 39, to become the second oldest outfield player to start a game at the World Cup.
But fans of aggro were disappointed to see that Uruguay boss Diego Alonso had dropped Luis Suarez, a mere 35 year old, from the starting line-up.
To watch the former Barcelona striker get his teeth – perhaps literally – into Pepe, the ex-Real Madrid defender had been an enticing prospect.
In truth, Suarez could have no complaints after his performance in the opening goalless draw against South Korea.
It said a lot about Uruguay’s options, however, that Suarez’s replacement was another 35 year old, Edinson Cavani, who was a passenger from the start.
Ronaldo began as if he was in the mood, with a shoulder lay-off to William Carvalho, who volleyed well off target.
But although he and Portugal’s three other attacking players rotated elusively, they were unable to find a way through dogged and well-organised Uruguay.
Alonso’s team were doing little at the other end.
But the undoubted highlight of the first half was Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur running through Portugal from the centre circle to the penalty area, only for Diogo Costa to come out to save his tame finish.
At the start of the second half, organisers were so desperate to drum up some excitement that they revealed Darwin Nunez had recorded the top speed of the match.
Then a fan sprinted on to the pitch with a rainbow flag and a number of other protests to make.
The game was temporarily halted when a fan ran onto the pitchCredit: Getty
The pitch invader held a rainbow flagCredit: Getty
But the game was going nowhere fast despite until the strange goal.
Fernandes’ cross was lovely, Ronaldo’s run was well-timed, but Rochet focused so much on what the living legend might do to the ball that he forgot about saving it.
Alonso waited a little while to act, finally taking off Cavani and – surprisingly – Nunez, and throwing on Suarez and Maxi Gomez with less than 20 minutes to go.
The latter hit the post within minutes.
Suarez could find only the side netting when the ball broke to him in the six-yard box.
Then wing back Guillermo Varela burst through to force an unconvincing save out of Costa.
It was by far Uruguay’s best spell of the game but not enough to deserve a point.
Ronaldo’s ageing limbs were given a rest as he came off with about 10 minutes to go.
Quite what convinced the VAR and then referee Alireza Faghani that Gimenez’s accidental handball as he fell to the ground was worth a penalty, heaven alone knows.
But there was no doubt about Fernandes’ conversion of the spotkick.
He would have had a hat-trick but Rochet saved and then he hit the post.
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Ronaldo, you like to think, was pleased for this team-mate.
And he can still dream of completing his set of major trophies with the one that he and Messi covet the most.
Portugal were awarded a penalty for this handballCredit: Getty
Bruno Fernandes sealed the win from the spotCredit: Getty
Fernandes celebrates after scoring his second of the gameCredit: Getty More

DAVID Beckham has checked out of his five-star Qatar hotel after almost a week as fans discovered where he was staying.The former England star has reportedly been enjoying a stint at the elegant Baraha View suite at the Mandarin Oriental in Doha – costing up to £20,000 a night.
The hotel’s Baraha View suite costs £20,000 a nightCredit: Oriental Mandarin hotel
The luxury suite boasts rooftop views of the Qatari capital of DohaCredit: Oriental Mandarin hotel
Beckham had reportedly been staying in the plush pad for almost a weekCredit: Oriental Mandarin hotel
The former England captain checked out of the Oriental Madarin hotel this weekend, sources suggestCredit: Oriental Mandarin hotel
Located on the hotel’s top floor, the room comes with its own dining area, private concierge, an open air courtyard, private pool and gym.
But according to the Mail Online, Beckham checked out over the weekend after word spread about his accommodation status.
A source told the outlet: “The staff have loved having him here and referred to him as ‘Sir David’ because he was so respectful and respected back by everyone.
“He wasn’t seen much at all by the other guests because he had a lovely suite which is like a hotel within a hotel, meaning he didn’t need to mix with them.
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“He’s been very polite and charming to the staff and seems like a very decent man. Sir David is one of the most famous men in world football and it’s been an honour having him here.
“It’s a pity he’s no longer here but I’m sure he’ll be back. Who wouldn’t love staying here?”
During his stay, the football ace reportedly enjoyed the use of a personal chef while taking in the stunning views from the luxury city suite.
Sources suggest his menu included Japanese Kobe steak, cooked rare and a selection of pasta dishes.
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To avoid being detected by paparazzi, Beckham has been making his way in and out of the luxury hotel using a private lobby entrance.
On matchdays, he has reportedly been ferried around the capital in a blacked out limousine.
In addition, Beckham has also spent time broadening his knowledge of local culture in his role as a public relations officer for the Qatari organising committee.
So far, he has already spent an afternoon at Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art – snapping images of large colourful art installations and impressive technological light shows.
However, he has been soaking up the lavish Qatari lifestyle alone, with his wife Victoria and their children thought to be in the UK.
The former football ace has been in the spotlight for some time after he sealed his reported £150 million ten-year deal with Qatar to be its ambassador.
Commentators – including comedian Joe Lycett – have slammed him for his association with the gulf nation, due its human rights record and its attitude towards women and the LGBT community.
But, since the tournament began, Beckham has kept a low profile and has not commented on the matter.
The former England star has been attending matches at the World CupCredit: Alamy
He signed a deal worth £15million a year over the next decade to become the country’s ambassadorCredit: Rex More

FANS have been left confused over who scored Portugal’s opening goal in their 2-0 win over Uruguay. Bruno Fernandes whipped in a cross towards the head of Cristiano Ronaldo and it found it’s way into the back of the net.
Cristiano Ronaldo was convinced he had scoredCredit: EPA
Fans were left debating whether he scored or notCredit: Twitter
Fans were unsure who scored but celebrated jubilantlyCredit: Getty
The 37-year-old climbed highest and threw his head at the ball before it bounced in.
Ronaldo ran away celebrating claiming he got a touch on his former Manchester United teammates’ cross but replays were not conclusive.
But the authorities disagreed with Ronaldo and gave the goal to Fernandes in controversial circumstances.
Firstly, Fifa gave it to Ronaldo before changing their minds. They tweeted: “The goal has officially been ruled as scored by Bruno Fernandes.”
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It would have been the striker’s 100th competitive goal for Portugal.
Commentator Ally McCoist joked: “I guarantee after the game he [Ronaldo] says he touches it.”
Fans were left debating over who the goal should be awarded to.
A Ronaldo fan claimed: “Cristiano robbed of his ninth World Cup goal as two of his hair follicles touched the ball.”
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But another did not think he touched it slamming the ex-Real Madrid man saying: “The fact that he actually tried that tells so much about him as a person. Only thinks about himself.”
More commented: “No he clearly didn’t [touch it] yet he shamelessly celebrated as it was his goal, most shameless player ever.
Another joked “he’s going to tell Piers Morgan” in reference to his explosive interview where he slammed Man Utd and a number of former teammates like Gary Neville.
Pundits were left equally perplexed.
Joe Cole wasn’t sure, telling ITV: “I can’t see where he touches it”.
Graeme Souness urged Ronaldo to fess up, saying: “Only one person knows”.
Whether Fernandes scored the first one or not, he definitely got the second as he netted from the spot in injury time. More

CRISTIANO RONALDO almost set up a goal in Portugal’s crunch World Cup meeting with Uruguay thanks to an outrageous piece of skill.Fans were wowed as the 37-year-old nearly grabbed an assist with his SHOULDER.

Cristiano Ronaldo nearly grabbed an assist with an outrageous shoulder passCredit: Getty
Ronaldo somehow managed to use his shoulder to direct the ball to team-mate William CarvalhoCredit: BEIN SPORTS
Ronaldo’s pass dropped perfectly for CarvalhoCredit: NOS
Ronaldo scored in Portugal’s opening win over Ghana – days after he was sacked by Manchester United following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
And the free agent looked in the mood for more in the game against Uruguay.
With the match in just the third minute, left-back Nuno Mendes launched a long throw towards Ronaldo in the box.
There wasn’t much on for the forward as it fell to him, but he somehow managed to connect perfectly with the ball using his shoulder.
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It looped in the air and dropped perfectly for William Carvalho to hit on the volley.
But the midfielder blazed his effort over the bar, costing Ronaldo an incredible assist.
Fans though were left in awe by Ronaldo’s skill.
One wrote on Twitter: “Bruh the shoulder pass by Ronaldo was clean af.”
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Another gushed: “Ronaldo that shoulder pass was FILTH more of that please GOAT.”
A third added: “That Ronaldo shoulder was insane…”
And another declared: “That Ronaldo shoulder flick was outrageous.”
Ronaldo and Portugal went on to qualify for the World Cup knockout stages with a 2-0 win over Uruguay.
It seemed Ronaldo scored the opener – before it was then credited to Bruno Fernandes.
The Manchester United midfielder then added a second from the penalty spot in injury time.
Ronaldo scored in Portugal’s opening win over GhanaCredit: AP More