Plenty to chew over following Day Two's matches in Doha.
England ticket shambles
Hundreds of England fans who purchased tickets to see their team's opening match against Iran were left frustrated on Monday due to a fault with Fifa's e-ticketing system.
Swathes of the Khalifa International Stadium were empty well into the match, which England eventually won 6-2, with fans reporting that their tickets had simply vanished from the app.
"We cannot see our tickets and there is this line, so we don't know what is going on," one fan told Reuters before the match.
Disgruntled supporters complained of waiting hours outside the main ticket office as temperatures reached 28 degrees.
The National's Nick Webster spoke to one England fan after the match who did manage to see the game despite suffering the same issue.
“I got to the stadium in plenty of time, around two hours before kick off," Paul Bine said.
"I got to the front of the queue but my app with the QR code wasn’t working so they wouldn’t let me in.
"I got another card out with my Hayya code on but that wasn’t working either. It was a nightmare.
"It took me about an hour and a half to get it sorted, with another print out of my ticket. I only just made kick-off. It was worth it though; 6-2 was a great result.”
Fifa said in a statement: “Some spectators are currently experiencing an issue with accessing their tickets via the Fifa ticketing app. Fifa is working on solving the issue.
“In the meantime, fans who are not able to access their mobile tickets should check the email accounts they used to register with the ticketing app for further instructions.
"In case fans cannot access their email accounts, the stadium's Ticket Resolution Point will be able to support. We thank fans for their understanding as we work to fix the issue as soon as possible.”
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ENGLAND RATINGS: Jordan Pickford 6: Almost nothing to do in the first half where England had seven goal attempts and scored three, while Iran didn’t have one. Mistake at the start of the second half and then beaten by Taremi smashing the ball into the net. The No 9. . Getty -
Luke Shaw 8: More touches than any player on the field. Spent most of the first 45 in the Iran half and set up Bellingham for the opener. Pushed high and wide, moved the ball quickly. Headed the goal kick to win possession and start the attack for the fourth goal. AFP -
Harry Maguire 8: Appealed for an early penalty having been hugged. Beautiful header under pressure which hit the crossbar on 32. Started move before first goal and set up the second with a header and was a real threat at set-pieces. Taremi ran behind him for Iran’s goal, then he went off. AP -
John Stones 7: Didn’t give the ball away once against a side ranked 20th in the world. Hit accurate long balls. Will have more pressured games but a VAR went against him which led to a 101st minute Iran penalty. AP -
Kieran Trippier 7: Got high and wide on the right in a bright start. Poor pass led to a rare Iran attack, but part of England’s success was using their full backs so well. Took corners and free-kicks. Went down angrily after having his feet stamped on. AP -
Jude Bellingham 9: Put his side ahead after 34 with his first international goal, glancing a header into the far corner. Super goal. Tackled well, got box to box, ran from midfield and linked positions well. Read the second balls well and integral to England’s third. Super ball to set up England’s sixth. EPA -
Declan Rice 7: To quote one fan: “You watch the game, you don't see Declan Rice. You watch Declan Rice, you see the whole game.” Getty -
Bukayo Saka 9: Another who started well, shifting positions as England dominated. Scored the second after 43, a volley past Iran’s replacement goalkeeper into the roof of the net. Always looked to beat his man. Incredible goal made it four after he bedazzled the Iran defence on 62. AP -
Mason Mount 7: Weak shot into the side netting on 30. Fouled more than any player. Very comfortable. AP -
Raheem Sterling 7: Skilful and scored the third after 45, a volley on the outside of his boot. Swept Saka into action before the fourth goal, before being floored by a challenge in the same move. Getty -
Harry Kane 8: England’s captain whipped a cross in for Sterling to score the third. Went over on his ankle after 49. A flick set up a 56th minute attack. The top scorer didn’t score as his team got six, but he played well. Reuters -
SUBS: Eric Dier (On for Maguire 70’) 7: Had a busy workout marking Taremi in the 45,334 crowd in a stadium which holds 68,000. The subs worked for England. Conceding two wasn’t in the plan, but then nor was scoring six. Reuters -
Marcus Rashford (On for Saka 70’) 7: His first England appearance since the Euro final and scored his first goal in a major tournament with his first three touches. Confident for club this season… and now his country. Getty -
Jack Grealish (On for Sterling 70’) 7: Helped win the ball back high up the pitch as England were relentless to the end. Gifted a ball to finish England’s sixth on 89 minutes. Fouled, as ever. Reuters -
Phil Foden (On for Mount 70’) 7: Busy around the Iran area as England pushed for a sixth goal. AP -
Callum Wilson (On for Kane 75’) 7: His first international appearance since 2019. Played in Grealish for England’s sixth. PA -
IRAN RATINGS: Ali Beiranvand 6: Left dazed with face injury after clashing heads with teammate Hosseini. Ludicrously allowed to carry on after lengthy treatment before eventually being carried off pitch. AFP -
Sadegh Moharrami 5: England tore down Moharrami’s right flank as Shaw provided the cross for Bellingham’s opening goal. A difficult night for Iran’s defence. AP -
Milad Mohammadi 5: Found it a struggle dealing with the livewire Saka who was aiming to go past players very time he got possession. Found Jahanbakhsh with cross just before break but teammate couldn’t keep volley down. PA -
Roozbeh Cheshmi 4: Should have given away penalty in opening few minutes after pulling down Maguire in box but referee/VAR somehow not interested. Caught in no man’s land ahead of third goal. AFP -
Majid Hosseini 3: Helpless against the movement of England’s attacking players and his big contribution to first half was smashing heads with own goalkeeper resulting in his early exit. Allowed Saka the freedom to ease inside on to his left foot and put England 4-0 up, skinned by Rashford for fifth. AFP -
Ali Karimi 4: Slow to react when Bellingham headed England into the lead and generally spent the game chasing after English shadows. AFP -
Morteza Pouraliganji 4: Part of Iran’s five-man defence that attempted to sit deep from start and keep out England’s attackers … a plan that went out the window in disastrous first half. Booked early in second half for poor tackle from behind on Kane. AP -
Ahmad Nourollahi 4: Midfielder, who plies his trade in the UAE with Shabab Al Ahli, but was over-run in midfield against likes of Bellingham and Rice. Should have been booked for stamping on foot of Trippier just after break. Getty -
Ehsan Hajsafi 3: Tried to offer some support for the isolated Taremi up front but Iran just couldn’t regularly string passes together or gain any foothold in match. Getty -
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 4: Feyenoord’s former Brighton midfielder picked up game’s first yellow card for clumsy late challenge on Shaw. Volleyed Iran’s first real opportunity way over bar in lengthy first-half stoppage time. Getty -
Mehdi Taremi 7: Scorer for Porto in Champions League a few weeks ago, but little chance of repeating that here until, from nowhere, he smashed home off the bar in the 65th minute to pull it back to 4-1. Blasted another chance high and wide. Confident finish from spot with pretty much last kick of game. Getty -
SUBS: Hossein Hosseini (On for Beiranvand 19’) 5: Early introduction but found himself picking ball out of net three times before break – none of them his fault to be fair. Similarly let down by his porous defence after half-time. AFP -
Saeid Ezatolahi (On for Ali 46’) 5: One of three changes at break but couldn’t help turnaround Iran’s fortunes. Getty -
Hossein Kanaanizadegan (On for Cheshmai 46’) 5: Al Ahli defender failed to offer much more protection from rampant England attacks than man he replaced. Getty -
Ali Gholizadeh (On for Jahanbakhsh 46’) 6: Sloppy ball soon after coming on set England off on counter attack. Nice pass to set up Taremi goal, though. Reuters -
Mahdi Torabi (On for Mohammadi 63’) 5: Brought to try and offer some attacking width, to little affect. Sardar Azmoun (On for Nourollahi 77’) N/A. Had shot turned on to crossbar by Pickford deep in injury time. AP
Iran medics let goalkeeper down
The Iran team earned plaudits by refusing to sing the national anthem before their Group B opener against England in an apparent expression of support for anti-government protests in their home country.
That good sentiment, however, was undermined somewhat by the team's medical staff halfway through the first half.
Goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand was involved in a sickening clash of heads with defender Majid Hosseini that left both players in a heap and Beiranvand with a bloodied nose.
Beiranvand required lengthy treatment in which it was obvious to anyone watching that he would be unable to continue.
But despite being tended to by Iran medics and a Fifa-appointed doctor, Beiranvand tried to carry on, seemingly encouraged by the medics and even his own captain, Ehsan Hajisafi.
The minutes ticked by before, inexplicably, Iran decided to leave Beiranvand on the field, a move which appeared to contravene Fifa concussion protocols as well as common sense.
Beiranvand, however, briefly continued before asking to be substituted moments later, collapsing to the ground and eventually leaving the field on a stretcher to be replaced by substitute Hossein Hosseini
As a result of that there was 14 minutes of stoppage time at the end of a first half.
While there is sympathy for Beiranvand, whose World Cup is almost certainly over if he has failed concussion protocols, there is indignation that the Iran medical staff did not take the decision out of his hands and signal for him to come off long before he eventually did.
Welcome back to the World Cup Netherlands
Back at football’s showpiece for the first time in eight years, the Netherlands needed 85 minutes to announce their arrival.
Late goals by Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen gave the Dutch a 2-0 victory over African champions Senegal on Monday as the three-time beaten finalists made their return to the global finals.
With Senegal missing injured star man Sadio Mane and the Dutch without their main attacking threat Memphis Depay at kick off, the Group A encounter in Doha looked set to end in a goalless draw.
But with just six minutes remaining PSV Eindhoven forward Gakpo got up in front of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to head in a floated Frenkie de Jong cross from the left.
Substitute Klaassen then secured the victory deep in injury time, following up to score after Mendy had saved from Depay, who had also come off the bench.
"I always had the feeling we were going to score a goal," said Van Gaal, who is in his third spell as coach of the national team.
"It was an efficient win but I also thought we were fitter because every two minutes the Senegalese were lying on the ground.
"So I think it was a well-deserved victory even if I don't think it was a good match from us."
The result leaves the Netherlands level at the top of the group with Ecuador, who beat hosts Qatar 2-0 in the tournament's opening match on Sunday.
Van Gaal's side play Ecuador on Friday, while Senegal now face a must-win contest against Qatar.
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The Netherlands' Cody Gakpo scores their first goal in the World Cup Group A match against Senegal at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on November 21, 2022. Reuters -
Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring the Netherlands' first goal against Senegal with Frenkie de Jong. Reuters -
Davy Klaassen of the Netherlands scores their second goal. Getty -
Davy Klaassen of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring their second. Getty -
Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, left, vies for the ball with Senegal's Boulaye Dia. AP -
Senegal's Cheikhou Kouyate is taken from the field on a stretche. AP -
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr is injured. Reuters -
Denzel Dumfries, centre, jumps for a header with Senegal's Ismaila Sarr, left, and Matthijs de Ligt. AP -
Netherlands' Nathan Ake in action with Senegal's Boulaye Dia. Reuters -
Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands battles for possession with Pape Abou Cisse of Senegal. Getty -
Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, left, vies for the ball with Senegal's Boulaye Dia. AP -
Netherlands' midfielder Steven Berghuis lifts the ball past Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye. AFP -
Aliou Cisse, head coach of Senegal, speaks to Kalidou Koulibaly. Getty -
Netherlands' forward Cody Gakpo, right, misses a chance. AFP -
Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly slides in on Netherlands' forward Cody Gakpo as Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy watches on. AFP -
Daley Blind of the Netherlands, left, is challenged by Senegal's Krepin Diatta. AP -
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr and Netherlands' Denzel Dumfries collide. Reuters -
Senegal's Nampalys Mendy shoots. Reuters -
Senegal's Pape Abou Cisse, right, remonstrates with referee Wilton Sampaio. AP -
Virgil Van Dijk of the Netherlands battles for possession with Boulaye Dia of Senegal. Getty -
Netherlands' midfielder Steven Berghuis and Senegal's Cheikhou Kouyate battle. AFP -
Abdou Diallo of Senegal fends off Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands. EPA -
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy claims a high ball. AP -
Steven Berghuis of the Netherlands, left, shoots. AP -
Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy punches the ball clear. Getty -
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio gives a yellow card to Netherlands' defender Matthijs De Ligt. AFP -
Senegal's Boulaye Dia battles with Netherlands' Nathan Ake. AFP
