“Happy and proud”: England shines without a colorful bandage

Created: 2022-11-21Updated: 2022-11-21, 4:47 p.m

The English prevailed easily against Iran.

© Robert Michael/dpa

Symbols, bans and lots of politics: The England vs. Iran game is almost entirely about non-football issues.

In terms of sport, Kane and Co. present themselves as favorites for the title.

Al-Rajjan – Co-favorite England defied the hype about the symbolic colorful captain's armband and set the first sporting exclamation mark at the World Cup in Qatar with a loose 6: 2 (3: 0) against the overwhelmed outsider Iran.

The fans fervently sang the national anthem "God Save the King", and party music blared from the speakers.

The English record winners around goal scorer Jude Bellingham clapped each other loosely and grinning before a lap of honor.

The Three Lions with captain Harry Kane, who did not have the “One Love” armband for diversity on his arm after the announced sanctions from FIFA, started a World Cup in Al-Rajjan more clearly than ever in its history and showed its so impressively ambitions for the title.

Before the game against Iran, the English fans sang "God Save the King".

© Robert Michael/dpa

"We needed that good start," doubles goalscorer Bukayo Saka told the BBC: "There was a lot of talk and speculation about our form, but we showed everyone how much quality we have and what we can do.

I am so happy and so proud.”

Extreme stoppage time

In front of 45,334 spectators, some of whom were late to the stadium due to problems with the ticketing app, Bellingham (35th minute) scored the opening goal for head coach Gareth Southgate's team.

Wingers Bukayo Saka (43'/62'), Raheem Sterling (45'+1'), Marcus Rashford (71') and Jack Grealish (90') scored more goals.

For England it was the first win since March, in the summer there was not a single success in six Nations League games.

More than two goals by Mehdi Taremi (65th / 90th + 13 / penalty) were not possible for Iran.

There were two more than ten minutes of stoppage time due to numerous interruptions.

Iran meets the Three Lions from England at the start.

© Frank Augstein/AP/dpa

Even before kick-off at the Chalifa International Stadium, which also hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2019, the game was strongly political and symbolic.

England captain Kane did not wear the armband because FIFA threatened to sanction the campaign by several European associations with yellow cards and other penalties as a sign of diversity.

A week ago, the FA association announced that it would also accept penalties for the diversity sign.

Now those responsible emphasized that they did not want to get the players on the pitch in trouble.

The signs of the outsider from Asia were all the more visible - but in a completely different matter.

Some Iranian fans showed their solidarity with the protests at home by wearing shirts that read "Women, Life, Freedom".

For weeks, Iran has been rocked by the worst protests in decades.

The death of a young woman in police custody had triggered this, and the security apparatus reacted with harshness.

The Iranian players were silent during the anthem, the fans made additional noise - this is also understood as a protest.

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Sports partly in the background

The sport and thus the first appearance of Vice European Champion England moved to the edge of attention for long stretches.

This was also the case after about ten minutes when Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand was down after a violent collision with a team-mate and had to be treated.

The doctors swapped the blood-smeared jersey and tried to get Beiranvand fit to play again, but that didn't work.

After an interruption of about ten minutes, the goalkeeper then left the field.

Iran's goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand is being treated for an injury.

© Robert Michael/dpa

In England's coherent offensive actions, defender Harry Maguire was surprisingly often involved.

First he was brought down in the penalty area without consequences, then he hit the side netting and headed the bar one after the other.

Bellingham then provided relief, who placed a well-placed cross from Luke Shaw and deliberately headed into the far post.

It was a tailor-made World Cup debut for the BVB professional, he scored his first international goal ever and at the age of 19 is now England's second youngest World Cup goalscorer behind Michael Owen.

The game was decided at halftime

The wingers Saka and Sterling in particular made a good pace for the Southgate team and had numerous strong actions.

So the other goals in the first half, in which there was a bizarre stoppage time of 14 minutes, were only logical.

For the second goal, Maguire put his head and eye on Saka, who finished precisely and powerfully.

Just two minutes later, Sterling, who was properly served by Captain Kane, followed up.

The game was decided at halftime, in the second 45 minutes it was all about the amount of the English opening success.

Saka was served well again, moved in from the right and pushed in to make it 4-0.

Then the outsider was allowed to cheer.

FC Porto's top striker Taremi scored the second before Rashford, who had just come on as a substitute, made his first move for the English side.

At this point, defender Maguire had already been replaced injured.

Joker Grealish also scored, and Taremi's penalty made it 2-6.

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