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FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Argentina beat Poland 2-0 to top Group C
Eliminating all the confusion and doubts, Argentina marched into the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2022 after beating Poland 2-0 in their last group stage match at Stadium 974 - Ras Abu Aboud, Qatar. Argentina finished top in Group C, while Poland also qualified for the next round as they finished second.
Qatar 2022: Argentina vs Poland Match Report
Argentina were ruthless and in full attacking mood against Poland from the start, defying the idea that Lionel Scaloni prefers a defensive approach. They constantly pushed the Polish defense in order to get an early lead and came very close to scoring on a number of occasions, but Wojciech Szczsny denied most of them.
Read More: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
The most important save was obviously the penalty by Lionel Messi in the 39th minute. Szczsny pushed Messi in the penalty box area, and the Argentine players complained to the referee about a possible penalty. After checking the VAR, the referee gave the decision in favour of Argentina. Messi took the penalty, but Wojciech Szczsny saved it. It was a great save by the Polish goalkeeper. The first half ended at 0-0.
Within one minute of the second half, Argentina opened the scoring thanks to a goal by midfielder Alexis MacAllister. It was his first goal for the Argentina national team. Argentina didn't stop attacking the Polish defense after getting an early lead in the second half. They played at the same tempo and got the second goal in the 67th minute when Manchester City's Julian Alvarez hammered the ball into the right top corner to make it 2-0.
Read More: Australia upset Denmark to march to World Cup last 16
Agentina found a few more chances after that, including an easy one for Messi, but he couldn't seize it. It was a disappointing night for the Argentine captain, who made a few solo runs but failed to score.
Aftermath
Argentina struggled to perform to their full potential in their first two World Cup 2022 fixtures, but on Wednesday they showed their prowess against Poland. They dominated the European side and eventually clinched the contest 2-0. With this victory, they topped their Group and now face the Group D runner-up, Australia, on December 3 in the Round of 16 phase of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo agrees to Saudi Al Nassr club’s €200mn per season deal after Manchester United exit
Portuguese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly agreed to sign a mega deal with Saudi Arabian-based club Al Nassr, reports popular Spanish daily Marca.
Ronaldo will reportedly earn 200 million euros per season, which includes his salary and advertising agreements. It was earlier confirmed that the Portuguese international is committed to leaving Europe to take on a new challenge.
Read More: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Al Nassr's mega offer could not be matched by any European club, as well as by David Beckham's Inter Miami or any other MLS team.
Al Nassr offered Cristiano last summer, but the deal didn't go through due to an administrative sanction. But this time, a deal between the two parties seems very close, as there are no legal obstacles this time. Ronaldo also gives his green signal to his agent to finalize all the paperwork.
Mrsool Park, Al-Nassr's home stadium, has a capacity of 25,000 people. Their domestic rival is Al Hilal, the current league champions. Rudi Garcia is the current head coach of Al Nassr, and former Arsenal and Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina is also playing for the club.
The inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo will hugely boost Al Nassr's popularity on a global scale, and the Saudi League will surely get special attention as well. The economic benefit for both the club and the league can't be denied either.
Ronaldo's first choice was always playing in the Champions League for a big European team in order to compete at the highest level. His agent, Jorge Mendes, was trying to find a suitable club for him last summer, but considering his age, no big club showed interest in him.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had to continue with Manchester United this season despite disinterest from both parties. However, United's newly appointed head coach, Erik ten Haag, was reluctant to include Ronaldo in his starting XI, which made him furious.
Read More: Australia upset Denmark to march to World Cup last 16
Both parties' relationship eventually frayed when Ronaldo gave an exclusive interview to Piers Morgan Uncensored two weeks before the Qatar World Cup 2022.
Cristiano's criticism towards Manchester United's owners, coach, club's current infrastructure, and ex-colleagues has triggered huge controversy. Ronaldo and Manchester United were about to get separated after this, and last week, the contract was amicably terminated. He is now set to sign a lucrative contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr.
Pelé back in hospital to regulate medication
Brazilian football great Pelé was hospitalized in Sao Paulo to regulate the medication in his fight against a colon tumour, his daughter said on Wednesday.
Kely Nascimento added that there was “no emergency” concerning her 82-year-old father’s health.
Nascimento, who lives in the United States, made the comments in an Instagram post after what she called “lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad’s health.”
ESPN Brasil reported earlier that the three-time World Cup champion was taken to Hospital Albert Einstein due to “general swelling.”
“Really and truly, we appreciate the concern and love,” Nascimento said.
Spokespeople for Pelé and Hospital Albert Einstein did not reply to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Pelé removed a tumour in September of 2021, with the hospital saying then that he would begin chemotherapy.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally known as Pelé, has used his social media channels since then to deny he was in poor health. His latest public comment was in an Instagram post on Oct. 23, his birthday.
“I just want to express my gratitude. Life is good. Turning 82 with my family, in good health, is the best gift. Thank you for everything I have received,” he said in a video.
Pelé helped Brazil win the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and remains the country’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches for the national team.
Australia upset Denmark to march to World Cup last 16
Mathew Leckie helped Australia to beat Denmark and helped his team to march to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup for the first time after 16 years. Australia upset Denmark on Wednesday at Al Janoub Stadium.
Australia scored the only goal of the match in the 60th minute of the game. They broke the heart of Denmark in a counterattack.
Read More: France suffer shock 1-0 defeat against Tunisia
Kasper Hjulmand, the Denmark coach, tried his best and brought all of his power to the field to oust Australia, but they could not do that. Australia managed to keep their cool til the end of the match.
Australia started creating chances from the begging of the match. But it took them an hour to finally break the deadlock of the defense of Denmark.
Had a penalty call not been denied by the offside, Denmark would have conceded another goal. Denmark, however, won the ball possession by far, but that was not enough for them to avoid a shocking defeat.
Read More: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
With this win against Denmark, Australia marched to the last 16 as the runners-up of Group D of the 2022 World Cup. France, the current world champions, marched to the next round as the champions of the same group. They, however, lost the last group match to Tunisia. The last time Australia qualified for the Round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup, they lost to Italy.
France suffer shock 1-0 defeat against Tunisia
Tunisia may not play in the Round of 16, but they will go home on a high note after upsetting World Cup Champions France 1-0 and finishing third in the Group D points table of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Australia finished second in the group and secured a place in the knockout round.
World Cup 2022: France vs Tunisia Match Report
France secured their place in the Round of 16 after beating Denmark 2-1 in their second match of the group. The match against Tunisia was therefore just a formality for the French side. But for coach Didier Deschamps, it was a good opportunity to test his squad's strength, which he did by dropping some of his star players from the starting XI.
Read More: Australia upset Denmark to march to World Cup last 16
Tunisia, on the other hand, had a different equation. They had a realistic opportunity to advance to the Round of 16. But both sides played cautiously in the first half, but France dominated possession.
The match actually opened up when Wahbi Khazri scored for Tunisia in the 58th minute, forcing Didier Deschamps, the French coach, to make some immediate changes. He deployed Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, William Saliba, and Adrien Rabiot to enforce the France attacking line-up. Later, Antoine Griezmann was also brought in.
France started to attack more after those changes, while Tunisia tried to put pressure on the French defense through counterattacks. However, despite getting close on a number of occasions, France failed to find the net in the match and conceded a disappointing loss to the African side. Though Antoine Griezmann did score in the final minute of the match, that one was later disallowed due to offside.
Read More: Special record that Messi can break if he plays in FIFA World Cup 2022 final
Aftermath
Tunisia fought hard throughout the game, eventually defeating reigning champions France 1-0. This was undoubtedly Tunisia's greatest victory. On the other hand, losing this contest was disappointing for the French side, especially before their Round of 16 fixture at the Qatar World Cup 2022.
Messi, Lewandowski to square off as Argentina face Poland
Two of the best players on the planet go head-to-head when Lionel Messi of Argentina and Robert Lewandowski of Poland meet with World Cup implications in what is likely Messi's final attempt to win the tournament.
That match is part of an intense Wednesday at the World Cup: Mexico could be eliminated from the group stage for the first time since 1978 and Saudi Arabi has a chance to advance after its opening-game upset over Argentina.
But the spectacle will be at Stadium 974 in Doha, where Messi and Lewandowski square off.
Poland leads the group and a draw is enough to advance to the round of 16. But after the shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening match, Argentina is only guaranteed to advance with a victory. A draw could get Argentina into the next round depending on the other result.
A loss? Well, that would mean elimination and humiliation. Messi is playing in his record-tying fifth World Cup and, at 35 years old, he's unlikely to play in a sixth.
He knows it, too, and the devoted Argentina fanbase shed tears after Messi scored the crucial second-half goal to seal a 2-0 win over Mexico last week. Argentina has not been eliminated from the group stage since 2002.
Read more: Goalless Mexico on brink of World Cup elimination
“I think when the groups were drawn and we were put together, the whole world has been waiting for this match," Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz said.
Poland is trying to advance out of the group stage for the first time since 1986, and the Poles last went unbeaten in all three first round games in 1982 en route to the semifinals. Lewandowski failed to convert a penalty in a 0-0 draw with Mexico, but he scored his first career World Cup goal in a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
Messi and Lewandowski have never before played each other at the international level, but have gone head-to-head three times at the club level in the Champions League. Messi scored twice for Barcelona in a 2015 win and Lewandowski scored once each for Bayern Munich in victories over Barcelona in 2015 and 2020.
Michniewicz said the match is much bigger than two players and it will be team effort, not Messi or Lewandowski, that decides the game.
“It’s not Messi versus Lewandowski. It’s not tennis, it’s not 1-on-1. They are not serving to each other," the Poland coach said. “Robert needs his teammates, like Leo does. They rely on their teammates, they can’t do this alone, although these individual players can do a lot themselves.”
MEXICO-SAUDI ARABIA
Mexico came to the World Cup with goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa desperate to advance past the round of 16 and play in an elusive “quinto partido” — a fifth game.
If Mexico doesn't make something happen against Saudi Arabia, there might not even be a “cuarto partido.”
El Tri hasn't advanced to the quarterfinals since Mexico hosted the 1986 tournament, but the team is now on the verge of elimination in group play. A loss to Saudi Arabia would end Mexico’s bid for an eighth straight trip to the World Cup’s knockout rounds.
The last time Mexico played at soccer’s biggest tournament and didn’t advance out of its group was in 1978.
But Mexico needs to do more than just win. Even with a victory, Mexico needs Poland to beat Argentina, and maybe even goal difference will determine Mexico's fate.
Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi leads Argentina to 2-0 win over Mexico
One problem: Mexico has yet to score any goals in Qatar. El Tri hasn’t scored in 384 straight minutes at the World Cup, dating back to their second group match at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
“In the next game we have no more chances,” Mexico forward Henry Martin said. “We have to score the goals that we can, and not worry what happens in the other game.”
Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets ever when it beat Argentina 2-1 in its opener. The team reached the knockout stage in 1994 in its World Cup debut but hasn’t made it past the group stage since.
Saudi Arabia can advance with a win. A draw would also be enough if Poland beats Argentina.
“We will play to the last second of this tournament and we will not give up,” Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard said.
Women's football: Bashundhara Kings hammer Dhaka Rangers 12-0
Bashundhara Kings thumped Dhaka Rangers 12-0 in the fourth-round match of the Bashundhara Group Women's Football League 2021-22 at the Birshrestha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in the capital's Kamalapur Wednesday.
Siraj Jahan Swopna made a hat-trick with four goals; Sabina Khatun netted the second hat-trick with three goals. Ritu Porna Chakma, Maria Manda, Marzia, Shamsun Nahar Jr and Sumaiya scored one goal each for the Kings.
Read more: Round-4 matches of Women's Football League begins Wednesday
In the day's other match, Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College earned a 3-1 victory over Barisal Football Academy at the same venue Wednesday afternoon.
Aklima, Mahfuza and Unnoti scored one goal each for the winners while Sajeda Khatun pulled one back for Barisal Football Academy.
In the day's other league match, Suddopuskorini JSC defeated FC Brahmanbaria 3-1 at the same venue.
Nasrin scored two and Kakoli netted one for the winners while Sagorika pulled one back for Brahmanbaria.
Read more: Women's football: Bashundhara Kings, Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College earn comfortable wins
In the remaining fourth-round matches Thursday, Nasrin Sports Academy will face Cumilla United Club at 1pm. Uttara Football Club will play Jamalpur Karcharipara Akadash at 3pm and Siraj Smriti Sangsad will face Farashganj Sporting Club at 5pm.
All the matches will be played at the Birshrestha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium.
India to arrive in Dhaka Thursday for ODI, Test series
India is set to arrive in Dhaka Thursday evening to play a three-match ODI and two-match Test series against hosts Bangladesh.
It will be the first ODI series between these teams in Bangladesh in seven years. India last toured Bangladesh for an ODI series in 2015 when the hosts beat them 2-1.
Read more: Unofficial Test: India A in the driving seat against Bangladesh A
Bangladesh took on India in 36 ODIs; they won five and one was a no result.
Rohit Sharma will lead Team India in the series and Lokesh Rahul will play the role of his deputy.
The first ODI of the series will take place in Dhaka on December 4 and the second at the same venue on December 7. The third and last ODI will be played in Chattogram on December 10.
After the ODI series, both the teams will lock horns in a two-match Test series. The first Test is scheduled to be played in Chattogram from December 14 and the second and last one in Dhaka from December 22.
Read more: Unofficial Test: Fragile Bangladesh A on the back foot against India A
India squad for ODIs
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shahbaz Ahmed, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Deepak Chahar, and Kuldeep Sen
Unofficial Test: India A in the driving seat against Bangladesh A
India A are in total control of the first unofficial Test against Bangladesh A in Cox's Bazar.
In reply to Bangladesh A's below-par total of 112, India A posted 404 for five wickets at the end of day two.
Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran smashed a ton each, coming up with an opening stand of 283 runs. Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam broke the stand removing Jaiswal for 145.
Taijul scalped two more wickets on day two, and Khaled Ahmed took as many wickets for Bangladesh A.
At the end of day two, India A were leading by 292 runs with five wickets in hand.
Read: Unofficial Test: Fragile Bangladesh A on the back foot against India A
Earlier, Bangladesh were all out for only 112 runs; Mosaddek Hossain hit a fifty for them.
Five of Bangladesh's first six batters were unable to make a double-digit score. Zakir Hasan and Mohammad Mithun made ducks each; Mominul Haque and Jaker Ali scored four each and Mahmudul Hasan Joy only one.
For India A, Saurabh Kumar bagged four wickets; Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar scalped three and two wickets, respectively.
Rainbow items allowed at World Cup stadiums: FIFA
One day after Iran and Wales were eliminated at the World Cup, FIFA finally gave a public assurance Wednesday that rainbow items and banners supporting protests in Iran will be allowed into stadiums.
Stadium security staff organized by Qatari authorities had seized items with rainbow colors and slogans such as “Women. Life. Freedom” to stop them from getting inside stadiums.
In the first week of the tournament, seven European teams including Wales lost the fight to wear multi-colored “One Love” armbands during World Cup matches and some fans complained they weren’t allowed to bring items with rainbow colors, a symbol of LGBTQ rights, into the stadiums of the conservative Islamic emirate.
Read: Qatar World Cup: Spain has some work to do vs Japan to guarantee spot in the round of 16
The match between Iran and the United States on Tuesday was charged with emotion among Iranian fans, some of whom had come to Qatar not only to support their team, but the protest movement back home with banners and flags.
“FIFA is aware of some incidents where permitted items were not allowed to be displayed at stadiums,” soccer’s world body said in a statement on Wednesday, more than a week after some incidents were reported at World Cup stadiums. “FIFA has received assurances by authorities that venue commanders have been contacted in relation to the agreed rules and regulations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
FIFA’s assurances that have seemed to be overridden by Qatari authorities.
Read: US, Iran fans mingle in Qatar ahead of World Cup clash
Wales and Iran will not play any more games at the World Cup after results late Tuesday sent England and the United States from their Group B into the knockout rounds.
“FIFA continues to work closely with the Host Country to ensure the full implementation of related regulations and agreed protocols,” FIFA said.