6 June 23, 2018 World Praises Iran for ‘Heroic’ Salah, , Messi, Messy, Messy: World Performance Against Spain Cup Stars Stifled TEHRAN (IFP) - The Iranian when his shot came off Ramin national football team lost its Rezaeian to beat Beiranvand SARANSK (Dispatches) - With of group stage to have a chance of Wednesday match against Spain after he had been sent through by nagging injuries, heavy marking from advancing to the next phase. 1-0 while many football fans across Andres Iniesta. opponents and some simply uninspired “Messi is human,” Aguero said after the world believed it deserved at Iran grew more adventurous play, the top stars of the 2018 World the Iceland match. least a draw against former world after falling behind and Mehdi Cup have struggled to deliver on the “Sometimes things happen for a champions in their second match Taremi almost levelled matters impossible expectations they carried reason. We need to be with him. This in FIFA World Cup 2018. with a header that flew just over. into the tournament, with one prominent was a bad day, but he can decide a Iran and Spain rounded off The entire Iranian bench poured Portuguese exception. match at any given moment. Hope he Matchday 2 in Group B, with La onto the pitch when Saeed Aside from Cristiano Ronaldo, who is better against Croatia.” Roja securing a 1-0 win to record Ezatollahi fired an equalizer for has all four of Portugal’s goals in its Croatia was taking note. two games, many of the biggest names “You can’t stop him with one player, their first victory at the 2018 Team Melli just before the hour. are off to a shaky start. you have to defend like a team. You FIFA World Cup Russia. But the thousands of Iranian No one has had rougher treatment saw that with Iceland,” defender Dejan Iran fought a valiant battle supporters that filled the stadium from the opposition than the world’s Lovren said ahead of the Argentina in Kazan to maintain hopes of with the sound of vuvuzelas were priciest player, Neymar. clash late Thursday. qualifying for the last 16. Despite left disappointed when it was During Brazil’s opening 1-1 draw Egypt striker Mohamed Salah set dominating possession, Spain ruled out for offside. with Switzerland, the 26-year-old a scoring record for were unable to forge any clear Iran initially set out to sit deep was fouled 10 times, the highest Liverpool and held all the hopes for a cut openings as an iron-willed defence that included Majid Busquets tried his luck from the and play on the counter but were number on a single player in a single deep run by the Pharaohs in their return Iranian XI camped on the edge Hosseini in place of the injured edge of the penalty area. forced to change their tactics match since the 1998 World Cup, to the World Cup, until he injured his of their box, giving them plenty Roozbeh Cheshmi. Indeed, Team Melli had a sight of goal after Spain scored. They created when England’s Alan Shearer took 11 shoulder playing for Liverpool in the of positives to take into their next Spain’s first clear opening did not at the other end of the pitch a number of chances but were challenges against Tunisia. Champions League final in a clash game against Portugal on June arrive until around the half-hour in the 53rd minute, but Karim unable to convert any, leaving Overall, Switzerland fouled Brazil 19 with Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, of 25. mark, when David Silva went Ansarifard’s shot could only them ruing a dropped point. times, with little intervention from the Spain. Fernando Hierro made two close with a sideways scissor brush the side netting. Spain, on the other hand, picked referee, and it worked -- especially on Salah sat out the opening 0-1 loss to changes to Spain’s starting line- kick, before narrowly missing the Spain took the lead with their up a narrow win before going into Neymar. Uruguay in Yekaterinburg, with coach up following their opening match target again just before the break next attack a minute later, the ball their final Group B fixture against Brazilians suggested their opponents Hector Cuper hoping to have him fit for against Portugal, as Dani Carvajal with a deflected shot. ricocheting into the net off Diego Morocco. Hierro’s charges went were too violent; Swiss midfielder Egypt’s second match, against Russia. and Lucas Vazquez respectively The second half started brightly Costa, who registered his third up against a well-organized side Gelson Fernandes thinks Neymar has He made his World Cup debut in replaced Nacho and Koke. and Gerard Pique, earning his goal in two matches. The Atletico with a solid backline, but took another problem. St. Petersburg and scored from the However, the Iberians struggled 100th for Spain, had a chance Madrid striker required another all three points thanks to their “He just falls too much,” Fernandes penalty spot, but only after the hosts to break down a reshuffled Iranian from a corner before Sergio stroke of luck on 54 minutes experienced midfielders. said after the game in Rostov-on-Don. led by three goals, and his mobility was “Out of these 10, only seven or eight clearly affected. were fouls. We have to stop their star, He barely touched the ball in the first Croatia Crush Brazil Beat Costa Rica and he is the star.” half and avoided physical contact with Neymar felt the effects of the Swiss Russian defenders during the entire strategy long after Sunday’s match game, and Egypt was eliminated with Argentina 3-0 to ended, limping out of training Tuesday one match left to play. 2-0 at World Cup as he continues to recover from a Ronaldo isn’t entirely alone in foot injury he picked up before the starting strong. Diego Costa has three Reach Knockouts tournament. of Spain’s four goals, Harry Kane has Superstar did face both of England’s, and Luka Modric heavy marking too, but he also had two scored one goal and set up the other in uninspired performances for Argentina, Croatia’s 2-0 win over Nigeria. which is now on the verge of early And there’s plenty of time for others elimination after a 3-0 defeat against to turn things around. Kylian Mbappe, Croatia. the 19-year-old striker at the center of Throughout the matches against the second-most expensive transfer Iceland and Croatia, disciplined in history, managed just one chance defenders and midfielders stopped in France’s 2-1 win over Australia in Messi from making his famous runs Kazan, but scored Thursday against and getting one-on-one chances. Peru in front of an empty net. Against Iceland, Messi saw his His famous runs and dribbles, penalty spot kick saved by goalkeeper however, were blocked by Australia’s Hannes Halldorsson, and the game physical game. ended 1-1. It’s early, and the tournament has Against Croatia, he crumbled with the seen plenty of stellar play from lesser- The Real Madrid midfielder scored a superb goal and had 62 rest of the team, which now desperately known players, but many of the star touches, making 29 passes in the opposition half - the most by a needs to beat Nigeria in the last round scorers have work to do. Croatia player - with an accuracy of 82.8% ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) Friday at the World Cup. — After more than 90 minutes of Unlike Argentina and Lionel Messi, MOSCOW (Dispatches) second-half display from aggravation and exasperation, Neymar Brazil is still in a good position to Hamilton, Bottas Fastest During -Argentina are facing the Croatia, illuminated by a and Brazil finally broke through Costa advance to the round of 16. Costa Rica prospect of an early World Cup moment of magic from their Rica’s smothering defense. has been eliminated. exit after a dreadful error from own masterful number 10, scored in the first Neymar dropped to his knees after 1st French GP Practice minute of stoppage time, and Neymar the final whistle, sobbing in his hands goalkeeper Willy Caballero set Luka Modric. followed six minutes later to give as his teammates surrounded him and Croatia on their way to victory His curled shot from range Brazil a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica on then lifted him off the ground. and a place in the last 16. drifted beautifully beyond On a night when so much was Caballero’s dive to put expected of Argentina captain his side two ahead, before Djokovic Thrashes Dimitrov Lionel Messi, Caballero made Rakitic’s injury-time tap-in the most telling contribution sealed a victory that moves to Lay Down Marker to his team’s fate with an the Europeans through to the LONDON (Reuters) - Novak crowd. attempted chip over Ante knockout stage and also leaves Djokovic has issued a statement of The 23-year-old will next face Rebic that backfired badly, them in a strong position to intent as he thrashed second seed Grigor defending champion Feliciano Lopez allowing the striker to volley win the group. Dimitrov to reach the quarter-finals of in the quarter-finals. into an exposed net in the 53rd Argentina are no longer the ATP 500 Fever-Tree championships Djokovic, ranked 22 after more than Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland steers his car during the first minute. in control of their own at Queen’s Club. a year battling an elbow injury and free practice at the Paul Ricard racetrack, in Le Castellet, southern Messi - adrift for much of destiny. This defeat follows The unseeded 12-time Grand Slam indifferent form, arrived in London France, Friday, June 22, 2018. the match, especially during their opening 1-1 draw with champion produced a clinical display after a bitter end to his French Open a pedestrian opening half - Iceland, in which Messi to win 6-4 6-1 and claim his first hopes against unheralded Italian LE CASTELLET, France (AP) races. rallied his side, but neither missed a penalty, and now victory over a top-10 opponent since Marco Cecchinato, but has so far - Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes The session had one red flag near he nor substitute forwards even a heavy win over Nigeria last May. looked serene on the grass courts. teammate Valtteri Bottas posted the the end when Marcus Ericsson spun Gonzalo Higuain and Pablo in their final game on Tuesday While Djokovic’s dominance was He always looked in control against top two times during the opening out of control and slammed into the practice for Formula One’s French barrier on Turn 11. The right rear of Dybala could find a way may not be enough to send based on his trademark pinpoint world number five Dimitrov and took accuracy and elastic court-coverage, the first set when he broke in the 10th Grand Prix on Friday. his Sauber burst into flame before the through in Nizhny Novgorod. them through to the next Defending champion Hamilton Swede got out, apparently unharmed. Australian Nick Kyrgios was at his game having gone 0-40 ahead on the The closest Messi came was round. clocked the best lap time at 0.140 This was the first chance drivers idiosyncratic best earlier on a sunny Bulgarian’s serve. a half-chance, a snatch at a For Messi, a prolific performer seconds faster than Bottas. had to run on the 5.8-kilometer (3.6- rebound from a Maximiliano at club level with Barcelona, center court to beat home hope Kyle Dimitrov saved two set points but at Red Bulls’ Daniel Ricciardo had the mile) Paul Ricard Circuit, as F1 Meza shot which was blocked this was another harrowing Edmund 7-6(7) 6-7(5) 6-3. 30-40 double-faulted to hand Djokovic third best effort, followed by Ferrari makes its return to France for the first by Ivan Rakitic and turned chapter in his recent history of Kyrgios mixed brutal power with the opener. pair Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian time in a decade. outrageous shot-making, sending After that Dimitrov faded badly and behind to safety. pain and disappointment in the Vettel. There will be two more practices down 32 aces and several between- Djokovic surged into a 5-1 lead before Vettel leads Hamilton by one point later on Friday and on Saturday It was a dogged defensive international game. the-legs specials to the delight of the having difficulty clinching victory. atop the standings after seven of 21 before qualifying for Sunday’s race.