WORLD CUP | Page 3 RUGBY | Page 6 France seek Boks captain big win over wants no Australia to excuses in bid quell doubts for series win Saturday, June 16, 2018 FOOTBALL Shawwal 2, 1439 AH Morocco GULF TIMES own goal hands Iran 1-0 victory SPORT Page 2 REPORT ESP 3-3 POR Ronaldo steals thunder in thrilling 3-3 draw with Spain It was typical of the now 33-year-old to take the headlines aft er news from the Spain camp had dominated the build-up Spain’s forward Diego Costa celebrates after Ronaldo scoring his second celebrates his goal. At right, hat-trick against Portuguese fans Spain yesterday. cheer during the match. AFP in each. Spain then thought they had taken the lead as Sochi In one night the Real Madrid superstar doubled Isco smashed in a shot that bounced down onto his World Cup finals goal tally, and made his- the line off the underside of the bar, yet this time tory by scoring at an eighth consecutive major goal-line technology showed it was not in. ristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning tournament going back to Euro 2004, when he With Andres Iniesta, Isco and David Silva pulling hat-trick as Portugal snatched a 3-3 was still a teenager. the strings, Spain were on top, but Portugal draw with Spain in a World Cup clas- It was typical of the now 33-year-old to take the went back in front just as half-time approached. Csic here yesterday. headlines after news from the Spain camp had Goncalo Guedes teed up his captain Ronaldo, Real Madrid star Ronaldo crashed in an 88th dominated the build-up to this game. whose shot from 20 yards was straight at David minute free-kick to snatch a point for Portugal The evening had started in style for Ronaldo, as De Gea, but the Manchester United goalkeeper after a second-half goal from Nacho put the he scored a fourth-minute penalty after going could only help it on its way. Spaniards 3-2 ahead. down in the box under a foul from Nacho, play- It looked like Ronaldo’s first-half eff orts might be Ronaldo’s late equaliser capped a storming ing at right-back with Dani Carvajal not fit. in vain, as Spain regrouped at the interval and encounter which came after a chaotic few days Hierro, who cut an animated figure as he stood drew level 10 minutes into the second half with which saw Spain coach Julen Lopetegui sacked on the touchline with his sleeves rolled up, must a textbook set-piece counter. and Fernando Hierro appointed as his replace- have wondered at that point what he had let A free-kick floated into the area was headed ment. himself in for. back across the face of goal by Sergio Busquets Earlier, Ronaldo had twice put the European Yet Spain responded well and had the better of and Costa was there to turn it in. Three minutes champions in front only for Diego Costa to bring the game, as they drew level for the first time in after that, Nacho’s glorious eff ort from 22 yards Spain level on each occasion on a steamy night the 24th minute via a trademark piece of centre- made it 3-2, his half-volley curling into the net on Russia’s Black Sea coast. forward play by Costa. off the left-hand post. But then Ronaldo stepped up to send his free- He left Pepe on the floor as the pair challenged That looked to be that, but Ronaldo had the last kick from 25 yards up over the wall and into the for a high ball, before breaking into the box and word, and Morocco — beaten 1-0 by Iran earlier net, as the Iberian neighbours settled for a point planting a low shot into the bottom corner. on Friday — will not look forward to facing him apiece in this Group B encounter. The Portugal players were furious that no foul in their next game. It was a remarkable signal of intent from the was given as Costa led with his forearm into the current Ballon d’Or winner, who had never made challenge on Pepe, but the off icials let the goal RESULT a serious impact in any of his previous three stand without feeling the need to call on the Portugal 3 (Ronaldo 4-pen, 44, 88) Spain 3 World Cups, only managing to score one goal Video Assistant Referee. (Costa 24, 55, Nacho 58) PREVIEW ARG ENTINA VS ICELAND 4PM Argentina must overcome own demons Reuters Iceland were the surprise team at KEY FACTS Sochi Euro 2016, drawing with winners Por- tugal in the group stage and defeating Argentine will play Iceland in a World Cup finals. England in the last 16 on their way to Group D match in Moscow. — Iceland have not won since rgentina start as hot favour- quarter-fi nal defeat by France. Where: Spartak Stadium, Moscow January, a run of four games with- ites to beat Iceland in their But their form has dipped this year Capacity: 45,000 out victory. — Argentina scored opening World Cup Group D and they have failed to win any their When: Today June 16, 4PM Qatar 19 goals in the South American match today but the tough- last four matches, three of which they Time. qualifiers, the lowest by a qualify- Aest opponent for the runners-up four lost, to Mexico, Peru and Norway, by Referee: To be announced ing team since the single-group years ago may be themselves rather shipping three goals. Key stats: — Argentina, winners in format was adopted ahead of the than the tiny tournament debutants. Key midfi elder Gylfi Sigurdsson has 1978 and 1986, have qualified for Champions in 1978 and 1986, Ar- missed most of the last three months 11 consecutive World Cups starting 1998 finals. gentina are part of football’s elite and with a knee injury. He made substi- with West Germany 1974. Iceland, Previous meetings: The two have have in their ranks Lionel Messi, the tute appearances in Iceland’s fi nal two are competing in their first ever never met. fi ve-times world player of the year. But friendlies this month and his presence they only qualifi ed for Russia thanks to from the start would be a vital confi - a win in their fi nal qualifi er against Ec- dence booster. genius”. country. uador and scored 19 goals in 18 games, Few people believe Iceland can win “I don’t think this should be his last “He is very fi t, very well prepared the lowest by any South American but they may take heart from recall- World Cup,” Sampaoli told reporters and really looking forward to this qualifi er since the single-group format ing the last time Argentina expected yesterday after naming his line-up World Cup and hopes to achieve his was adopted in the mid-1990s. to win the opening game of the tour- against Iceland for today’s Group D dream,” Sampaoli said. Since then, their on the fi eld woes nament against a team who had never World Cup encounter in Moscow. Messi has left open the question of a have worsened — a slim win over non- won a World Cup match. “His skills and the professional way fi nal World Cup. qualifi ers Italy in March was followed Lionel Messi and his teammates attend a training session in Moscow yesterday. The year was 1990 and Argentina’s he plays means he will decide when he “They ask me if it will be my last four days later by a 6-1 hammering by opponents were Cameroon who won plays or not. He is a genius and plays World Cup and I do not know,” he said Spain — and been exacerbated by bad nine days before the tournament. They friendly against Israel in Jerusalem 1-0 and went on to reach the quarter- like a genius so I don’t think it will be in a column published Friday in the luck and poor planning. pulled themselves together to beat was cancelled due to political pres- fi nals, a feat still unsurpassed by an his last World Cup.” Argentinian daily La Nation. Argentina lost their fi rst-choice Haiti 4-0 but that did little to convince sure. In spite of all this, Argentina are African side. Messi, 31 on June 24, is captaining “I do not think about it now, it will goalkeeper Sergio Romero to a knee anxious fans. still fi rm favourites in Moscow today to Meanwhile Argentina coach Jorge Argentina, losing fi nalists in 2014, at surely depend on how we are do- injury and midfi elder Manuel Lanzini Argentine preparations were dealt overcome the smallest nation ever to Sampaoli said Lionel Messi could play his fourth World Cup but has yet to ing this month, how we end up in the withdrew after damaging ligaments another blow when an ill-advised qualify for the World Cup fi nals. another World Cup because he is “a win an international fi nal with his tournament.” Victory over Morocco was Iran’s fi rst in a World Cup game since they beat United States 2-1 in 1998 2 Gulf Times Saturday, June 16, 2018 REPORT MAR 0-1 IRN SPOTLIGHT FIFA probes empty seats at match in Morocco own goal Yekaterinburg AFP able tickets had been sold and it Moscow was investigating why there were so many no-shows. “We can confi rm that 32,278 IFA is investigating why tickets have been allocated for hands Iran victory Egypt and Uruguay were the match between Egypt and playing in front of thou- Uruguay in Yekaterinburg.