DOHA: Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford put last year's European Championship loss behind them, combining to score three goals in England's 6-2 rout of Iran on Monday at the World Cup.
Both players missed penalties in the shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final and were then subjected to racist abuse. A year later, Saka scored twice at Khalifa International Stadium and Rashford came off the bench to add another with his first move of the match.
It has been a difficult buildup for England, but this was a performance that will provide encouragement to coach Gareth Southgate, who has recently endured the most troubled period of his England tenure.
He was booed after a 4-0 loss to Hungary in June and was humiliated by his own fans when they chanted: “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
Hundreds of fans missed the start of the match because of an issue with digital tickets. When they eventually made their way to their seats, they witnessed an utterly dominant display from England.
Jude Bellingham scored the first goal in the 35th minute — his first international goal.
Saka then got his first of the match in the 43rd and Raheem Sterling added another in first-half stoppage time. Saka scored his second shortly after the hour, but Mehdi Taremi pulled one back for Iran in the 65th minute.
Rashford struck six minutes later to extend England's lead to 5-1, and Jack Grealish also stepped off the bench to add a sixth in the 90th. Taremi added another for Iran from the penalty spot deep in injury time after John Stones was penalized for holding Morteza Pouraliganji’s shirt in the box.
The game was delayed for several minutes in the first half when Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand clashed heads with a teammate. He was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher with the score still 0-0.
His replacement, Hossein Hosseini, was left with the unenviable task of facing England's potent attack.
The match had a total of 29 minutes of injury time, 15 minutes in the first half and 14 in the second.
Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford help England rout Iran 6-2 at World Cup
https://arab.news/yw9xy
Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford help England rout Iran 6-2 at World Cup
- The game was delayed for several minutes in the first half when Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand clashed heads
- Match had a total of 29 minutes of injury time, 15 minutes in the first half and 14 in the second
Djokovic hints at retirement as time seeps away on history bid
- Djokovic: That much love, support, positivity. I tried to give you back with good tennis over the years
- It had the ring of a farewell speech and did not appear to have been just an emotional response to defeat
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic leaves the Australian Open still stuck on 24 Grand Slam titles and with fresh doubts about how many more tries he will have at winning an outright-record 25th.
The 38-year-old has consistently dismissed talk of retirement and said he is eyeing the defense of his Olympic gold at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
But after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets in the final on Sunday, the Serb suggested he may not be back in Melbourne.
“God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in six months or 12 months,” he told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena.
“So it has been a great ride. I love you guys.”
Djokovic has won a record 10 Australian Opens and until Sunday had never lost a final there.
But for all his success, Djokovic has not always had an easy relationship with the Melbourne fans.
“I want to just say in the end that you guys, particularly the last couple of matches, gave me something that I have never experienced in Australia,” he said.
“That much love, support, positivity. I tried to give you back with good tennis over the years.”
It had the ring of a farewell speech and did not appear to have been just an emotional response to defeat.
He said he had prepared two speeches, one for winning and the other for losing.
Faltering record
Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023, drawing him level with the Australian Margaret Court at the top of the all-time list.
But age and injuries, plus the emergence of world No. 1 Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner, have left him unable to win another.
Before Sunday, his previous Grand Slam final had been in 2024, when he lost the Wimbledon decider, again to Alcaraz.
Last year he reached the semifinals of all four majors but got no further, with Alcaraz and Sinner sharing the spoils.
He rolled back the years to defeat Sinner — 14 years his junior — in a five-set semifinal marathon in Melbourne.
But after Djokovic won the first set, the 22-year-old Alcaraz took a stranglehold on the final to sweep to victory 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.
Underlining where Djokovic is now in the pecking order of men’s tennis, he admitted he had not expected to reach another major final.
‘I always believe’
If the former world No. 1 was going to win that elusive 25th, he may reflect that he has seen his best remaining chance come and go.
He is the undisputed king of Melbourne Park and Rod Laver Arena is the court where he has had the most success.
The fourth seed enjoyed two big pieces of luck in reaching the semifinals.
Djokovic enjoyed free passage through the fourth round when Jakub Mensik pulled out with injury.
He was then facing defeat at two sets down to Lorenzo Musetti, only for the Italian fifth seed to retire injured.
He rolled back the years to beat Sinner and make the final, but a repeat success so soon after playing five sets was beyond him.
“Overall, for sure it’s been a fantastic tournament,” he said.
“I knew that I’d probably have to beat two of them (Alcaraz and Sinner) on the way to the title.
“I beat one, which is great, so it’s a step more further than I have gone in Grand Slams than last year.
“Very nice, encouraging. But, you know, not enough for me.”
So what next for one of the all-time greats?
For whatever time is left, he won’t give up on that 25th Grand Slam crown, even if the odds are now stacked against him.
“I always believe I can,” Djokovic said about finally eclipsing Court.
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be competing.”
