Ecuador vs Senegal - FOLLOW LIVE
Ecuador’s young team are tantalisingly close to a record-equalling last 16 place in the World Cup if they can beat or draw with African champions Senegal in their Group A showdown on Tuesday at the Khalifa International Stadium.
The South Americans have had a superb start to the tournament, easily beating host Qatar 2-0 before outplaying the Netherlands and being unfortunate not to win in a 1-1 draw that made a mockery of the gulf in their world rankings.
The job is not done, however, as defeat by African champions Senegal could send them home rather than enable them to reach the knockout round for the second time in Ecuador’s history.
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“We have a bigger battle coming,” coach Gustavo Alvaro quickly warned after the euphoria of the performance against the Dutch, whom he had craftily acknowledged in advance were a superior side.
So far, Ecuador have been reliant on their veteran striker Enner Valencia, who has scored all their goals to add to his three at the 2014 World Cup.
But he is only the spearhead with a wealth of exuberant talent behind him, not least flourishing young midfielder Moises Caicedo, 21, who is at the heart of everything good that Ecuador do, both shielding his defence and releasing the strikers.
Once again, Ecuador are sweating on Valencia’s fitness after he was stretchered off late on in the Netherlands game with a recurrence of a knee strain suffered against Qatar.
Senegal is a less intimidating opposition without the injured Sadio Mane and knows it has to improve to beat Ecuador after losing 2-0 to the Dutch but beating Qatar 3-1 to sit in third place in Group A on three points.
“Our concentration must be better,” said Senegal coach Aliou Cisse. “We need to win to have a chance to qualify for the last 16.”
One of only three African nations to have reached the quarter-finals of a World Cup, Senegal know that victory over Ecuador would help atone for a miserable last tournament in Russia where they were eliminated on disciplinary points.
Senegal could theoretically still go through if they draw, as could Ecuador if they lose, but both those scenarios would require a win by Qatar over the Netherlands sufficient to push the Dutch into third place on goal difference.
-AP
Netherlands vs Qatar - FOLLOW LIVE
The Netherlands is on the verge of reaching the knockout stage at the World Cup and an overwhelming favorite in its final Group A match on Tuesday against host nation Qatar.
If the Dutch advance it will put more focus on 71-year-old coach Louis van Gaal, who stepped out of retirement just over a year ago to take over the national team while being treated for aggressive prostate cancer.
Host nation Qatar has lost its first two matches and already missed its chance to move on from the group stage.
For the Netherlands a draw will suffice to advance and put the Netherlands into contention again in a World Cup after failing to qualify four years ago. The Dutch could even get through with a loss if Ecuador beats Senegal in the other Group A match.
In the round of 16, the Netherlands would face one of the top two teams from Group B, where England is the favorite with Iran, Wales, and the United States scrambling for a spot.
-AP
Iran vs USA
Iran and USA will lock horns in a Group B clash at the Al Thumama stadium in a winner-takes-it-all contest.
Iran’s dramatic 2-0 win over Wales and the U.S. team’s tense goalless stalemate against England on Friday set up a tantalising final round of Group B matches.
England, sitting top with four points, face bottom side Wales, meaning the Iran-United States contest will decide which team goes through to the round of 16.
The eagerly awaited meeting is a rematch of the 1998 World Cup group stage contest, dubbed the “mother of all games”, which Iran won 2-1. In a symbolic moment before that match at Lyon’s Stade Gerland, the Iranian players gave white roses, a symbol of peace in the country, to their American opponents.
Overshadowing Iran’s World Cup build-up this year has been civil unrest at home over the September death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, arrested for flouting the country’s strict Islamic dress code.
Team Melli declined to sing Iran’s national anthem in their first game against England in an apparent show of solidarity with protesters. They sang quietly on Friday at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, where boos and jeers were heard from Iran supporters.
Amid growing public pressure on players to take a stand over a deadly crackdown on protests, Iran rallied late against Wales to rescue a World Cup campaign that seemed to have flatlined following their 6-2 thrashing by England.
Gregg Berhalter, whose exuberant side drew 1-1 with Wales in their group opener, described the match as his team’s “first knockout game” of the World Cup and was wary of the threat posed by Iran after their second-half assault against Wales.
“Now we need to be sure that we are good enough to go to the second round,” Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said after his team kept alive their hopes of a first ever trip to the knockout stage.
“The U.S. is a brilliant team as well, as we saw them against Wales.
“Our preparation starts with a good rest, refresh the minds and put all the complementary and garbage things outside of our minds and focus on our goal, because what we want to do is to give this gift to Iranian fans.”
-REUTERS
Wales vs England
The odds are heavily stacked against Wales reaching the last 16 ahead of their so-called Battle of Britain against England on Tuesday but if they are to fly home early they will want to do so with pride restored.
Wales has waited 64 long years to qualify for a World Cup but after conceding two goals to Iran deep into stoppage on Friday it looks like being only a brief stay in Middle East.
That late defeat left Wales crestfallen and at the bottom of group B and needing to beat England for only the 14th time in 104 meetings, a rivalry dating back to 1879.
Even a victory might not be enough to save Wales as it would also need the other remaining group match between Iran and the United States to end in a draw.
There is one other scenario, one which has never happened before, in which Wales must beat England by four goals, in which they case they would go through to the last 16, whatever the result of the other game, at the expense of England.
While the complexities of the maths are head-spinning, Wales will just want to land a blow on its old rival, snap a run of six consecutive defeats against it and claim a first win over England since 1984.
For that to happen it will require some magic from its talisman Gareth Bale, who scored an equalising penalty in the opening game against the U.S. but who was rather anonymous in the defeat by Iran.
While England is in a far more comfortable position, leading the group, it went from being so-called world beater to being booed by its own fans in the space of five days in Qatar -- thrashing Iran 6-2 before being largely outplayed by a youthful U.S. side in a 0-0 draw.
Manager Gareth Southgate began those games with identical starting line-ups, but could well decide to make some tweaks against Wales with Manchester City’s Jack Grealish in line for a start and perhaps an opportunity for striker Callum Wilson.
Only a four-goal defeat could send England crashing out, with bookmakers pricing that as a 400-1 shot, so there is an opportunity for Southgate to tinker with his line-up and perhaps even protect striker Harry Kane ahead of the last 16.
-AP
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