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Late penalty gifts South Africa first point against wasteful Czech Republic

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Late penalty gifts South Africa first point against wasteful Czech Republic

Teboho Mokoena's late penalty gifted South Africa their first point of the World Cup after wasteful Czech Republic failed to make their chances pay in a 1-1 draw in Atlanta.Bafana Bafana were desperate to respond after their disheartening opening defeat to Mexico, but they looked sluggish and lacking in creativity for much of the match. However, Pavel Sulc's clear, albeit inadvertent, handball nine minutes from time handed Teboho Mokoena the chance to salvage a point from the penalty spot.They had trailed since the sixth minute to Michal Sadilek's smart finish from another Czech set piece but could have been ahead even before that, with Patrik Schick miscuing a presentable header with just 50 seconds on the clock.South Africa's best chance prior to their goal, a blocked effort from Thapelo Maseko, came when Matej Kovar spilled a cross with Hugo Broos' side struggling to create chances and failing to test the Czech goalkeeper to that point.They should have been further behind moments after the break when Vladimir Darida was found unmarked in the box but a heavy touch allowed Ime Okon to get back, before Schick nodded a free header straight at Ronwen Williams.But Mokoena's late leveller, and a late flurry of half-chances which followed for South Africa, leaves Group A blown right open with both they and Czech Republic still able to amass four points and finish at least third, which would be highly likely to see them into the last 32.For 80 minutes South Africa toiled against a poor Czech Republic side who had lost to the Faroe Islands in qualifying for this tournament and pulled up no trees against South Korea in their opening game.It looked as though Hugo Broos' men were on the verge of an early exit without a single meaningful chance created for the second game in a row, until Pavel Sulc's inadvertent gift of an equaliser.From then, the sluggish, sideways South Africa was gone and there were glimpses that they might be able to salvage their tournament against South Korea in their final group game. Third place is suddenly a realistic opportunity - potentially even second with another slice of good fortune elsewhere.There is undoubtedly more to come from this South Africa side. Not just from how they ended in Atlanta, but from finishing above Nigeria in their qualifying group. But it will take a lot more than they have shown for the majority of this tournament so far to make it count.South Africa head coach Hugo Broos to BBC Sport:"I am very proud of my team when you see the reaction after the Mexico game. We play good football. We are aggressive, we had chances, but you need a bit of luck."We made one mistake, everyone knows that [Vladimir Coufal] throws very far. It's a pity but I'm very proud. The Czech Republic team is very powerful, and very tall. We did very well with the second balls, it was a fantastic performance."

Sky SportsThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: Sky Sports
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Liverpool beat Newcastle to signing of Spain international Munoz

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Liverpool beat Newcastle to signing of Spain international Munoz

Liverpool have signed Osasuna winger Victor Munoz for £34.5m.Munoz, currently at the World Cup with Spain, underwent a medical with Liverpool in the US and is expected to sign a six-year contract at Anfield.Liverpool, who are set to pay the transfer fee in two instalments, are bringing in a versatile and pacey winger who predominantly plays off the left but can also be used on the right and through the middle.Newcastle thought they had a deal for the Spain international and even had the wheels in motion for Munoz to have a medical before Liverpool moved ahead of them in a repeat of last summer's move for Hugo Ekitike.Liverpool have had a long-term interest in Munoz, which was accelerated by the arrival of new head coach Andoni Iraola, who knows the player well from his extensive knowledge of LaLiga.Munoz joined Barcelona's La Masia academy aged 11 before eventually making the switch to Real Madrid's youth team in 2023.Carlo Ancelotti gave the winger his LaLiga debut in May 2025, introducing him as a substitute for Vinicius Junior against Barca.Munoz signed a five-year deal at Osasuna that summer and played 34 league games last season, scoring six goals and providing two assists.Latest from Sky Sports News' Keith Downie:Newcastle thought they had a deal for Victor Munoz before Liverpool swooped in to sign the Osasuna winger.Newcastle had a £33.3m fee - an initial £29m plus £4.3m in add-ons - accepted by the LaLiga club.The 22-year-old had agreed personal terms and told Newcastle that he wanted to come, while agent fees were also agreed.Newcastle had the wheels in motion for a medical over in the US and felt they had a deal in place.But they were instructed by the player's representatives to wait over the last 24 hours.Liverpool had always been at the table for the Spain international, so they did not come in at the last minute, but Newcastle had been told the player wanted to sign for them.Newcastle are now licking their wounds inflicted by Liverpool again after what happened with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike last summer, and are trying to get to the bottom of what happened in the last 24 hours.Liverpool had always planned to sign more than one winger this summer, as they look to replace Mohamed Salah, and Munoz's arrival does not end their interest in RB Leipzig's in-demand winger Yan Diomande, who is their top wide target this summer.However, the 19-year-old Ivory Coast international will be very hard to get over the line because of the widespread interest from top clubs in Europe and Leipzig's attempts to sign him to a new contract. The German club want more than £86m to sell.Liverpool wanted to add more flexibility to their forward line this summer and Munoz fits that bill. He has primarily been used off the left but can play on both wings and also has the capacity to play through the middle.As well as being a multi-functional attacker, Munoz is a direct winger who will add pace to Liverpool's attack which was another priority for the summer window.Munoz's versatility will provide Iraola with more options and gives Liverpool a greater ability to cope when injuries hit as they did last season as well as enhancing competition for places.His ability to play in numerous positions is also seen as a positive inside Liverpool because he is unlikely to limit Rio Ngumoha's first-team opportunities.Federico Chiesa's future was always uncertain heading into the summer window after his opportunities were limited under former head coach Arne Slot.Iraola wants to give everyone a clean slate and there is a feeling inside Liverpool that the Italy winger is more suited to the Spaniard's style of football than Slot's.However, the arrival of Munoz combined with the likelihood of another signing in Chiesa's position complicates his chances of playing a bigger role under Iraola after Slot handed him just one Premier League start last season.The 28-year-old, who has two years left on his deal, has interest from Italy and wants to be a first-team regular. As it stands, it appears that might prove to be tough at Anfield.

Sky SportsThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: Sky Sports
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Clarke warns Scotland: ‘We must be at our best – Morocco are the real deal’

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Clarke warns Scotland: ‘We must be at our best – Morocco are the real deal’

Head coach says 2022 semi-finalists are now even betterScotland could deploy back three against Group C rivalsSteve Clarke has warned Scotland the Morocco team they will face on Friday are superior to the one who reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2022.Scotland kicked off their tournament with a 1-0 win over Haiti, which came hours after Morocco impressed during a 1-1 draw with Brazil. Clarke answered with a firm “absolutely” when asked whether Morocco will pose as stern a threat as Brazil to his side in Group C.“We are under no illusion about the size of the task,” said Clarke. “I feel Morocco are a really, really good side. They reached the last four of the last World Cup and I have a feeling this Morocco team is slightly better than that, so that gives you an idea of the task ahead. They have power, they have pace, they have little bits of skill that can open up a game. For me they are the real deal, a top side. We will have to be at our very best to compete.“It is a big challenge for us. We give them a lot of respect. We expect they will probably have more of the ball, more possession. We have to make sure that when we have the ball we can be a threat to Morocco.”Clarke deployed a back three for the friendly against Côte d’Ivoire in March, which may serve as a clue to his plan or Morocco. It is a near certainty that Scotland will not lineup in the 4-4-2 formation used against Haiti. “Every system that we have ever played, we have put a lot of work into,” Clarke said. “I have shown over my time as head coach that we can play different systems. It is something that we have always wanted to expand on, more systems, different personnel for different games.“Sometimes the Scottish psyche and mentality is that we are a little more comfortable when we are the underdog. We were the favourites against Haiti and found the game a struggle, but we managed to win. This time we are the underdogs and sometimes Scotland prefer it that way.”Barring an utterly bizarre series of results, a point should be enough to earn Scotland a tournament knockout berth for the first time ever. They could progress on three points, which brings protection of goal difference into the conversation. It is one, however, Clarke is happy to ignore. “You just have to play the game,” said the 62-year-old. “The first thing is to try and win, if you can’t win then don’t lose. Permutations and whatever else is for you guys [the media] and all the punters to think about, not for us.“The players feel good about themselves. They wanted to win a game at a major tournament and have done that. Now they want the next step, which is to get what we need out of the next two games to make a little bit of history for Scotland. The training was electric today. We feel good.”Clarke made time during pre-match media duties to offer words of support to the family of Donnie Strathie. The 76-year-old had travelled to Boston as a Scotland fan but died in the aftermath of the Haiti game. “In among all the good news that has come out the World Cup for Scotland, that is obviously very sad for his family; his daughters, his grandchildren,” said Clarke. “My thoughts and condolences are with his family.”

Ewan Murray in BostonThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: The Guardian
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Mokoena rescues point for South Africa against Czechia and relieves pressure on Broos

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Mokoena rescues point for South Africa against Czechia and relieves pressure on Broos

They can put the matches away, at least for a little while. Before this game the South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos, had responded to fierce criticism for how his side had started the World Cup by revealing that eight months ago, having qualified for the competition, a friend told him they would erect of a statue of him and that he had said: “Make it out of wood; that way it will burn more easily when I lose.” Defeated 2-0 by Mexico, they were seven minutes away from following that up with a 1-0 loss to Czechia, left with no points, no goals and not much hope either. But then, almost from nowhere, a penalty allowed them to live to fight another day, the bonfire avoided for now.Teboho Mokoena was the man that scored it and what it meant could be seen not just in the way that he celebrated but in the tears that had rolled down his face during the national anthem. A draw is not a great result and it was not a great game but there was a smile at the end, and hope too. South Africa can still go through: victory over South Korea would virtually guarantee it; a win for the Czechs would see them through too. Whether they are capable of securing one is a different matter.“This will be different,” the Czech head coach, Miroslav Koubek, said after his side’s 2-1 defeat by South Korea. Yet the beginning did not scream improvement. They had only been playing 45 seconds when a long, looped cross from the left found Patrik Schick all alone at the far post, barely six yards out. It was as if South Africa had yet to start playing and as if the striker had not either, like he did not expect it to reach him in the first place. With the ball falling from a height and the contact weak, his attempt on goal, if it could be called that, dribbled apologetically wide.If the header was not great, Broos’s side were worse in those opening stages. Accused of being too negative against Mexico; here they could have done with a little more negativity, some of what Carlo Ancelotti likes to call pessimistic defending. Czechia were dominating; South Africa were allowing them to and they found themselves a goal down after just five minutes.Czechia’s second World Cup goal began in the same way as their first: from a throw-in. Up the line it went, Adam Hlozek escaping into a wide space on the left and pulling the ball across an almost empty area. Khuliso Mudau watched it pass and watched two opponents do the same. Wondering whether to stay or go, by the time he had decided it was too late and he was caught in the middle. The defender’s mistimed step towards the ball made up the attacker’s mind. With one neat touch, Alexandr Sojka took Mudau out the game and set up Michal Sadilek to finish.South Africa appeared out of it, Czechia cutting through them easily and accumulating four shots inside 10 minutes. A deflected effort from Oswin Appollis which hit the side netting was South Africa’s first on 12 minutes, but at least they had turned up. At least now it felt like a game, at least they were playing. Iqraam Rayners could not get to a Mudau cross inside the six-yard area but there was life at last and a lovely move out from the back saw the full-back get in just after the hour. From a neat set-up, Mokoena thumped it over from 25 yards. Just before the break, Matej Kovar dropped the ball at the feet of Thapelo Maseko, but his shot was blocked. South Africa were in this; Czechia had invited them to be.But as the second half began they sought to reassert themselves once more, Sadilek getting free to find Vladimir Darida, whose poor touch meant it came to nothing. Schick’s header was then easily stopped by Ronwen Williams and a cross from Sojka was cleared by Mokoena before Jaroslav Zeleny’s clever pass almost set up Sadilek. All of which might make it sound like a goal was more imminent than it really was and soon the game became a more cautious affair. For South Africa only Appollis offered any real glimpse of invention. Not much happened in the period before, to more boos, referee Tori Penso sent the players to the touchline for more drinks they did not need and a team talk they probably did.South Africa needed something in the fourth quarter, that was for sure. Even if it was just a reaction, a flash of anger, maybe even fear. What they got was a gift. Czechia had let them play, which did not seem like the worst plan given how little they could create, but from nowhere in particular it came to pass. Coming inside from the right, Thapelo Maseko had a go from outside the area; the ball hit Pavel Sulc on the arm and Penso did not hesitate. From the spot, Mokoena scored. He ran to the corner, thumping at the badge, as teammates ran after him from the pitch and the bench.South Africa were alive. They were pushing too, the final 10 minutes or so offering more than the previous 80 had: here was some excitement at the end. Lukas Porovd struck wide at one end and suddenly, in the fifth minute of added time, Evidence Makgopa was in, only to hit straight at the goalkeeper. There was still time for one more Aubrey Modiba effort, who was blocked by David Zima. That really would have been a firestarter.

Sid Lowe at Atlanta StadiumThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: The Guardian
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Who England and Scotland face in World Cup last 32 as it stands

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Who England and Scotland face in World Cup last 32 as it stands

The group stages of the World Cup are still in their infancy - but attention will inevitably already be turning to potential knockout round match-ups as fans plot their nation's potential route to glory.Now the first matches in each group have been completed, you can see the current bracket for the knockout stages here.The page updates while group matches are in-play and automatically updates every 15 seconds.As it stands, Group L leaders England face a daunting last-32 meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, who sit third in Group K after drawing their opening match against DR Congo.That would be the first meeting between the two nations at a major men's championship since Portugal beat England on penalties in the quarter-final stage of the 2006 World Cup, two years after doing so at the same stage of Euro 2004.Scotland, as leaders of Group C after their opening victory over Haiti, are on course to meet Japan, who are second in Group F following an opening draw with the Netherlands.Among the other eye-catching fixtures based on the latest results, Germany would come up against Brazil, who they thrashed 7-1 on their way to the title in 2014.Erling Haaland's Norway, top of Group I, would also meet the Netherlands - captained by Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk's side and currently third in Group F.The top two teams from the 12 groups, plus the eight best third‑placed nations, will advance into an expanded knockout phase that will begin with a round of 32.Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor gameEverything you need to know about the World Cup

BBC SportThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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‘Talisman’ McTominay has the motivation to make impact on World Cup

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‘Talisman’ McTominay has the motivation to make impact on World Cup

Steve Clarke highlights squad mentality before Morocco game but Napoli midfielder stands out with his goalsIt is a conversation in Milan that should resonate in Massachusetts. Italy’s failure to qualify for another World Cup has triggered harsh assessment of Serie A, including why there is a shortage of home players making sufficient impact there. The success of imports, whose talent level is marginally above average, supposedly says much about decline within the Italian game.It would be harsh to place Scott McTominay in that category. The sharpness of the 29-year-old’s career trajectory since leaving Manchester United for Napoli depicts a player who was underappreciated at the club of his youth and early professional years. McTominay left Manchester with a point to prove and did so with bells on, courtesy of a title win and the label of Serie A’s most valuable player in 2025. Should McTominay choose to leave Naples, where he is adored, he will not be short of Premier League options.You need only walk in the vicinity of Hampden Park to learn of McTominay’s standing as a Scotland player. Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law have never been depicted on portraits on the gable end of terraced flats close to the national stadium. McTominay, a player born in England, produced such an iconic moment against Denmark last November that it will sit as an artistic reference point for ever more.That game pretty much summed up Scotland’s path to this World Cup. It was a fixture in which Denmark were undeniably the stronger team for long spells. Greece were superior in Glasgow yet lost 3-1. Scotland lost in Athens and stumbled past Belarus. There were high points, of course, in a campaign that ended Scotland’s 28-year World Cup wait, but also elements of oddity. McTominay’s overhead kick was one of three extraordinary goals as the 10-man Danes were beaten 4-2. Searching for clusters of excellent Scotland displays in recent competitive matches is not particularly easy. Whisper it, but the same applies directly to McTominay.History and the lack of emerging talent in Scotland suggests this could be McTominay’s World Cup chance. If not, it is surely his best. Likewise the 31-year-old John McGinn, 32-year-old Andy Robertson and Ché Adams, who is 29. The motivation for this experienced group to make an impact on football’s biggest stage must be huge. It should work in Scotland’s favour.Perhaps McTominay feels he has no more questions to answer. Watching him toil as Scotland squeezed past Haiti actually raised plenty of them. For Scots it brought back ominous memories of 2024 and a European Championship where team failure owed plenty to the underperformance of star turns. When Scotland face Morocco in the Boston Stadium on Friday, hope rests heavily on McTominay’s shoulders.Steve Clarke understandably bristles at the notion of McTominay as different from any other player. The 62-year-old has taken Scotland to three tournaments while building a club ethos. Players look along to teammates in the dressing room rather than up or down. It is, though, impossible to ignore McTominay’s status among a squad which has plenty of decent members and precious few of elite level.“Scott is one of our key players,” said Clarke. “I am lucky, I have got a lot of key players. Andy Robertson, John McGinn. For me Grant Hanley, Kenny McLean, people like that. We have built a really good squad over the years.“Scott gets a lot of headlines but he is also the first to understand that without the help of his teammates it is more difficult for him to be that talisman. If he can be a talisman against Morocco, then that would be great. As a coach I am very reluctant to go on about individuals. Everything we have built has been our squad.”Hope springs from the likelihood that McTominay will be afforded more time and space against Morocco than he did against Haiti, who swarmed around him. In fairness to McTominay, his quiet game did include the striking of a post. His lead-up had also been disrupted by an upset stomach.“I think the Haiti game was a struggle for a lot of the players, not just Scott,” said Clarke. “I thought Haiti controlled our midfield very well so you have to give credit to them. Sometimes you don’t get the chance to bring your attributes to the game because of what the opposition do. I think that might have been the case the other night. Scott is in a good place and ready to go again.”If Clarke, as is expected, reverts to a lone striker there will be heavy reliance on midfielders to provide goal threat. Scottish chances will come at a premium against a side ranked sixth in the world. McTominay, who has found the net a credible 15 times in 71 Scotland appearances, will need to be at his ruthless best.Clarke used pre-match media duties on Thursday to rave about Morocco’s individual and collective abilities. Scotland’s hopes of causing the latest upset in this riveting tournament rely heavily on their difference maker. Now has to be McTominay’s time.

Ewan Murray in BostonThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: The Guardian
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Super subs: how England’s bench applies a crucial finishing touch

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Super subs: how England’s bench applies a crucial finishing touch

The way substitutes combined for the fourth goal against Croatia vindicated Thomas Tuchel’s desire to instil a brotherhood ethosIt is Bukayo Saka who ignites the move. Tight to the right, approaching halfway, the England winger turns on a sixpence and surges away from Josko Gvardiol. Saka’s work in tight spaces, his close control, is a consistent delight.He plays a pass up and inside for Morgan Rogers and, at this point, Djed Spence is running on the outside. Rogers looks for him but Nikola Vlasic slides in to challenge and the ball breaks. Saka is alive to it, slicing inside and beating Josip Sutalo. England sense the knockout blow because Saka has options, the best being Marcus Rashford over to the left. Croatia have only Josip Stanisic back. Saka goes to Rashford, who steadies himself, jinks inside Stanisic and sidefoots low into the bottom corner.It is a beautiful goal and it gives England an unassailable 4-2 lead in the 85th minute. Their World Cup is off to a flyer and if they have confirmation – validation, too – of a swashbuckling second-half performance, a shift in the collective mindset, there is a detail that Thomas Tuchel cannot ignore.Ever since he came into the job, the England manager has been obsessed with the creation of a brotherhood in his squad; players who can put their main-men club personas to the side for the greater good, who, if they are asked to play 20 minutes or even only 10, will do so with everything they have. For Tuchel, the clinching goal against Croatia was the purest example of what he has wanted to see because Saka and Rogers, Spence and Rashford had all come on as substitutes.For Rashford, in particular, it must have been a tough one to take when Tuchel said he was starting with Anthony Gordon on the left rather than him. Rashford was lively in the first half of England’s World Cup warm-up game against New Zealand; Gordon not so in the second period. And yet Tuchel was not entirely happy. When he criticised his first-half team for lacking positional discipline, it came to feel as though he had Rashford in mind. Tuchel started Gordon in the second and final warm-up match against Costa Rica, giving him 71 minutes and being rewarded with a driving performance.Although Rashford flickered again when he came on to replace him – as did all the substitutes – Tuchel knew he had to go with Gordon against Croatia.Here in the US there is a glamour in Major League Baseball about the role of closing pitcher; the player who leaves the bullpen towards the end to get the team home. It is not the same in football. No one wants to be a closer. And yet Tuchel knows his version of them will be crucial. Can he sell them as the heroes of his squad?‘We needed this quality [from the substitutes] to bring it over the line,” he said. “I know they are all starters. So it is new for them. But they also know it is a period of time that is so special and they buy into this idea that we do it as a team. This is the only way.“We are so strong from the bench and I was so impressed with everyone against Costa Rica, for example, because they pushed on the buttons and pushed on the gas and kept suffocating the opponent.”Rashford’s finish against Croatia was a champagne moment for him; only his second goal in 13 England appearances under Tuchel. The other was the stoppage-time penalty for 5-0 against Serbia in Belgrade last September. It feels like a 50-50 decision for Tuchel between Rashford and Gordon. And with Gordon not playing well against Croatia, the debate will rage over who ought to start against Ghana on Tuesday.It is not quite the same on the opposite wing between Saka and Noni Madueke, the dynamics skewed by Saka’s lack of full fitness. He continues to manage an achilles problem and, the way that Tuchel talked, it did not sound as though Saka would be a starting option against Ghana.“Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready,” he said. “I think once we go to the last game of this group [against Panama on Saturday week] he will be ready. He was strong in training on Tuesday in small spaces. It was just a matter of if the game [against Croatia] was open and was up and down.”Like Saka, Madueke likes to cut inside on to his stronger left foot. Unlike Saka, he does not appear to trust his right as much. Remember his horrible moment against Costa Rica when he dribbled around the goalkeeper to the right of goal only to take on the finish with his left foot and hit the post? His body shape was wrong.Madueke did go on the outside a couple of times against Croatia to good effect, most notably when he crossed low for Jude Bellingham on the half-hour; the midfielder just could not convert. Madueke’s pace is such a threat. His performance against Croatia gave Tuchel encouragement and food for thought.“All four of the wingers are competing against each other at the highest level,” Tuchel said. “We had some 10 against 10s in training, some finishing patterns, attacking patterns, defensive patterns. Everyone is on but on in such a respectful way that we had some tough decisions to make.“They know we will need them and the time will come when they start. The time will come when they can finish and be decisive from the bench. It is now four more weeks and in four weeks you can swallow it and digest it and buy into it. We selected the group because we were sure that they could do it and they all can.”

David Hytner in DallasThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: The Guardian
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‘People in the pubs will like this’: Tuchel keen for England to entertain at World Cup

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‘People in the pubs will like this’: Tuchel keen for England to entertain at World Cup

Manager said second-half performance was ‘rewarding’England’s next group game is against Ghana on 23 JuneThomas Tuchel said he wanted his England team to entertain the nation and that he pictured the scenes in the pubs as his players took the handbrake off to power past ­Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener on Wednesday.England were passive in the first half, too deep, the connections lacking. They entered the interval at 2-2, Harry Kane’s goals cancelled out by a pair of soft concessions that were in keeping with the team’s openness.But England exploded into life at the start of the second half, Jude ­Bellingham’s surging run and finish in the 47th minute the spark for an extraordinary period of pressure. Tuchel had told the players to calm down during the interval, not to worry about the result and be true to their way of playing.After Bellingham’s goal, they had seven clear openings leading up the hour, albeit they could not take them. Croatia were rocking and Tuchel knew the pubs in England would be the same. Croatia had a couple of moments when they might have equalised before the England substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the win in the 85th minute after a clinical counterattack.It is unclear whether a gung-ho approach will lead to World Cup glory, but the performance has ignited a sense of possibility and Tuchel is keen to harness the momentum. England’s next game is against Ghana on Tuesday.Tuchel was asked whether fans could expect England to take the handbrake off during the tournament. “It is what the boys did in the second half – exactly that,” he said. “It is good. That is what needs to be done. Nobody can guarantee the outcome, but we can guarantee the effort.“Can we expect more of that? Yes. It is good and it is rewarding. Hopefully everybody enjoyed it. And it brings a connection. I had a thought in the second half: ‘People in the pubs will like this.’“I was sweating, but that is a good watch where we created and ­created and went for it and won another ball and then a second ball. That is why you are in a pub and watching together on a big screen to get emotional and hopefully we can transmit that.”Tuchel’s frustration with England’s first-half performance was rooted in how they dropped too deep out of possession, seeking to protect the 1-0 lead that Kane’s early penalty had given them. It was a classic England move – or failing. Tuchel wants to see only aggressive, front-foot football.“We just dropped way too early into a deep block,” Tuchel said. “From a middle block … way too early into a deep block. Normally if we go to a middle block it’s not a problem. We have clear triggers to go out of it into a high press.“We wanted to have John Stones pushing into midfield [from central defence]. They blocked John with their No 9 so maybe they also knew or it was a coincidence. It took us a while to understand that Elliot [Anderson] can then push [from central midfield].“So we lost a bit of confidence, couldn’t find the right triggers and we had the feeling that we have to protect something. We ended up too deep and too passive. In the second half, it was much better. We were much more active and aggressive.”Tuchel said the conditions inside Dallas Stadium were a challenge, despite it being a domed air-conditioned venue, and that Stones had “cramps in both legs in the end”. The defender has not played many matches since early December. Kane also suffered cramp in the dressing room afterwards but is understood to be OK. Declan Rice intends to soldier on despite hamstring and lower-back discomfort.“We saw the [physical] numbers – the players really put a shift in,” Tuchel said. “They said it was quite humid and difficult to digest it so I think John was just like everyone else … everyone was very tired in the dressing room, which I like because then I know that you did something. And we need this. Overcoming the tough moments, sticking together.”

David Hytner in DallasThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: The Guardian
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Beever-Jones set to sign new deal at Chelsea

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Beever-Jones set to sign new deal at Chelsea

BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished3 minutes agoEngland international England international Aggie Beever-Jones is expected to stay at Chelsea this summer.The 22-year-old's contract was due to expire this summer, but she had an option to extend for a year and it is understood she has agreed to commit her future in a new deal.Beever-Jones graduated from the club's academy and has gone on to establish herself as a regular Women's Super League goalscorer and England international.After helping England win Euro 2025, injury problems meant Beever-Jones struggled for regular game-time last season, netting four goals in 11 WSL starts.She was a key figure the year before, filling in for the injured Sam Kerr and scoring nine goals in 22 appearances as Chelsea claimed a domestic treble.With Kerr's departure, and Chelsea's pursuit of Manchester City top-scorer Khadija Shaw falling through, Beever-Jones is expected to play a more prominent role in 2026-27.The England striker ended the campaign on a high this month as she starred in the Women's World Sevens London series, netting late in the final as Chelsea beat Manchester United.New episodes of Women's Football Weekly podcast drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

BBC SportThu, 18 Jun 2026
Source: BBC Sport
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