England and Iran make their World Cup debuts with clear favoritism from the ‘Three Lions’ against a rival with a goal beyond sport
The World Cup in Qatar has long since come to represent much more than a sports tournament for Iran. The spasmodic situation in the Persian country, definitively raised against the abuses of the regime of the ayatollahs after the assassination of the young Masha Amini two months ago, hovers above the concentration of a team that has not remained indifferent to the wave of protests that have shaken the country in recent weeks.
It’s hard to ignore what’s going on around for a team led by Carlos Queiroz, who have even seen his World Cup call-up affected by the situation. Bayer Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun has emerged as a symbol of resistance to the abuses of the Iranian regime, which he unequivocally condemned on social media. This courageous and vengeful attitude even jeopardized his call-up for the World Cup because of the perceived pressure of political power from Tehran.
It is the Iranian reference, also on the field, where the inventors of football are waiting. England, semi-finalists in Russia 2018 and heavy favorites of Group B, are superior to Iran and wield the imposing presence of last World Cup’s top scorer, Harry Kane, a ‘9’ who holds all football records. The Tottenham striker spearheads Gareth Southgate’s squad, who in turn wields more guns than his captain can reach.
Promising youngsters who are already reality, such as Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham or Arsenal forwards Bukayo Saka and Manchester City Phil Foden, command a team that has already chained two major tournaments to the best – finalist in the Euro Cup 2021 after the so-called World Cup semi-final in Russia – but which, despite its ancestral tradition, still has no trophy to go with that distant 1966 World Cup.
Something doesn’t quite fit in Southgate’s England, a coach who, despite his good results, isn’t quite convincing in the volcanic ‘pros’ environment. The ‘Three Lions’ muster as much talent in midfield – Declan Rice or Bellingham himself – and in the attacking field – Foden, Kane, Saka or Rashford – as doubts in goal, where Pickford are far from the best goalkeepers, and in a defense usually consists of three centrals, but with few guarantees with the controversial Harry Maguire, Eric Dier and John Stones.
I faced a very solid selection, almost granite, with a team that defends like a block but also has certain individualities in attack with the aforementioned Azmoun and the Porto striker Taremi, another of the few known names for the European fan . Buoyed by this super condition to be a symbol of revolution for a country punished by government repression, Queiroz’ team dreams of getting past the group stage for the first time in its history.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
