Bellingham shines for 6 goal England as Gareth bales out Wales
World Cup Diaries: Day 2.
World Cup Diaries: Day 2.
21st November 2022
Another day passes in the footballing fandango that is the FIFA World Cup in a faraway Qatar whilst the rain outside has incessantly teemed a reminder of an English winter brightened this afternoon by one of the world’s most sought after talents, but we’ll get to that particular conundrum in due course Bubba. 3 games today (there’s 4 tomorrow, excited Editor), 12 goals, 11 yellow cards, a combined 27 minutes of injury time in the England and Iran game alone and thankfully, just the one VAR interference that was aptly for a last minute injury time penalty that was utterly worthless in this hill of sporting beans on the other side of the world. Many debut World Cup goals were scored today, including a 19 year old with the world completely and utterly at his talented feet and the first goal of 6 his team would score in a comprehensive and impressive win, as well as a 22 year old for a team that may well rue a lacklustre second half performance that allowed a 33 year old Welshman to salvage a late draw with his own debut World Cup goal that keeps the Welsh dragon in the hunt for the knock-out stages.
Gareth Bale’s 82nd minute penalty was just desserts for a Wales team who had awoken from their first half slumbers and after being thoroughly outplayed by a dominant USA. Timothy Weah rounded off a brilliant team move that sliced through the Welsh defence on 36 minutes to give the Americans a deserved 1–0 lead, reward for a dominating first half of pressured physicality and skilful attacking play through their talented spearhead Christian Pulisic. (Oh how he is wasted in the blue shirt of Chelsea — biased Editor). Wales simply hadn’t started but were an altogether more attacking threat once Kieffer Moore was introduced as a second half substitute. A win for either side in this group would have been HUGE as both teams will surely defeat a woeful Iran and so their respective results against the eventual group winners England may well define who joins the “Three Lions” in the knock-out stages, and who trudges off home early.
The afternoon’s middle game promised much and delivered exceedingly little as two late goals for Holland accounted for a lacklustre, listless and underwhelming Senegal. I sincerely hoped the “Lions of Teranga” would go far in this competition but shorn of the magical skills and unparalleled energy and nagging enthusiasm of Sadio Mane in attack they look one paced and destined to finish 3rd in Group A and going home only just earlier than their opponents today Holland who will not venture far or deep in the tournament Bubba. No attacking threat, zest, midfield creativity and as one paced as a poor Senegal. It was the all whites of West Africa and Senegal against the dreamlike all orange of Holland. But it was a damp squib of an affair and the winners of the World Cup will not be emerging from this group.
In contrast, hopes are high back in a rainy England after their 6–2 demolition of Iran in the day’s first game, and perhaps a marker has been set down for both the team’s future as well as this shindig in Qatar as a whole. England were exceptional, Iran were beyond woeful, that much is clear. But England were, in the footballing vernacular, “at it”, eagerly, chasing, pressing, harrying and using the template of the modern game to play the game in your opponent’s half in a condensed two thirds size pitch to perfection. Iran couldn’t escape the strangle hold England held over them even with the game still scoreless after half an hour. There was a horrible collision that saw Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand having his nose rearranged in all sorts of directions that will surely signify the end of his World Cup. It was pretty gruesome stuff and I can’t help but feel great sorrow for the giant 30 year old. To depart the greatest footballing stage of all in such a way, and after the countless World Cup dreams he must have had as the countdown finally reached today, must be heart breaking.
But on the other side of that footballing coin is a 19 year old from Stourbridge near Birmingham, England by the name of Jude Bellingham and, quality of opposition aside, he was very special today. His deftly flicked headed goal was beautifully taken on 35 minutes and a header that somewhat opened the floodgates that would see England rack up a further 5 goals in an impressive 6–2 victory. There were brilliantly volleyed goals from Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling, and there were substitute goals from Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, but 19 year old Bellingham shone the brightest and it’s little wonder the price tag for his eventual move from Borussia Dortmund is travelling way into the moneyed stratosphere. He chased and harried for possession back once he or his team had lost it. He had the calmness of head to simply “water carry” the ball around midfield and ensure his team retained precious retention of that expensive bag of wind. His goal was sublime and eerily reminiscent of one of his favourite player’s most important goals of all on an Istanbul night where dreams came true. Forever on the move in that Liverpool way of old and Spanish way of new, give and go football, rotate the cricketing strike, keep the baseball line moving, never taking your foot off your opponents throat, your “man of the day” is Jude Bellingham.
The 19 year old has a glory lined future ahead of him and so called “serious” football writers would be lambasted for heaping such praise and pressure upon the shoulders of someone so young. But I’m no ordinary sports writer Bubba, you know that. So I can say that Bellingham has the youthful physique and energy of Arsenal and France legend Patrick Viera. I can also say unequivocally that he has the calmness of head of midfield “water carriers” of old such as French manager Didier Deschamps or the England midfielder he’s replaced here and possibly in the Premier League soon, Jordan Henderson. I can also state with certainty that he has that age old knack of scoring important goals and he’s a tenacious fighter who likes to “rat around” in midfield akin to Manchester United and Ireland legend Roy Keane. Much bigger games loom on Bellingham’s horizon but the world, if not may be the World Cup, is this kid’s oyster.
So much for all that.
Tomorrow sees the introduction of the always so near Argentina and the defending champions France who bookend 4 days of football a world away from a still raining and still very cold England. I’m following the fortunes of the French as part of my diary series here as well as cheering for the Argentinians who’ve always held a special place in my childhood heart since the World Cup of 1978. I have a tale to tell about that particular tournament as well as a tale told extensively of the “Hand of God” World Cup 8 years later in Mexico. If Lionel Messi and his team go deep in the tournament I may well dust down a special additional entry here regarding the tickertape and Mario Kempes goals of “Argentina ’78”. Who knows?
All that is for a future and a radiant one it surely is for today’s star man, Jude Bellingham.
Thanks for reading. In addition to the delights that can be found within the cave of wonders that is my archives, I’m penning a day to day diary of the World Cup and here are links to my first two articles as well as a recent published article away from the bread and circus in Qatar:
World Cup Countdown — Allez Les Bleus!
But will ball number 13 be unlucky for the European favourites?medium.com
The World Cup is underway, and under the spectre of the all seeing eye
World Cup Diaries: Day 1.medium.com