Rob Smyth's Blog, page 143

Argentina 1-1 Iceland: World Cup 2018 – as it happened

Lionel Messi had a penalty saved as the Iceland fairytale continued with a draw against Argentina on their World Cup debut

4.39pm BST

Player ratings:

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That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with our match report of another memorable Icelandic triumph of the human spirit, and don’t forget to join Bazzer for Peru v Denmark. Bye!

4.13pm BST

“Watched the game from Sweden,” says Alistair Scrutton. “My incredulous 8-year-old son Leo comments about Messi’s performance: ‘I’ve seen all these YouTube videos. Are they fake?’”

Don’t you mean, ‘My incredulous 8-year-old son Cristiano’?

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The next match today is Peru v Denmark in Group C. It begins in 50 minutes, and Barry Glendenning has just assumed the position.

4.08pm BST

“WELL DONE ICELAND!!!!” says Niall Mullen. “Now let’s never see each other again.”

4.05pm BST

“Tomorrow is Iceland’s Independence Day,” says Kári Tulinius. “The night before is traditionally a party night. Reykjavík is going to be a giant outdoor party until the wee hours of Monday morning. The whole of Iceland will be.”

Ach, sod impartiality: WELL DONE ALL OF YOU, ICELAND I LOVE YOU.

4.04pm BST

Har, har VAR (part 3) On reflection, the penalty that was given was very dodgy – Meza dragged his foot against the defender to initiate contact, so that could well have been overturned. It should certainly have been reviewed by the referee.

I’m struggling to understand how the decision to fast-track an inadequately trialled system into the rarefied atmosphere of the world’s biggest tournament could turn into a shambles so soon.

3.59pm BST

Har, har VAR (part 2) After the earlier mistake in the France/Australia game, there was another hot mess in the 77th minute of this match when Cristian Pavon seemed to be fouled in the area. Whether the no-penalty decision should have been overturned is debatable, but it should certainly have been looked at.

3.57pm BST

I’d love to stop and chat, but I’m off to get the next flight to Reykjavik. But seriously, what a night out that will be. Nobody will be toasted more than Alfred Finnbogason, who scored the equaliser, and Hannes Thór Halldrsson, who saved a penalty from Lionel Messi in the second half. As everyone knows, he’s a film director in his spare time. Turns out he’s a scriptwriter as well.

3.54pm BST

Messi’s free-kick hits the wall, and that’s the last kick of the game! Iceland have drawn with Argentina in their first World Cup match!

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90+5 min Messi is fouled 30 yards from goal. This might be the last kick of the game. How’s that script looking?

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90+4 min Iceland are hanging on desperately now.

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90+3 min Messi teases the ball onto his right foot in the area, only to splatter a shot wide of the near post. That was another decent chance.

3.50pm BST

91 min “The online debate on Messi vs Ronaldo,” says Matt Kershaw, “has become an absolute godsend to anyone wanting to explain the concept of confirmation bias.”

Yeah but he is better isn’t he.

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90 min There will be five minutes of added fun.

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89 min Finnbogason is replaced by Sigurdarson.

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88 min Mascherano’s long-range shot is comfortably held by Halldorsson, who throws the ball out of play so that’s Finnbogason can be treated for cramp. Argentina, a team with a proud history of sportsmanship, complain to the referee.

3.46pm BST

87 min Halldorsson makes another fine save! Pavon’s inswinging cross from the left wing beat everyone at the near post and was bouncing towards the far corner when the unsighted Halldorsson flew to his left to push it away. That’s a brilliant stop.

3.44pm BST

85 min Iceland have given up the pretence of attacking. All they want is a 1-1 draw, and quite right too. In the context of World Cup history it would be a staggering result.

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84 min Iceland don’t look particularly tired, despite the physical and mental demands of defending for such long periods. Argentina make their final change, with Gonzalo Higuain replacing the man whose performance put the ‘meh’ in ‘Meza’.

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83 min “Wow...Pavon took a dive and Cristiano’s was a penalty?” sniffs Gokul Kannan. “Oh please. Ronaldo made the most of the contact and Pavon couldn’t sell it?? What is this now: salesman of the year?”

Hahaha, that’s my favourite email of the World Cup so far. I agree, though, it’s weird they didn’t go to VAR. The whole thing is a premature mess. It’ll work eventually but it’s not ready yet.

3.40pm BST

82 min Messi receives the ball on the edge of the D and shapes a beautiful, trademark curler just wide of the left post with Halldorsson beaten.

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80 min “In the airport on Madeira,” says Charles Antaki, “the Ronaldo bust has developed an extra inch of leer.”

Is it now stroking its chin as well?

3.38pm BST

79 min A lofted pass into the box is brought down beautifully by the flying Messi, who is about to rattle a shot at goal from the left edge of the six-yard box when Saevarsson sneaks round to make a vital interception.

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77 min Pavon goes down in the area after a challenge from Saevarsson. The referee berates him for simulation but there was definitely contact. Whether the contact was sufficient for a penalty, I’m not sure, but it was surely enough to merit a VAR review. Instead, play carries on as normal.

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76 min Argentina make another change: the anonymous Angel Di Maria is replaced by Cristian Pavon. And Iceland bring on Ari Freyr Skulason for the weary Aron Gunnarsson.

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75 min Banega has made a difference since coming on, with much greater attacking intent and quality than Biglia. But Iceland are still defending exceedingly well.

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74 min “That penalty,” says Maria Bruschi, “is proof positive that Messi can no longer be compared to CR7!!”

Oh lord, please don’t start that again. I still haven’t got through all the abusive emails from last night.

3.32pm BST

73 min Meza is fouled 28 yards from goal, to the right of centre. Messi curls it into the wall.

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72 min Banega’s wobbling long-range shot is comfortably held by Halldorsson. Argentina are pressing constantly but they will fear a late sting.

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70 min Iceland can’t get out. It’s all Argentina now – but they are still struggling to find an eye in the Icelandic needle. The two best chances have come from a mis-hit shot and a nothing cross.

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66 min Messi wafts a 30-yard free kick high over the bar.

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65 min Just before the penalty, Iceland brought on Gislason for the injured Johann Gudmundsson.

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64 min It was a poor penalty from Messi, placed at saveable height to his left, and Halldorsson flew across goal to palm it away! This Iceland team are ridiculous.

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63 min A cross is dumped into the box, where Meza goes down after a collision with Magnusson. I’m not absolutely sure it was a penalty but the referee had no doubts and it certainly wasn’t something that should have been overturned by VAR.

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62 min Iceland break dangerously, only for the usually precise Gylfi Sigurdsson to overhit a through ball to Finnbogason. With the correct weight he would have been clear on goal.

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59 min The contrast in styles between these two teams is fascinating. It makes chalk and cheese seem like siblings in comparison. Messi finds Banega, whose shot from the edge of the area is desperately blocked by the sliding Ragnar Sigurdsson. The human spirit is strong in these ones.

3.17pm BST

58 min “Hi Rob,” says David Wall. “Niall Mullen is wrong, those were the tactics that Australia adopted earlier on (I don’t even remember their striker ever being mentioned in commentary). They made no effort at all to do anything other than stopping France doing anything constructive (and they did it very well). Iceland on the other hand are belting forward quickly and in numbers when they do win the ball. That’s a tactic to try to win a game against opponents who keep the ball better than you. Australia’s was a tactic to try not to lose. Both are perfectly respectable, but they are different.”

There’s only one way to settle this. Gentlemen, prepare your chalkboards.

3.16pm BST

55 min Messi is playing pretty deep at times, almost like an old-fashioned playmaker rather than a No10. He accepts the ball in that deep position, surges forward and beats three players in a space the size of a phonebox. Eventually somebody gets a foot in on the edge of the area and the ball deflects to Aguero, whose shot is blocked at the expense of corner. Moments later, a fierce shot from Aguero is again blocked.

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54 min Argentina make their first substitution, with the progressive Ever Banega replacing Lucas Biglia.

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53 min “You’re wrong about Caballero,” says Zafar Sobhan. “He did really well with both those saves, and was just unlucky with the first one.”

Nice one, thanks.

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52 min A good spell for Iceland. Gylfi Sigurdsson, on the left of the box, whacks a cross that hits Otamendi right in the personal space and goes behind for a corner.

Sigurdsson’s corner is punched away by Caballero and tossed back into the box, where it seems to hit the hand of an Argentina defender. Ah, in fact, it was headed onto the hand of Salvio from close range, which is why a penalty wasn’t given.

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50 min Croatia meet Nigeria in the other Group D match tonight, and you can read all about it here.

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49 min Bjarnason’s dangerous cross drifts just over the head of Finnbogason on the six-yard line. I think he’d have been given offside had he touched it though.

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48 min The pattern of the second half is as expected, with loads of Argentinian possession. Henrik Larsson, a pundit on ITV, made a good point that Argentina’s build-up play has been far too slow. Every now and then Messi has put a rocket up their derriere but that’s about it. Meanwhile, Otamendi heads Di Maria’s outswinging corner over the bar from 12 yards. That was a decent if tough opportunity.

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47 min “I know this was yesterday,” begins Matt Emerson, “to continue the best games of the Group stages riff, how about Senegal 3-3 Uruguay in 2002? Senegal lead 3-0 with a clearly offside goal and a dodgy penalty. Uruguay get back to 3-3 with their own awful pen and need another goal to go through. Forlan missed a one-on-one at 3-2 and Morales heads wide in injury time. One of the best games I’ve ever seen and one I regularly bore people about...”

Yes, great shout - that was a deranged classic. Morales’s miss was bizarre. I still think Argentina 2-1 France in 1978 is my favourite, because the stakes and quality were so high.

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46 min Peep peep! Argentina begin the second half.

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42 min Argentina appeal again for a penalty when Salvio’s low cross hits the hand of the falling Sigurdsson. He knew nothing about it, and VAR supports the original decision. Glenn Hoddle makes the excellent point that VAR is having an impact on the concentration levels of players.

2.51pm BST

Half-time chit chat

“I can’t get on board with this Iceland love-in,” says Niall Mullen. “Frustrating a better side by putting 10 men behind the ball is an entirely legitimate tactic but not one I really want to watch all that often.”

2.49pm BST

Half-time reading

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Peep peep! That was great fun, and Iceland deserve to be level against one of the favourites for the tournament. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

2.47pm BST

45 min Another chance for Iceland! A long ball into the box falls nicely for Gylfi Sigurdsson, who dances past Rojo and opens his body to slide a low shot towards the far corner. Caballero makes another unconvincing save, palming it into a dangerous area, and Finnbogasson goes flying after a block from Mascherano.

I think it was a fair block from Mascherano, who got himself between the man and the ball, though Iceland wanted a penalty. Moments later, Glyfi Sigurdsson screwed a volley wide from the edge of the box. That was a decent chance for a player of his technical quality.

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44 min The passing stats tell the story of this half: Argentina 333-70 Iceland.

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43 min “Without sounding patronising, Iceland beating Argentina wouldn’t be THAT big a shock, would it?” says Ger McCarthy. “Or am I being patronising to those loveable underdogs from the land of ice...”

It’s basically impossible not to patronise Iceland, even though 99.94 per cent of the goodwill towards them is entirely sincere.

2.41pm BST

40 min Meza drags a cross towards Biglia, who goes over and appeals for a penalty. The defender got plenty of the ball, so it’s a corner to Argentina. Messi swings it into the arms of Halldorsson.

2.39pm BST

40 min Messi injects some life into the match, playing a give-and-go with Tagliafico before exploding into the box and winning a corner. Meza makes a mess of it.

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38 min “Iceland’s ability to work as a team is truly remarkable,” says Adam Kline-Schoder. “It’s a team so easily dismissed, and yet so difficult to beat. Please don’t get me wrong; I thoroughly admire Messi and plenty of the other Argentine players, but Iceland just give me hope that teamwork and togetherness is a good way to go!”

2.38pm BST

37 min Messi is floating around in that No10 position, though he has been reasonably well policed by Hallfredsson and Gunnarsson. The TBOF are so close together; I wonder if Argentina should look at a few more switches of play.

2.35pm BST

35 min “I think Hubert’s on to something,” says Scott Bassett. “But it’s not the dragons. It’s the elves.”

2.35pm BST

34 min Lots of Argentina possession. Iceland are clever at picking their moments to attack. For the second time in a few minutes, the stretching Meza just fails to control a searching through pass, this time from Otamendi.

2.33pm BST

33 min Biglia curls over the bar from distance. Though Argentina have been the better team, Iceland do look a threat on the counter-attack. A clumsy threat admittedly, with all the elegance of two drunk blokes playing Jenga, but a threat nonetheless.

2.32pm BST

32 min Don’t take this the wrong way, Argentina fans, but I think I’m in love with Iceland. Their spirit is so infectious, and they can wear beards without looking like try-hard hipster gits.

2.30pm BST

31 min “Where’s the Icelandic commentary when you need it?” says Dileep Premachandran. “English commentary so inadequate for such moments. Where’s Guðmundur Benediktsson when you need him most?”

I’m sorry mate, I’m doing my best. We just don’t have any Icelandic people on staff.

2.29pm BST

30 min Iceland get their first opportunity for a long throw. It’s flung into the box and dealt with well by Otamendi.

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29 min “I suppose it probably was a penalty, and I think goal-line technology is a good thing, but the combination of the two deciding the France-Australia game left me (like Mrs. Millings on our wedding night) cold and dissatisfied,” says Mac Millings. “I think I preferred the pre-tech post-game emotions of anger and impotence (see, also, previous parentheses). Apologies for talking about an entirely different game to the one that’s actually happening.”

Yes, I thought the referee made a clear and obvious error by overturning what wasn’t a clear and obvious error. Wait until VAR controversially overturns Luis Suarez’s 120th-minute equaliser against England.

2.29pm BST

28 min A couple of corners from Argentina, who are back where they started before Aguero’s goal. Otamendi heads the second straight into the loving embrace of Halldorsson. It was a quarter chance at best, 15 yards out and running away from goal.

2.26pm BST

25 min A beautiful, driven through pass by Mascherano takes four or five defenders out of the game and just evades Meza in the box.

2.25pm BST

It was a slightly scruffy goal, but who cares about that? Gylfi Sigurdsson’s low cross shot from the right of the box was palmed away unconvincingly by Caballero and fell straight to Finnbogason, who steered it calmly into the net from six yards.

2.23pm BST

Iceland are level!

2.23pm BST

22 min “I have a theory why great football nations (and England) suddenly to mush (or England) when they face Iceland,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I suspect that the great pre-Celtic gods have been summoned and Iceland opponents see dragons where once there were defenders and howling Valkyrie embodied in strikers. They shrink in terror. Or Iceland is really well-drilled. Take your pick really.”

I don’t like to sit on the fence, but I can see both sides.

2.22pm BST

21 min Messi plays a one-two with an Iceland defender before curling a good shot from 25 yards that is well held by the diving Halldorsson.

2.21pm BST

20 min “10:18am in the west of Argentina,” says Sonia Garcia. “There is no traffic at all, a wonderful World Cup morning! So exciting, so many memories, so much to come!”

It got even more exciting at 10.19am.

2.21pm BST

Sergio Aguero scores his first ever World Cup goal. Rojo’s mis-hit low shot came to him near the penalty spot, and he reacted so quickly to control the ball, make space and finally batter a rising left-footed shot past Halldorsson from 12 yards. That was a brilliant finish.

2.19pm BST

Pick that out!

2.18pm BST

17 min In a surprising development, Messi looks by far the most dangerous attacker in the Argentina team. He teases Hallfredsson 25 yards from goal before shifting the ball infield and smacking a left-footed shot that is punched away by Halldorsson. It was a comfortable save.

2.16pm BST

16 min Messi dumps Gunnarsson on his backside, a fair challenge that sparks an Argentina attack. Eventually Messi is dispossessed while trying to slither through two defenders in the box.

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13 min After a long spell of Argentina possession, Otamendi drives over the bar from 30 yards. That’s the cue for some zealous thunderclaps from the Iceland fans. The atmosphere is sensational.

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10 min Just before Bjarnason’s chance, Finnbogason slapped a difficult half-volley over the bar. Iceland are full of intent when they win the ball.

2.11pm BST

9 min Bjarnason misses a wonderful chance! Iceland pressed Argentina in their own box, forcing the stretching Caballero to kick the ball anywhere he could. It went to an Iceland player 25 yards from goal, whereupon five or six players swarmed forward. Gudmundsson’s snapshot was deflected towards Bjarnason, who screwed wide from 10 yards with only Caballero to beat. He should have scored.

2.09pm BST

8 min Tagliafico almost scores an ingenious goal. Messi’s poor free-kick from an inside-right position came to him at shin height, with nothing really on. He dived forward away from goal and flicked a speculative back header that curled just wide of the far post.

2.08pm BST

8 min Messi is thrown to the floor by Gunnarsson, a move very similar to one I saw in that Andre the Giant film the other night. Iceland are really putting themselves about.

2.07pm BST

7 min As if we’re not watching Iceland in the World Cup! Sometimes, life is good.

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5 min “Meza’s a chuffing great player,” says Matt Dony. “Youse are all chuffing idiots.”

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4 min Messi is unhappy with the ball, which the umpires have agreed to replace. That happened in the France game as well. Messi, armed with the new ball, swings a free-kick into the area that bounces off an unsighted defender and rebounds a few yards wide of the far post.

2.03pm BST

4 min Lots of early possession for Argentina, with Iceland’s TBOF shuffling from side to side like the aliens in Space Invaders.

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3 min “Such disgraceful bias,” says Paul Griffin. “The so-called Manchester Guardian might as well change its name to The Keflavik Gazette.”

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2 min Messi has his first touch of the World Cup, a simple pass to Salvio.

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2 min “Twenty years ago, the closest Biglia and Meza would have got to the team bus would have been carrying the bags,” says Dileep Premachandran. “From Redondo and Veron to this...how the mighty fall.”

I don’t know that much about them but I’m surprised Banega doesn’t get a game. And I bet Seba could still waft some insouciant outside-of-the-foot passes, even at the age of 43.

2.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Iceland, in white, get the match under way. Argentina are in their dark blue away kit.

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After a stirring, lusty rendition of the Iceland anthem, the players take off their tracksuit tops and get ready to rumble.

1.55pm BST

“I’m a struggling third-year student stuck in the library writing my dissertation all weekend...” says Mirte Lucia. “Your live blog is what’s keeping me going! GO VIKINGS!”

1.55pm BST

The players emerge from the tunnel, with both sides looking very relaxed. Right here, right now, their professional lives are bursting with potential.

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“I was in Iceland just last week (to change planes) and a more miserable landscape of rain and volcanic detritus I have never witnessed,” says Ian Copestake, who has lived in England. “Argentina haven’t got a chance.”

1.47pm BST

“Afternoon Rob,” says Matt Loten. “If the rumours are true, and Messi has dictated the team selection to Sampaoli, then I don’t hold much hope for Messi the manager. It doesn’t look much cop to me, Aguero and the main man aside. Then again, maybe it’s a brilliant ploy, so that Messi can lead a bang-average Argentina side to ultimate glory, ala Diego in ‘86, thus settling the ‘who was better’ debate once and for all? Messi, you diabolical...”

Nah, he’s the good guy #effnuance

1.39pm BST

“Hallo from San Antonio, TX, equidistant from Iceland and Argentina!” says Sam. “Much as I admire Messi’s skill, I’m cheering the Vikings of Iceland on. Having met them in this country and theirs, I can vouch for their lovely character, amazing land, and brilliant capacity to drink/celebrate. In Reykjavík we watched Hamlet in Icelandic, then retired to the pub/club under the national theater. So, will you be waxing Icelandic in the MBM today? Áfram Ísland!”

I won’t just be waxing Icelandic; I’ll be more bloody biased than Mundo Deportivo.

1.35pm BST

“Oh, Guardian,” writes Claire Adas, “why would you have

Master Marius
Rob Smyth do MBMs for both Portugal AND Argentina. Even Mundo Deportivo is less biassed. I’m switching to their MBM, and I don’t speak Spanish.”

1.32pm BST

“Your Argentina World Cup XI,” says Jacob Steinberg. “Where’s Demichelis you clown?”

1.23pm BST

Here’s Amy Lawrence’s report from Kazan, where France beat Australia 2-1 with technology grabbing a couple of assists.

1.21pm BST

1.20pm BST

Do you remember the first time?

“Hello Rob!” says Kári Tulinius. “Seeing my country play at the World Cup, against Messi’s Argentina no less, is like a waking dream. I was among the spectators when Iceland faced newly crowned world champions France in 1998. Seeing Iceland hold on for a 1-1 draw was beyond my wildest hopes.

1.20pm BST

Pre-match reading

1.04pm BST

Argentina (4-2-3-1) Caballero; Salvio, Otamendi, Rojo, Tagliafico; Biglia, Mascherano; Meza, Messi, Di Maria; Aguero.

Iceland (4-4-1-1) Halldorsson; Saevarsson, Arnason, R Sigurdsson, Magnusson; Gudmundsson, Gunnarsson, Hallfredsson, Bjarnason; G Sigurdsson; Finnbogason.

1.02pm BST

This happened a minute ago, at the precise moment Phil Neville started talking about VAR

BBC World Cup coverage has peaked. pic.twitter.com/Fl08hPlX5U

12.53pm BST

France have beaten Australia 2-1 in the opening Group C match, but they were not convincing and needed a VAR controversy and an own goal to get the win.

12.50pm BST

Pick your all-time Iceland World Cup XI!

Oh.

12.50pm BST

Pick your all-time Argentina World Cup XI!

Since you asked, here’s mine. I’ve based it purely on World Cup performances, hence the omission of greats like Di Stefano, Redondo and Messi. And I would have Burruchaga and Maradona swapping places on the graphic.

10.14am BST

Hello and welcome to part two of World Cup Super Saturday: a fascinating match between Argentina, the World Cup’s erratic underachievers, and the debutants Iceland. Group D may be aptly named, because you can make a decent case for all of Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria progressing. And if that happens, it really will be the Group of Discombobulation.

Sorry, where was I. Oh yes: it’s your move, Lionel. This afternoon, Messi has a 90-minute right of reply to Cristiano Ronaldo’s chin-stroking last night. He won the Golden Ball at the last World Cup but that was a bit of a sympathy vote and he has unfinished business with this tournament.

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Published on June 16, 2018 08:22

Portugal 3-3 Spain: World Cup – as it happened

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a mighty hat-trick to earn Portugal a draw in a classic match against a very impressive Spain

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Friday’s other Group B match:

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That’s about it for tonight’s blog. In these extreme times we all tend to get carried away with the moment - but even in the distant future I reckon we’ll see this as a World Cup classic for the ages. Thanks for your company and emails, I’ll leave you with Sid’s match report. Night!

9.19pm BST

“Maybe not better,” begins Evan Crocker, “but USA 3-2 Portugal in 2002 was a watershed moment for US soccer and also completely bonkers.”

Good shout. And not even Nacho’s strike tonight was as good as Jeff Agoos’s own goal.

9.18pm BST

Give your eyes a Friday night treat

9.17pm BST

“Best group games,” begins Mike Buckley. “Thinking Scotland v Holland in ‘78 in Argentina. It was a cracker with that Archie Gemmil goal too.”

Ah yes, excellent shout. Spain 2-3 Nigeria in 1998 was another extremely good game. Italy 3-2 Brazil in 1982 is the greatest match ever played, but that was in the second group stage.

9.08pm BST

I’m trying to think of better matches in the first group stage. In my lifetime, the two that come to mind is Argentina 2-1 France in 1978, a classic with higher stakes than this game, and Ireland 0-0 Norway in 1994. Any other suggestions?

9.07pm BST

Any thoughts on the game? Thanks for your emails, most of which I didn’t get chance to read during the match.

9.04pm BST

Spare a thought for poor old Sid Lowe, who had to file a coherent report on that classic BEFORE THE FINAL WHISTLE. If I was in his shoes, I’d have written nothing but wibble. Thankfully, Sid is a bit more accomplished.

9.01pm BST

Player ratings latest “I gave Ronaldo a 1,” says Louis Taylor, “because he’s not a team player and I don’t like him.”

9.01pm BST

Here’s Sid Lowe’s match report:

9.01pm BST

Spain will be annoyed to have drawn a game they dominated, but when the dust settles they will reflect with pride on a superb performance. Isco was majestic, Nacho scored the goal of his life, and Diego Costa bulldozed a couple of goals. Any doubts about whether they can win the tournament have gone.

8.55pm BST

Before you go, why not give your player ratings for the game? If you give Ronaldo less than 11, you need to have a word with yourself.

8.53pm BST

It’s important not to get carried away with how good that match was. It was only one of the greatest group matches in World Cup history. It had almost everything; most of all, it had a hat-trick from the monstrous Cristiano Ronaldo.

8.52pm BST

The World Cup? Bloody hell.

8.50pm BST

90+3 min Ronaldo has run himself into a state of exhaustion. I think he has cramp.

8.50pm BST

90+2 min Quaresma almost wins it for Portugal! He collected a crossfield pass on the left, danced sweetly past two players and hit a low shot that was brilliantly blocked by the sliding Busquets. I think it was Busquets, anyway. Whoever it was has probably earned Spain a point.

8.48pm BST

90+1 min It’s Portugal on the attack, with one corner leading to another. If Ronaldo scores again, we might as well call off the World Cup and give him the trophy now.

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90 min There are four minutes of added time.

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89 min When Ronaldo dies he should donate his brain to the Fifa museum, because his mental strength is entirely beyond comprehension.

8.46pm BST

It was a glorious free-kick, curled around the wall and into the right-hand corner of the net. That is astonishing. Before the free-kick, he was inhaling and concentrating as if he was about to take a penalty, not a free-kick from 25 yards. It’s spine-tingling stuff. His mental strength is off the charts.

8.45pm BST

He’s only effing done it!

8.44pm BST

87 min Pique fouls Ronaldo 25 yards from goal, slightly to the right of centre. I wonder who’ll take this.

8.43pm BST

86 min Spain make their last substitution, with Lucas Vazquez replacing the excellent David Silva.

8.42pm BST

84 min Portugal are struggling to get the ball, never mind keep it. Ronaldo is getting increasingly frustrated at the imperfections of those around him.

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82 min Tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka until Aspas mishits a shot through to Patricio from the edge of the box.

8.39pm BST

81 min Spain have this match under control. Portugal have spent most of the game chasing the ball in fierce heat and they look shattered.

8.37pm BST

80 min A last change for Portugal: Andre Silva replaces Goncalo Guedes.

8.37pm BST

79 min A long ball from Cedric invites Ronaldo to hare behind the defence. He is about to shoot and/or clatter into the outrushing De Gea on the edge of the box when Pique comes from the side to make a superb tackle.

8.34pm BST

77 min Another change for Spain: Iago Aspas replaces the irresistible Diego Costa.

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76 min Quaresma waves an extravagant shot over the bar from the right edge of the box.

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75 min Portugal are struggling to lay a glove on Spain, with or without the ball. It’s been such a good game but Spain’s superior class is really starting to tell.

8.29pm BST

72 min A short corner is played to Joao Moutinho, whose deep, lofted cross is headed back beyond the far post by Fonte. Ronaldo keeps it in play but Spain clear. Fonte might have done better there.

8.29pm BST

71 min Diego Costa misses a good chance for a hat-trick, mishitting a first-time shot wide from Jordi Alba’s crisp cutback. The chance came at the end of another delightful move. On this evidence, Spain are in the top group of contenders with Brazil and Germany. They have been wonderful.

8.27pm BST

70 min Spain make their first change: Thiago Alcantara replaces Andres Iniesta, who played very well. A hat-tip to the man who said before the game that Iniesta should be subbed after 70 minutes.

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69 min Another Portugal change: Ricardo Quaresma replaces Bernardo Silva, who didn’t see much of the ball.

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69 min “Re: Diana Ross and the Supremes,” begins Liam Murray. “I seem to recall Diana Ross eventually dropped her second-rate colleagues and doing everything on her own. It’s the inevitable next step for CR7.”

8.25pm BST

68 min Portugal make their first change, with Joao Mario replacing Bruno Fernandes.

8.24pm BST

66 min For the first time in the match, Spain have retreated. It’s human nature, I guess, but with the way they are playing they could kill this game pretty quickly.

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64 min I wonder how Julen Lopetegui feels tonight. He should be extremely proud of this brilliant Spain performance, but he probably can’t go there just yet.

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63 min Bernardo Silva is very lucky not to be booked for a cynical pull on Isco. The referee played a good advantage but should have gone back to book Silva. Isco has been utterly brilliant.

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62 min “What I’m enjoying most about the World Cup is, watching my 6 year old son falling in love with football.,” says Matt Dony. “He’s been so excited, and asks non-stop questions about players. The best part of this is the fact that he’s still young enough to have complete trust in me (the fool!) As such, I have explained that Ronaldo is objectively the best footballer in the world, and the Messi apologists are simply wrong.”

8.17pm BST

This will be one of the goals of the tournament, even if we play until the year 2027. With Portugal under all kinds of pressure, a desperate defensive clearance hit Carvalho and rebounded across the edge of the box. It bounced up awkwardly for Nacho, who cut across the ball to swish a spectacular shot that clattered off the inside of the far post and into the net. The technique was perfect, with the ball whistling just above the ground all the way into the net.

8.15pm BST

Nacho gives Spain the lead with a stunning goal!

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57 min As Danny Murphy says on BBC, Spain have spent most of the match passing the ball beautifully – and their goals have come from a long hoof and a free-kick. Tiki-taka 0-2 kicky-hacka.

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56 min “Have to admit, I have so missed Costa since he left Chelsea,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I used to call him The Little Ball of Hate, but he’s truly unique with a temperament always right on the edge. What a terrific match so far!”

8.13pm BST

Iniesta was fouled 30 yards from goal in a central position. David Silva took a short free-kick with Koke and clipped the ball beyond the far post, where Busquets towered over his man to head back across goal. Diego Costa reacted fastest and stabbed the ball in from six yards.

8.12pm BST

Diego Costa gets his second equaliser!

8.11pm BST

53 min Spain have a few options on the bench, including Marco Asensio and Iago Aspas.

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52 min “I’m afraid I still don’t understand VAR,” says Prateek Chadha. “What is the rule? The Portuguese were clearly incensed by Costa performing a WWF/E style ‘clothesline’ on Pepe and VAR looked at it and deemed there to be no foul. Why it wasn’t a foul is a mystery to all those watching in the stadium and on TV. Surely VAR referees must be miked up and asked to explain their decisions to the audience like in cricket and the NFL.”

Decisions are only overturned if there is a “clear and obvious error”, so I can understand why the Costa goal stood. I agree that the process isn’t quite right though. Somebody will punch a referee before the tournament’s out.

8.09pm BST

51 min It’s been a slow start to the half, though these things are relative. It’s fascinating to watch Spain probing for gaps in this superb Portugal defence.

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49 min “Hang on,” says Rachel Clifton. “Is someone accusing YOU of being more impressed with stereotypical masculinity!?”

Haven’t you seen my new byline picture?

8.05pm BST

48 min Spain have started the second half as they spent most of the first: in possession of the football. Isco continues to pop up all over the pitch; he’s been the biggest threat to Portugal.

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47 min Here’s Jonathan Bradley. “Recalling how the Supremes became Diana Ross and the Supremes, are we now to accept the renaming of Portugal as Ronaldo and Portugal.”

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46 min Peep peep! Portugal begin the second half.

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I still cannot believe that error from De Gea. Maybe it was karma for doing a Joe Hart before the penalty.

7.51pm BST

Half time chit chat

Thanks for all your emails, most of which I haven’t had chance to read because of this storming match.

7.49pm BST

Honestly, you couldn’t imagine a better half of football at this stage of a World Cup. Spain played brilliantly in possession but gave away two silly goals, one of them from an unthinkable error by David De Gea. Diego Costa scored a brilliant and controversial equaliser; Isco thundered a stunning shot off the underside of the bar. And Cristiano Ronaldo, who was quite majestic, scored twice. God bless the World Cup!

7.47pm BST

Who needs a drink? That was scorching stuff.

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45 min There will be two minutes of added time.

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They used VAR to check whether Ronaldo was offside. He was in an offside position earler in the build up but it was a different phase of play.

7.45pm BST

How can you begin to make sense of that? Ronaldo, teed up in the D by a short pass from Guedes, drilled a left-foot shot straight at De Gea. It was well struck but should have been a routine save. Instead it slithered through De Gea and into the net.

7.44pm BST

Ronaldo gets his second thanks to a hideous mistake from David De Gea!

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43 min The excellent Isco works the ball back onto his left foot and hits a decent shot from the edge of the area. Patricio saves comfortably. Isco has been like a ghost in the Portugal half.

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42 min Portugal keep the ball for 90 seconds, which gives them a necessary breather. When Spain regain possession, Pepe takes a sly shortcut through the back of Diego Costa’s Achilles. He’s lucky not to be booked for that.

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39 min “Regarding the 90% comment you made, do you not think Messi is (by a wide margin) better than Ronaldo?” asks El Mox. “I’ve supported Real my whole life, I was there for Ronaldo’s very first game for Real (a dull 1-0 win vs Shamrock Rovers in Ireland), he is an icon for Real, however, I’ve watched Messi for his whole career and it’s pretty to clear who the superior player is. Messi is the most complete footballer I’ve ever seen. Come join the 90% Rob, it’s fun over here.”

Messi was better from 2008-13, but I think Ronaldo has comfortably surpassed him in the last five years; I don’t really see how anyone can think otherwise. But it’s probably a discussion for another day. And neither of them are fit to clean Maradona’s bidet.

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37 min Portugal were terrific on the counter-attack at 1-0, but since it went to 1-1 they have struggled to get out of their third, never mind their half. It’s been a thrilling half of football.

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35 min His goal was typical, with defenders being tossed around as if it was a Royal Rumble rather than a football match, but Diego Costa has also shown a more intricate side to his game – especially during that last move. Spain have been terrific.

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34 min Iniesta almost makes it 2-1. Spain moved the ball around delightfully on the left, with Diego Costa and Iniesta involved. Eventually Alba cut the ball back to Iniesta, who dragged a left-footed shot just wide of the far post.

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32 min Portugal are hanging on, with Spain looking very slick in possession.

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28 min Fernandes is booked for a foul on Nacho.

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27 min This is blistering stuff. I’d like to see that Costa goal again, because a foul could easily have been given for the challenge on Pepe.

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26 min: Isco hits the bar! It was a scintillating strike from the left edge of the area which slammed off the underside of the bar and bounced down towards goal. Spain thought it was over the line but the goal-line technology showed that wasn’t the case.

7.26pm BST

Who needs tiki-taka? The goal came from a long ball by Busquets, which Pepe could only head up in the air while being flattened by Costa’s challenge. Costa picked up the loose ball, ignored a couple of challenges from Fonte and worked the ball into position before dragging a low shot past Patricio from 12 yards. They used VAR to see if there was a foul on Pepe, but it wasn’t overturned.

7.24pm BST

Diego Costa scores a brilliant equaliser!

7.23pm BST

22 min What a chance for Guedes! Portugal broke from the Spain corner and should have made it 2-0. Fernandes on the right curled a brilliant pass around the defence to Ronaldo, who eschewed the expected shot and instead flicked the ball deliciously into the path of Guedes. He should have shot first time but took a touch and was dispossessed vitally by Alba. Ronaldo throws his hands up in disgust.

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21 min Beautiful play from Iniesta. He scoots into the box from the left, sends a defender off to a different postcode and then eases the ball back to David Silva. His shot is deflected behind for a corner.

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20 min “Three more international goals from Ronaldo and he’ll overtakes Puskas (currently on 84) as the highest scoring European international in history,” notes Mike Gibbons. “He might never catch Ali Daei who has the world record (with 109), but bloody hell.”

It fascinates me that maybe 90 per cent of football fans still think Messi is the best player.

7.18pm BST

18 min The free-kick is 20 yards from goal, in line with the right edge of the box. Ronaldo batters it into the wall.

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17 min Busquets is booked for a lunge at Guedes.

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16 min Spain are having all of the ball now, though Portugal – as we saw two years ago – are very well organised defensively. And they know how to break: a beautiful touch from Ronaldo in his own half releases Guedes, who can’t decide whether to go it alone or try too play it back to Ronaldo. In end he does neither.

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13 min Spain are starting to look a little sharper, with Isco winning their first corner. Nothing comes of it but the signs are better.

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12 min “Looked to me,” says Dave Ankers, “that Ronaldo was already diving before the contact.”

I thought he made certain of the contact but that it was a foul nonetheless.

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11 min An early goal is perfect for Portugal, who can sit and play on the break. Ronaldo, incidentally, has now scored at four World Cups. He’ll make it five in 2022.

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10 min Spain’s first chance. Isco’s left-wing cross is knocked down by Costa to Silva, who lashes the bouncing ball over the bar with his right foot. He slipped in the act of shooting, which may be why the finish was unusually imprecise.

7.08pm BST

9 min Spain look half asleep at the moment. As Andrew Hurley highlighted earlier, there is a real lack of pace in their team.

7.06pm BST

7 min Oh, Spain.

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6 min “I was a big fan of Spain and Spanish football back when they were enthusiastic underachievers, before tiki-taka made them the hipster’s choice (always hated Pep, though, but that’s for another time...),” says Matt Dony. “Now that flush of popularity has passed, I should be able to enjoy supporting them without the self-conscious concern about looking like just another band-wagon jumper. And yet. And yet. I have to be honest, Ramos has just undermined it all in the Champions League final. Not just the Salah incident, it was the whole shebang. The little look before the dive that lead to Mane’s booking was particularly sly. I mean, I know he’s always been the same, but I was able to appreciate his commitment to the ‘dark arts of defending’ (as we’re obligated to describe it) with a cool detachment in the past. It might be the result of being a one-eyed Liverpool fan, but that game was a turning point in the way I see Spanish football. What I’m trying to say is, ‘Go on, Ronaldo.’ I’m throwing my support firmly behind Portugal. Which I’m sure they will greatly appreciate.”

I always think football is better for having a villain who leaves opposition fans foaming with impotent rage. Though I did briefly change this view while flinging all sorts at Vinnie Jones when he celebrated in front of the United fans at Selhurst Park in 1997.

7.04pm BST

Goodness me, what a start. De Gea tried to put Ronaldo off but it didn’t work. Ronaldo ignored him and slapped a penalty into the right side of the net with De Gea going the wrong way.

7.03pm BST

It’s Ronaldo v De Gea - and Ronaldo scores!

7.03pm BST

Ronaldo ran at Nacho on the left edge of the box, beating him with a stepover. Nacho dangled a leg absent-mindedly and brought him down.

7.02pm BST

3 min It’s been a decent start from Portugal, with Carvalho having a lot of touches in midfield - and now they have a penalty!

7.00pm BST

2 min “Here’s what’s going to happen,” says Olly Wicks. “Spain will win comfortably and cruise to first place in their group. Meanwhile, Egypt will beat Russia and the Saudis and finish second in their group. This means we get a Spain v Egypt last 16 game, in which Salah nutmegs Ramos to score a 95th minute winner and take sweet, sweet revenge. From Olly, a completely unbiased Liverpool fan.”

Imagine if Ramos put him out of the World Cup with a sly suplex.

7.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Spain, in white, kick off. Portugal are in red.

6.58pm BST

Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos shake hands in the centre circle. It’s time for the first humdinger of Russia 2018.

6.50pm BST

Ronaldo “The Wheels of Justice picked up sudden speed early today in Spain,” says Luiz. “Ronaldo got himself a suspended two-year sentence and a huge fine. The good judge could have waited for Monday morning. Ronaldo, according to the Portuguese press, is all upset, mainly, for parting with his hard-earned money. What you think? Is it going to demoralise CR or put him in a killer mood?”

I’m not sure two broken legs could demoralise Ronaldo, who is one of the mentally toughest footballers I’ve ever seen. I’d be reluctant to give him any additional motivation.

6.42pm BST

“I’ve noticed Iniesta holding onto the ball a bit too much this year and not releasing it as fast as he usually would, as if trying to convince himself and others that he’s still at that level,” says Paul Fitzgerald. “But Barca conceded a goal to Roma through him getting dispossessed and he struggles around the 70min mark these days.”

6.36pm BST

Stop press!

Here are our match reports from today’s thrillers:

6.33pm BST

Some pre-match reading

6.33pm BST

An email! “I’m a huge fan of both but even if still at a very high level, aren’t David Silva and Iniesta on the way down (more so the latter)?” says Andrew Hurley. “Forget about the coach, I think this will hurt Spain more...”

I thought David Silva was majestic last season, though his central role at City probably suits him better at his age. Iniesta is past his best but he’s still influential enough. I know what you mean though - it’s a pretty old team, with nobody under the age of 26 in the starting XI. As ever with Spanish football, they could learn a lot from England.

6.11pm BST

Your pre-match task ... is to pick your all-time World Cup XI for Spain and/or Portugal.

5.58pm BST

Portugal (4-4-2) Patricio; Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro; Silva, Carvalho, Moutinho, B Fernandes; Guedes, Ronaldo.

Spain (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Nacho, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets, Koke; Silva, Isco, Iniesta; Costa.

5.57pm BST

In the other Group B match, Iran have snatched a famous victory over Morocco. Barry Glendenning can tell you more.

9.55am BST

In the Little Book of How To Win a World Cup, there is no mention of sacking your coach 24 hours before the tournament starts. But we shouldn’t write Spain off just yet. From Helmut Schön’s breakdown in 1974 to Calciopoli in 2006, the majority of World Cup winners have overcome chaos, scandal and/or a slew of negativity on the way to lifting that magical hunk of gold.

If there’s one dressing-room that should be self-governing, it’s Spain’s. Their squad have won almost 300 trophies between them, so they don’t need that much guidance. As we’re accentuating the positive here, let’s say they also have the perfect opening game to concentrate their minds: an Iberian derby against Portugal, the European champions, and their old friend Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s quite a game to have so early in the tournament.

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Published on June 16, 2018 02:15

Portugal 3-3 Spain: World Cup 2018 – as it happened

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a mighty hat-trick to earn Portugal a draw in a classic match against a very impressive Spain

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Friday’s other Group B match:

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That’s about it for tonight’s blog. In these extreme times we all tend to get carried away with the moment - but even in the distant future I reckon we’ll see this as a World Cup classic for the ages. Thanks for your company and emails, I’ll leave you with Sid’s match report. Night!

9.19pm BST

“Maybe not better,” begins Evan Crocker, “but USA 3-2 Portugal in 2002 was a watershed moment for US soccer and also completely bonkers.”

Good shout. And not even Nacho’s strike tonight was as good as Jeff Agoos’s own goal.

9.18pm BST

Give your eyes a Friday night treat

9.17pm BST

“Best group games,” begins Mike Buckley. “Thinking Scotland v Holland in ‘78 in Argentina. It was a cracker with that Archie Gemmil goal too.”

Ah yes, excellent shout. Spain 2-3 Nigeria in 1998 was another extremely good game. Italy 3-2 Brazil in 1982 is the greatest match ever played, but that was in the second group stage.

9.08pm BST

I’m trying to think of better matches in the first group stage. In my lifetime, the two that come to mind is Argentina 2-1 France in 1978, a classic with higher stakes than this game, and Ireland 0-0 Norway in 1994. Any other suggestions?

9.07pm BST

Any thoughts on the game? Thanks for your emails, most of which I didn’t get chance to read during the match.

9.04pm BST

Spare a thought for poor old Sid Lowe, who had to file a coherent report on that classic BEFORE THE FINAL WHISTLE. If I was in his shoes, I’d have written nothing but wibble. Thankfully, Sid is a bit more accomplished.

9.01pm BST

Player ratings latest “I gave Ronaldo a 1,” says Louis Taylor, “because he’s not a team player and I don’t like him.”

9.01pm BST

Here’s Sid Lowe’s match report:

9.01pm BST

Spain will be annoyed to have drawn a game they dominated, but when the dust settles they will reflect with pride on a superb performance. Isco was majestic, Nacho scored the goal of his life, and Diego Costa bulldozed a couple of goals. Any doubts about whether they can win the tournament have gone.

8.55pm BST

Before you go, why not give your player ratings for the game? If you give Ronaldo less than 11, you need to have a word with yourself.

8.53pm BST

It’s important not to get carried away with how good that match was. It was only one of the greatest group matches in World Cup history. It had almost everything; most of all, it had a hat-trick from the monstrous Cristiano Ronaldo.

8.52pm BST

The World Cup? Bloody hell.

8.50pm BST

90+3 min Ronaldo has run himself into a state of exhaustion. I think he has cramp.

8.50pm BST

90+2 min Quaresma almost wins it for Portugal! He collected a crossfield pass on the left, danced sweetly past two players and hit a low shot that was brilliantly blocked by the sliding Busquets. I think it was Busquets, anyway. Whoever it was has probably earned Spain a point.

8.48pm BST

90+1 min It’s Portugal on the attack, with one corner leading to another. If Ronaldo scores again, we might as well call off the World Cup and give him the trophy now.

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90 min There are four minutes of added time.

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89 min When Ronaldo dies he should donate his brain to the Fifa museum, because his mental strength is entirely beyond comprehension.

8.46pm BST

It was a glorious free-kick, curled around the wall and into the right-hand corner of the net. That is astonishing. Before the free-kick, he was inhaling and concentrating as if he was about to take a penalty, not a free-kick from 25 yards. It’s spine-tingling stuff. His mental strength is off the charts.

8.45pm BST

He’s only effing done it!

8.44pm BST

87 min Pique fouls Ronaldo 25 yards from goal, slightly to the right of centre. I wonder who’ll take this.

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86 min Spain make their last substitution, with Lucas Vazquez replacing the excellent David Silva.

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84 min Portugal are struggling to get the ball, never mind keep it. Ronaldo is getting increasingly frustrated at the imperfections of those around him.

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82 min Tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka until Aspas mishits a shot through to Patricio from the edge of the box.

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81 min Spain have this match under control. Portugal have spent most of the game chasing the ball in fierce heat and they look shattered.

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80 min A last change for Portugal: Andre Silva replaces Goncalo Guedes.

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79 min A long ball from Cedric invites Ronaldo to hare behind the defence. He is about to shoot and/or clatter into the outrushing De Gea on the edge of the box when Pique comes from the side to make a superb tackle.

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77 min Another change for Spain: Iago Aspas replaces the irresistible Diego Costa.

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76 min Quaresma waves an extravagant shot over the bar from the right edge of the box.

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75 min Portugal are struggling to lay a glove on Spain, with or without the ball. It’s been such a good game but Spain’s superior class is really starting to tell.

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72 min A short corner is played to Joao Moutinho, whose deep, lofted cross is headed back beyond the far post by Fonte. Ronaldo keeps it in play but Spain clear. Fonte might have done better there.

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71 min Diego Costa misses a good chance for a hat-trick, mishitting a first-time shot wide from Jordi Alba’s crisp cutback. The chance came at the end of another delightful move. On this evidence, Spain are in the top group of contenders with Brazil and Germany. They have been wonderful.

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70 min Spain make their first change: Thiago Alcantara replaces Andres Iniesta, who played very well. A hat-tip to the man who said before the game that Iniesta should be subbed after 70 minutes.

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69 min Another Portugal change: Ricardo Quaresma replaces Bernardo Silva, who didn’t see much of the ball.

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69 min “Re: Diana Ross and the Supremes,” begins Liam Murray. “I seem to recall Diana Ross eventually dropped her second-rate colleagues and doing everything on her own. It’s the inevitable next step for CR7.”

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68 min Portugal make their first change, with Joao Mario replacing Bruno Fernandes.

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66 min For the first time in the match, Spain have retreated. It’s human nature, I guess, but with the way they are playing they could kill this game pretty quickly.

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64 min I wonder how Julen Lopetegui feels tonight. He should be extremely proud of this brilliant Spain performance, but he probably can’t go there just yet.

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63 min Bernardo Silva is very lucky not to be booked for a cynical pull on Isco. The referee played a good advantage but should have gone back to book Silva. Isco has been utterly brilliant.

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62 min “What I’m enjoying most about the World Cup is, watching my 6 year old son falling in love with football.,” says Matt Dony. “He’s been so excited, and asks non-stop questions about players. The best part of this is the fact that he’s still young enough to have complete trust in me (the fool!) As such, I have explained that Ronaldo is objectively the best footballer in the world, and the Messi apologists are simply wrong.”

8.17pm BST

This will be one of the goals of the tournament, even if we play until the year 2027. With Portugal under all kinds of pressure, a desperate defensive clearance hit Carvalho and rebounded across the edge of the box. It bounced up awkwardly for Nacho, who cut across the ball to swish a spectacular shot that clattered off the inside of the far post and into the net. The technique was perfect, with the ball whistling just above the ground all the way into the net.

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Nacho gives Spain the lead with a stunning goal!

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57 min As Danny Murphy says on BBC, Spain have spent most of the match passing the ball beautifully – and their goals have come from a long hoof and a free-kick. Tiki-taka 0-2 kicky-hacka.

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56 min “Have to admit, I have so missed Costa since he left Chelsea,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I used to call him The Little Ball of Hate, but he’s truly unique with a temperament always right on the edge. What a terrific match so far!”

8.13pm BST

Iniesta was fouled 30 yards from goal in a central position. David Silva took a short free-kick with Koke and clipped the ball beyond the far post, where Busquets towered over his man to head back across goal. Diego Costa reacted fastest and stabbed the ball in from six yards.

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Diego Costa gets his second equaliser!

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53 min Spain have a few options on the bench, including Marco Asensio and Iago Aspas.

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52 min “I’m afraid I still don’t understand VAR,” says Prateek Chadha. “What is the rule? The Portuguese were clearly incensed by Costa performing a WWF/E style ‘clothesline’ on Pepe and VAR looked at it and deemed there to be no foul. Why it wasn’t a foul is a mystery to all those watching in the stadium and on TV. Surely VAR referees must be miked up and asked to explain their decisions to the audience like in cricket and the NFL.”

Decisions are only overturned if there is a “clear and obvious error”, so I can understand why the Costa goal stood. I agree that the process isn’t quite right though. Somebody will punch a referee before the tournament’s out.

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51 min It’s been a slow start to the half, though these things are relative. It’s fascinating to watch Spain probing for gaps in this superb Portugal defence.

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49 min “Hang on,” says Rachel Clifton. “Is someone accusing YOU of being more impressed with stereotypical masculinity!?”

Haven’t you seen my new byline picture?

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48 min Spain have started the second half as they spent most of the first: in possession of the football. Isco continues to pop up all over the pitch; he’s been the biggest threat to Portugal.

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47 min Here’s Jonathan Bradley. “Recalling how the Supremes became Diana Ross and the Supremes, are we now to accept the renaming of Portugal as Ronaldo and Portugal.”

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46 min Peep peep! Portugal begin the second half.

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I still cannot believe that error from De Gea. Maybe it was karma for doing a Joe Hart before the penalty.

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Half time chit chat

Thanks for all your emails, most of which I haven’t had chance to read because of this storming match.

7.49pm BST

Honestly, you couldn’t imagine a better half of football at this stage of a World Cup. Spain played brilliantly in possession but gave away two silly goals, one of them from an unthinkable error by David De Gea. Diego Costa scored a brilliant and controversial equaliser; Isco thundered a stunning shot off the underside of the bar. And Cristiano Ronaldo, who was quite majestic, scored twice. God bless the World Cup!

7.47pm BST

Who needs a drink? That was scorching stuff.

7.46pm BST

45 min There will be two minutes of added time.

7.46pm BST

They used VAR to check whether Ronaldo was offside. He was in an offside position earler in the build up but it was a different phase of play.

7.45pm BST

How can you begin to make sense of that? Ronaldo, teed up in the D by a short pass from Guedes, drilled a left-foot shot straight at De Gea. It was well struck but should have been a routine save. Instead it slithered through De Gea and into the net.

7.44pm BST

Ronaldo gets his second thanks to a hideous mistake from David De Gea!

7.43pm BST

43 min The excellent Isco works the ball back onto his left foot and hits a decent shot from the edge of the area. Patricio saves comfortably. Isco has been like a ghost in the Portugal half.

7.42pm BST

42 min Portugal keep the ball for 90 seconds, which gives them a necessary breather. When Spain regain possession, Pepe takes a sly shortcut through the back of Diego Costa’s Achilles. He’s lucky not to be booked for that.

7.41pm BST

39 min “Regarding the 90% comment you made, do you not think Messi is (by a wide margin) better than Ronaldo?” asks El Mox. “I’ve supported Real my whole life, I was there for Ronaldo’s very first game for Real (a dull 1-0 win vs Shamrock Rovers in Ireland), he is an icon for Real, however, I’ve watched Messi for his whole career and it’s pretty to clear who the superior player is. Messi is the most complete footballer I’ve ever seen. Come join the 90% Rob, it’s fun over here.”

Messi was better from 2008-13, but I think Ronaldo has comfortably surpassed him in the last five years; I don’t really see how anyone can think otherwise. But it’s probably a discussion for another day. And neither of them are fit to clean Maradona’s bidet.

7.38pm BST

37 min Portugal were terrific on the counter-attack at 1-0, but since it went to 1-1 they have struggled to get out of their third, never mind their half. It’s been a thrilling half of football.

7.37pm BST

35 min His goal was typical, with defenders being tossed around as if it was a Royal Rumble rather than a football match, but Diego Costa has also shown a more intricate side to his game – especially during that last move. Spain have been terrific.

7.35pm BST

34 min Iniesta almost makes it 2-1. Spain moved the ball around delightfully on the left, with Diego Costa and Iniesta involved. Eventually Alba cut the ball back to Iniesta, who dragged a left-footed shot just wide of the far post.

7.33pm BST

32 min Portugal are hanging on, with Spain looking very slick in possession.

7.28pm BST

28 min Fernandes is booked for a foul on Nacho.

7.28pm BST

27 min This is blistering stuff. I’d like to see that Costa goal again, because a foul could easily have been given for the challenge on Pepe.

7.28pm BST

26 min: Isco hits the bar! It was a scintillating strike from the left edge of the area which slammed off the underside of the bar and bounced down towards goal. Spain thought it was over the line but the goal-line technology showed that wasn’t the case.

7.26pm BST

Who needs tiki-taka? The goal came from a long ball by Busquets, which Pepe could only head up in the air while being flattened by Costa’s challenge. Costa picked up the loose ball, ignored a couple of challenges from Fonte and worked the ball into position before dragging a low shot past Patricio from 12 yards. They used VAR to see if there was a foul on Pepe, but it wasn’t overturned.

7.24pm BST

Diego Costa scores a brilliant equaliser!

7.23pm BST

22 min What a chance for Guedes! Portugal broke from the Spain corner and should have made it 2-0. Fernandes on the right curled a brilliant pass around the defence to Ronaldo, who eschewed the expected shot and instead flicked the ball deliciously into the path of Guedes. He should have shot first time but took a touch and was dispossessed vitally by Alba. Ronaldo throws his hands up in disgust.

7.21pm BST

21 min Beautiful play from Iniesta. He scoots into the box from the left, sends a defender off to a different postcode and then eases the ball back to David Silva. His shot is deflected behind for a corner.

7.20pm BST

20 min “Three more international goals from Ronaldo and he’ll overtakes Puskas (currently on 84) as the highest scoring European international in history,” notes Mike Gibbons. “He might never catch Ali Daei who has the world record (with 109), but bloody hell.”

It fascinates me that maybe 90 per cent of football fans still think Messi is the best player.

7.18pm BST

18 min The free-kick is 20 yards from goal, in line with the right edge of the box. Ronaldo batters it into the wall.

7.17pm BST

17 min Busquets is booked for a lunge at Guedes.

7.17pm BST

16 min Spain are having all of the ball now, though Portugal – as we saw two years ago – are very well organised defensively. And they know how to break: a beautiful touch from Ronaldo in his own half releases Guedes, who can’t decide whether to go it alone or try too play it back to Ronaldo. In end he does neither.

7.13pm BST

13 min Spain are starting to look a little sharper, with Isco winning their first corner. Nothing comes of it but the signs are better.

7.12pm BST

12 min “Looked to me,” says Dave Ankers, “that Ronaldo was already diving before the contact.”

I thought he made certain of the contact but that it was a foul nonetheless.

7.10pm BST

11 min An early goal is perfect for Portugal, who can sit and play on the break. Ronaldo, incidentally, has now scored at four World Cups. He’ll make it five in 2022.

7.10pm BST

10 min Spain’s first chance. Isco’s left-wing cross is knocked down by Costa to Silva, who lashes the bouncing ball over the bar with his right foot. He slipped in the act of shooting, which may be why the finish was unusually imprecise.

7.08pm BST

9 min Spain look half asleep at the moment. As Andrew Hurley highlighted earlier, there is a real lack of pace in their team.

7.06pm BST

7 min Oh, Spain.

7.06pm BST

6 min “I was a big fan of Spain and Spanish football back when they were enthusiastic underachievers, before tiki-taka made them the hipster’s choice (always hated Pep, though, but that’s for another time...),” says Matt Dony. “Now that flush of popularity has passed, I should be able to enjoy supporting them without the self-conscious concern about looking like just another band-wagon jumper. And yet. And yet. I have to be honest, Ramos has just undermined it all in the Champions League final. Not just the Salah incident, it was the whole shebang. The little look before the dive that lead to Mane’s booking was particularly sly. I mean, I know he’s always been the same, but I was able to appreciate his commitment to the ‘dark arts of defending’ (as we’re obligated to describe it) with a cool detachment in the past. It might be the result of being a one-eyed Liverpool fan, but that game was a turning point in the way I see Spanish football. What I’m trying to say is, ‘Go on, Ronaldo.’ I’m throwing my support firmly behind Portugal. Which I’m sure they will greatly appreciate.”

I always think football is better for having a villain who leaves opposition fans foaming with impotent rage. Though I did briefly change this view while flinging all sorts at Vinnie Jones when he celebrated in front of the United fans at Selhurst Park in 1997.

7.04pm BST

Goodness me, what a start. De Gea tried to put Ronaldo off but it didn’t work. Ronaldo ignored him and slapped a penalty into the right side of the net with De Gea going the wrong way.

7.03pm BST

It’s Ronaldo v De Gea - and Ronaldo scores!

7.03pm BST

Ronaldo ran at Nacho on the left edge of the box, beating him with a stepover. Nacho dangled a leg absent-mindedly and brought him down.

7.02pm BST

3 min It’s been a decent start from Portugal, with Carvalho having a lot of touches in midfield - and now they have a penalty!

7.00pm BST

2 min “Here’s what’s going to happen,” says Olly Wicks. “Spain will win comfortably and cruise to first place in their group. Meanwhile, Egypt will beat Russia and the Saudis and finish second in their group. This means we get a Spain v Egypt last 16 game, in which Salah nutmegs Ramos to score a 95th minute winner and take sweet, sweet revenge. From Olly, a completely unbiased Liverpool fan.”

Imagine if Ramos put him out of the World Cup with a sly suplex.

7.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Spain, in white, kick off. Portugal are in red.

6.58pm BST

Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos shake hands in the centre circle. It’s time for the first humdinger of Russia 2018.

6.50pm BST

Ronaldo “The Wheels of Justice picked up sudden speed early today in Spain,” says Luiz. “Ronaldo got himself a suspended two-year sentence and a huge fine. The good judge could have waited for Monday morning. Ronaldo, according to the Portuguese press, is all upset, mainly, for parting with his hard-earned money. What you think? Is it going to demoralise CR or put him in a killer mood?”

I’m not sure two broken legs could demoralise Ronaldo, who is one of the mentally toughest footballers I’ve ever seen. I’d be reluctant to give him any additional motivation.

6.42pm BST

“I’ve noticed Iniesta holding onto the ball a bit too much this year and not releasing it as fast as he usually would, as if trying to convince himself and others that he’s still at that level,” says Paul Fitzgerald. “But Barca conceded a goal to Roma through him getting dispossessed and he struggles around the 70min mark these days.”

6.36pm BST

Stop press!

Here are our match reports from today’s thrillers:

6.33pm BST

Some pre-match reading

6.33pm BST

An email! “I’m a huge fan of both but even if still at a very high level, aren’t David Silva and Iniesta on the way down (more so the latter)?” says Andrew Hurley. “Forget about the coach, I think this will hurt Spain more...”

I thought David Silva was majestic last season, though his central role at City probably suits him better at his age. Iniesta is past his best but he’s still influential enough. I know what you mean though - it’s a pretty old team, with nobody under the age of 26 in the starting XI. As ever with Spanish football, they could learn a lot from England.

6.11pm BST

Your pre-match task ... is to pick your all-time World Cup XI for Spain and/or Portugal.

5.58pm BST

Portugal (4-4-2) Patricio; Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro; Silva, Carvalho, Moutinho, B Fernandes; Guedes, Ronaldo.

Spain (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Nacho, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets, Koke; Silva, Isco, Iniesta; Costa.

5.57pm BST

In the other Group B match, Iran have snatched a famous victory over Morocco. Barry Glendenning can tell you more.

9.55am BST

In the Little Book of How To Win a World Cup, there is no mention of sacking your coach 24 hours before the tournament starts. But we shouldn’t write Spain off just yet. From Helmut Schön’s breakdown in 1974 to Calciopoli in 2006, the majority of World Cup winners have overcome chaos, scandal and/or a slew of negativity on the way to lifting that magical hunk of gold.

If there’s one dressing-room that should be self-governing, it’s Spain’s. Their squad have won almost 300 trophies between them, so they don’t need that much guidance. As we’re accentuating the positive here, let’s say they also have the perfect opening game to concentrate their minds: an Iberian derby against Portugal, the European champions, and their old friend Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s quite a game to have so early in the tournament.

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Published on June 15, 2018 13:26

World Cup 2018: Spain uncertainty as Lopetegui takes Real Madrid job – live!

Get the latest news from Russia on the eve of the World CupGetting shirty: World Cup kits through the agesSend your thoughts to rob.smyth@theguardian.com

9.31am BST

“Hi Rob,” says Conor Plunkett. “Just wondering if you’re having a moment with the whole Roy Keane thing. He may have thought he was the manager but big Mick put him in his place.”

No, no moment.

9.28am BST

The previous 'managerial binning closest to the start of a World Cup' I can find is Eduard Malofeyev, told to do one by the USSR about a month before 1986. But I am open to suggestions.

ROY KEANE.

9.27am BST

Spain latest Julen Lopetegui’s press conference, scheduled for 0930BST, has been delayed by an hour. There are rumours that the Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales wants to sack Lopetegui, and that other board members are trying gently to point out what an overreaction that would be.

9.23am BST

England Marcus Rashford will miss today’s training session, which starts in a few minutes, with a slight knee injury. I was going to say it doesn’t sound like much to worry about, but knees are notoriously untrustworthy. At this stage, though, there is no suggestion he’ll be unavailable for the Tunisia game on Monday.

9.21am BST

The Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales was supposed to be at Fifa’s congress today but left hotel apparently looking very panicked to fly to Spain training base late last night.

On Tuesday evening he was in Metropol hotel in central Moscow, in lobby bar, very relaxed, talking about the Spanish federation. Then it appears news of Lopetegui’s move to Real Madrid reached him.

9.19am BST

The Russia World Cup is soooo 2018. If you want to find out who will be hosting the 2026 World Cup, click away now.

#WorldCup 2026 vote: Fifa nations choose between North America and Morocco – live! Join @BryanAGraham https://t.co/o5l410wqJp

9.15am BST

An email! “Hi Rob!” says Drew Gough. “Very much looking forward to days upon days of rolling MBM coverage for Russia 2018, in a way I suspect the crew at Guardian Towers is not. Honest question for you: I know it’s the first game of the tournament and all, but has there ever been a less attractive opening fixture than Russia-Saudi Arabia?”

No. You’re welcome! Obviously some of the games have turned out to be stinkers - West Germany 0-0 Poland in 1978 wasn’t one for the weeks, never mind for the ages - but I can’t recall a fixture that looked less appealing beforehand. And I’ve lived through every World Cup.

9.07am BST

Spain latest I should stress that there is no official word that Julen Lopetegui is to be sacked as Spain manager, so it may be just another Twitter fiaschoax. We’ll find out in the next half hour or so. Who was the last manager to leave this close to a World Cup? Roy Keane in 2002?

9.01am BST

A bit more breakfast/brunch reading: here’s Martha Kelner on VAR and offside issues. There’s going to be an incident, isn’t there.

8.57am BST

How do you top a disaster like Spain’s Brazil 2014 campaign? Well...

8.53am BST

While we wait to discover precisely what state Spain are in - Julen Lopetegui is due to meet the friendly media in just over half an hour - here’s some breakfast reading for you.

Spare a thought for those who tipped Spain. Oh hang on, nobody did.

8.51am BST

Kick off is 31 hours away, but it’s time for the first OMG! of the 2018 World Cup

Seems quite possible that Rubiales / Lopetegui press conference in about an hour will be to announce Spain will have a different coach on bench v Portugal on Friday. Hierro and Celades candidates to step in.

5.46pm BST

Hello, good morning and welcome to our liveblog of the day before the World Cup! There will be plenty going on - not least in Camp Spain, where Julen Lopetegui will be meeting the press at some stage. Yesterday afternoon, Real Madrid showed their usual sensitivity by announcing that Lopetegui will become their new manager after the World Cup. It’s not necesarily a barrier to success - remember ‘PSV Off Bungler Bobby’ in 1990 - but nor is it a recommended course of action in the Little Book of Team Morale.

As well as shoving some Spanish articles through Google Translate in an increasingly frantic manner, we’ll bring you the latest news from all 32 teams. Okay, not all of them, how many fingers do you think I have, but the ones who do or say anything interesting. England are training this morning, possibly without the injured Marcus Rashford, and there will be much else besides.

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Published on June 13, 2018 01:31

World Cup Fiver | Mature, eloquent, decent and an ability to grow a beard

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Some dates in human history will never be forgotten, and 12 June 2018 looks set to join the list. Yup, it’s the day England flew out to Russia for the Ethics World Cup. What a time to be alive! The inanity is unavoidable – this is the World Cup – but in defence of this very likable England side and a more realistic media, there is none of the preposterous hubris of, say, 12 years ago. Back then, England’s arrival in Germany was such a grandiloquent 0rgy of self-congratulation that it felt unnecessary to stage an actual tournament to confirm the bleedin’ obvious: congratulations to England, arise Sir Sven.

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Published on June 12, 2018 04:33

England 2-0 Costa Rica: international friendly – as it happened

A spectacular goal from the eyecatching Marcus Rashford and a second from the substitute Danny Welbeck gave England a comfortable win in their final match before the World Cup

11.00pm BST

10.15pm BST

That’s it for tonight’s blog. Thanks for your company and emails. See you next week - FOR THE WORLD CUP!

10.14pm BST

Here’s Gareth Southgate “What pleased me most is that [Rashford] enjoyed his football tonight – he played with a real swagger. As a Man United player he got booed at the start, and he was cheered off at the end. That tells you about his performance and I’m really pleased for him. His linking was good, his individuality was good, and it was a wonderful strike for the goal. Sometimes we forget how young he is.

“We know certain decisions we need to make [for the Tunisia game]. We need options and players who can change games when we’re out there. I’m really pleased with the three weeks’ preparation. [Interviewer: Do you know your team for the first game] Erm… I might sleep on it.”

10.04pm BST

Here’s Danny Taylor’s match report from Elland Road

10.01pm BST

Marcus Rashford speaks! “I work on shots like that in training almost every day, so it’s rewarding when it comes off in a game. It was my best performance in an England shirt. I tried to enjoy myself - maybe I had a little bit more [freedom than at club level], but I still need to get in the box more.

“It means a lot to be in the squad but it’s my aim to go there and play a major part. We know how far we’ve come on in the last 18 months so these games are just an opportunity to show it to everyone. Anything’s possible in Russia, so we have to go there with the highest expectations.”

9.55pm BST

What would be your starting XI for Tunisia? This is what I think it will be: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Cahill; Alexander-Arnold, Dier, Young; Lingard, Alli; Sterling; Kane.

9.52pm BST

Peep peep! A comfortable win for England, in which Marcus Rashford was outstanding. He scored a belting first goal and helped create the second for the substitute Danny Welbeck. Trent Alexander-Arnold had a fine debut and Fabian Delph was quietly excellent. Those three, in particular, made a strong case to start against Tunisia in England’s first World Cup game.

9.49pm BST

90 min Three minutes of added time.

9.47pm BST

89 min Maguire’s loose header falls to Campbell, whose imperfect control allows Delph to clear at the second attempt.

9.46pm BST

87 min A long spell of possession for Costa Rica. Eventually Matarrita whistles a shot from a tight angle that is comfortably saved by Pope.

9.43pm BST

84 min The match is petering out. It’s been a good night for England, and particularly for Rashford, Delph and Alexander-Arnold.

9.40pm BST

82 min The stretching Bolanos volleys over from Matarrita’s deep left-wing cross.

9.39pm BST

81 min “Evening Rob,” says Paul Wilson. “Just wanted to congratulate Nick Pope on getting a run-out. He played for my beloved York City on loan in our run to the League 2 play-offs in 2014, and even then was among the best keepers I’ve seen. When we conceded a corner you never worried because Pope would just pluck it out of the air 10 feet above the penalty spot. Really pleased for him. Sadly, York have beyond wretched ever since his loan spell ended.”

9.38pm BST

80 min Lingard almost scores straight away. He was found by a nice pass from Alli and danced away from one challenge before hitting a shot that was deflected behind for a corner.

9.38pm BST

79 min Another England change: Lingard replaces Loftus-Cheek, who showed flashes of his devastating potential without consistently influencing the game.

9.35pm BST

The trusty Danny Welbeck gets England’s second. Rashford, on the left, played a good short pass into the box for Alli. He opened his body and shaped a precise cross that was headed in from close range by the diving Welbeck.

9.33pm BST

75 min Rose mishits a right-footed volley wide after good play for first Rashford and then Trippier. That was better from England.

9.32pm BST

74 min Delph, now playing in the deeper midfield role, has had an excellent game.

9.30pm BST

71 min Enough with the substitutions already. Costa Rica make another, with Ian Smith replacing Cristian Gamboa.

9.28pm BST

70 min “Evening Rob,” says Matt Loten. “I’d just like to predict that, on this performance, England will not win the World Cup. If we can get Henderson and Dier playing together in the same midfield, however...”

It’s Gerrard and Lampard all over again!

9.28pm BST

69 min When the free-kick is finally taken, Trippier whips it a few yards wide.

9.27pm BST

69 min Another Costa Rica change: Tejeda replaces Guzman.

9.27pm BST

68 min Excellent play from Loftus-Cheek, who uses his strength to hold off two challenges before being fouled 25 yards from goal by Matarrita. Gonzalez is booked for dissent.

9.26pm BST

67 min The substitutions have disrupted the flow of the game, as you’d expect. If it stays like this I think England will be pretty happy, though they would like to have created more clear chances.

9.24pm BST

65 min Changes galore for England: Cahill, Alli, Pope and Trippier replace Alexander-Arnold, Henderson, Butland and Stones. So, Nick Pope makes his international debut; and Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves the field after a very impressive debut of his own. He is a serious contender to start against Tunisia a week on Monday.

9.22pm BST

64 min Loftus-Cheek bursts forward from midfield but then picks the wrong option, hitting a tame shot wide from 25 yards.

9.20pm BST

62 min “I am a Liverpool fan,” says Ricky Gill. “I don’t rate Henderson’s ability to shield a defence too highly; however, he can spot a pass quicker than Dier and that allows England to play at a higher tempo. The matches when England play a double pivot with Henderson and Dier make for a... well “Dier” viewing. Pardon the pun.”

It’ll be interesting to see if he plays both against Belgium. I don’t think he will unless, say, England need a draw to qualify for the last 16.

9.19pm BST

61 min And a change for England: Welbeck replaces the subdued Vardy.

9.19pm BST

60 min A double change for Costa Rica: Matarrita and Bolanos on, Oviedo and Campbell off.

9.17pm BST

59 min “Evening Rob,” says Phil Sawyer. “A few accounts I read said that the turning point in 2014 was when Hodgson invited Gerrard to say a few words to the team and they were treated to a lengthy treatise on not going home having failed for England like previous tournaments he’d been involved in, which sucked the mood right out of the camp. Now, as a Liverpool supporter I love Gerrard to bits. But when it comes to taking the pressure off young shoulders, I rather prefer the input of an England manager who has been there and reacted to adversity by appearing in an advert with a paper bag over his head. At the end of the day (and I’m paraphrasing shamelessly from DaddyPig on the county cricket blog), it’s tremendously important, because it’s football. And it’s tremendously unimportant, because it’s football.”

Where did you read that? If it’s true, and given their form in recent seasons, I shudder to think what he’ll do to the morale of the Rangers players.

9.17pm BST

58 min Campbell gets the wrong side of Maguire, who recovers to block the eventual shot from the edge of the area. Moments later, Gamboa belts a shot over the top from distance. Butland had that covered.

9.15pm BST

56 min A loose ball falls to Henderson, who sizzles a half-volley towards goal from 25 yards. It’s straight at Navas, who makes a bit of a mess of it but manages to shovel the ball behind for a corner. Alexander-Arnold takes it and picks out Maguire, whose header is kicked off the line.

9.13pm BST

54 min Delph wakes England up with a surging run through midfield. Then Rashford is fouled by Waston for the 48th time tonight. Alexander-Arnold’s inswinging free-kick is cleared at the near post.

9.09pm BST

51 min Urena’s deflected shot from the edge of the box is comfortably held by Butland. He has had so little to do in this game that he may literally start making saves in his sleep before the end.

9.08pm BST

50 min It’s been a slow start to the second half. Typical England: first half good, second half not so good.

9.05pm BST

48 min That’s a good stat from Clive Tydesley on ITV: in terms of caps, England will be the least experienced of the 32 squads in Russia. IS SOMETHING BRILLIANT HAPPENING?

9.04pm BST

47 min “Rashford definitely deserves a start ahead of Sterling on the basis of more end product,” says Ricky Gill. “I think there is also a case for starting Dier in defence and Henderson as the midfield pivot. Delph needs to stop dropping deep into that pivot role, he looks better further up the field rather than trying to occupy the same space as Henderson. As a wing back I think Trent Arnold is superior to Trippier. England will miss the energy and drive of AOC in the advanced CM position.”

I’m out on a limb here, but are you a Liverpool fan? (I do agree, particularly about Oxlade-Chamberlain.)

9.04pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Costa Rica begin the second half.

9.01pm BST

“On Southgate and the press,” begins Alistair. “Remember, he got a right going over after missing that penalty in Euro 96, and still maintained an even keel. Obviously, managing England is another matter entirely, but I hope is prior experience inoculates him somewhat if things turn ugly in the future.”

I thought the press were fairly kind to him after Euro 96, though it’s possible I’ve misremembered the entire 1990s.

8.58pm BST

Half-time chit chat

“I haven’t seen Pogba or Sanchez look this threatening recently,” says Adam Hirst.

8.48pm BST

Peep peep! England have controlled the game and deservedly lead through a spectacular goal from Marcus Rashford. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

8.47pm BST

45 min Henderson sprays a fantastic crossfield pass to Alexander-Arnold, who takes it down nicely but then puts his cross too close to Navas. Alexander-Arnold has had a fine half. I think I would start him ahead of Trippier in Russia.

8.45pm BST

43 min “Praise also has to go to Gareth Southgate, he seems to be going about things the right way,” says Alistair. “He has made some tough decisions concerning players like Rooney, and managed to do it without creating a lot of needless drama.”

Yes, he’s been so impressive in so many areas. It’ll be fascinating to see how he handles things when the press eventually turn on him.

8.42pm BST

41 min Campbell gets the wrong side of Maguire, comes back onto his left foot and flicks an attempted through pass that drifts out of play for a goalkick.

8.41pm BST

40 min What’s interesting about this Rashford performance, aside from the obvious, is that it has come in a roaming No10 role. He has hardly played there for club or country but he looks a natural.

8.40pm BST

39 min Delph’s deep, outswinging corner from the left is headed back across goal by Maguire and hits the slightly unsighted Loftus-Cheek in the chest. Had he been able to control it he would have had a simple chance from six yards.

8.39pm BST

37 min Rashford wins another free-kick on the left wing. Alexander-Arnold’s excellent inswinger is cleared for a corner...

8.37pm BST

35 min I know he’s not to everyone’s taste, but when it comes to explaining tactics I think Glenn Hoddle is the best pundit on TV. He reads games so well.

8.35pm BST

34 min England could potentially play Rashford and Sterling behind Kane in a 3-4-2-1 formation, but I’m sure Southgate will stick with this 3-3-2-1-1 shape.

8.33pm BST

32 min A brilliant pass down the left by Rashford finds Delph, who doesn’t make the most of it. Rashford has been quite majestic.

8.30pm BST

30 min The big winners so far have probably been Rashford, Delph, Rose and Alexander-Arnold, though I’m not sure it’ll change Gareth Southgate’s team for the first game. Maybe Rose will get in ahead of Young. And I won’t be surprised if Delph plays a part as the tournament progresses.

8.29pm BST

29 min “Dear Rob,” says Steve Wingrove. “Re. your observation that there was a distinct drop in the number of goals in the knockout stages at the 2014, I think is an unfair slight on the hosts Brazil who did their level best to boost both all-round entertainment and the goal average by letting in a very respectable seven against Germany.”

8.28pm BST

27 min A rare Costa Rica break. Venegas works the ball onto his right foot and hits a good curling shot that is flapped away by the diving Butland. Decent save.

8.27pm BST

24 min “Hey Rob,” asks JR in Illinois. “Do you happen to know why Rashford didn’t celebrate or even crack a smile after that goal? The only reason I can think why he would react in such a manner is that Mourinho has sucked the joy of life completely out of him.”

It looked more of a studied celebration: a goal like that’s no biggie, etc.

8.24pm BST

23 min Henderson, frustrated with his own poor touch, kicks the ball into the crowd and hits a young supporter. He apologises straight away.

8.23pm BST

22 min “As a Welshman, I’m not far enough removed to feign bemusement at the typical negativity and fatalism that surrounds England going into a tournament, but I don’t have any emotional investment in them, either,” says Matt Dony. “As a neutral, they look like a decent group of footballers. As Wales are taking a well-deserved fallow year following the heroics of 2016, I’m more than happy to see England do well. After all, these are players I watch week in, week out, and a strong England performance is good for the Premier League. Are they the best team in the world? No. But they have some genuinely exciting, young players. They are better than Greece in 2004, or Denmark in 92. I’m not expecting them to win the whole thing, but, hey, stranger things have happened... TL;DR England are above average. That’s to be applauded and supported.”

They’re the most likeable England team in a fair while, too.

8.22pm BST

20 min Vardy misses an excellent chance to make it 2-0. The corner was played short and dumped into the box. Maguire’s header found Vardy, whose close-range shot was smothered by Navas.

Danny Mills would have scored that.
In fairness to Vardy, the ball would not come down for him and that allows Navas to block the shot.

8.21pm BST

19 min England are playing excellently. After a long spell of possession, Rashford skips past two players to win a corner. As Glenn Hoddle says, “he looks like he’s got the chains off and is enjoying playing for England”.

8.18pm BST

17 min “In fairness to Mills (who’d have thought it...), there was that piece of analysis of Vardy’s penalty technique after he missed another from the spot (I think against Liverpool) that showed he did pretty much just put his head down and hit it as hard as he could,” says David Wall. “Not that you can extrapolate from that set piece situation to how he takes chances in open play generally though. Sometimes, like with general match commentary, it is better for a pundit to say nothing rather than say something daft just to fill air time.”

Yes, indeed: the Benaud paradox of modern commentary.

8.16pm BST

15 min Rashford has started the game spectacularly. I don’t know if it’ll be enough to get him in the team for Tunisia - it’s realistically him or Raheem Sterling in the No10 role - but it’s nice to see him playing with such effervescence again.

8.15pm BST

Rashford received the ball 25 yards out, a long way to the right of centre. Hepushed the ball forward a couple of yards and then smashed a spectacular shot that wobbled like a beach ball as it sailed over Navas and into the far corner. That is some goal.

8.14pm BST

Pick that out! Marcus Rashford has given England the lead with a storming goal.

8.12pm BST

12 min England are playing some bright, breezy football. They look like they’re enjoying it and everything.

8.12pm BST

11 min “If Vardy isn’t a natural finisher,” says Phil Podolsky, “Romario and David Villa still are.”

Erroneous! But only because Romario was the most supernatural finisher I’ve ever seen, apart from Gerd Muller.

8.10pm BST

8 min The lively Rashford skins Weston with a thrilling, Ronaldinho-style elastico. Is that what it’s called? I’ll be honest, I’ve no idea. Anyway, he wins a corner, from which Jones’s looping header from 15 yards hits the top of the bar. Navas had it covered but it was a clever effort.

8.07pm BST

6 min Rashford is actually playing behind Vardy, in the Sterling position, so England’s formation is the usual 3-3-2-1-1. It’s an intriguing system, if not the catchiest title for a magazine.

8.05pm BST

4 min Rashford plays a neat one-two with Loftus-Cheek but then gives the ball away to Phil Jones, still up for the corner, and he loses possession.

8.05pm BST

4 min Alexander-Arnold’s cross is sliced behind by Gonzalez for the first corner of the match. He takes it himself and it’s headed away at the near post.

8.03pm BST

3 min It’s been a confident, busy start by Costa Rica, whose team includes a chunk of the 2014 squad.

8.03pm BST

2 min “Hello Rob,” says Graham Randall. “That plonker Danny Mills said on the wireless earlier that Vardy ‘isn’t a natural finisher’ and just wallops the ball. If Vardy isn’t a natural finisher, who is?”

I’m sensing rancour.

8.01pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Marcus Rashford gets the game under way. England are in red, Costa Rica in white.

7.56pm BST

The players emerge from the tight Elland Road tunnel - “I’ve seen Wrighty throw a few punches in there!” says Lee Dixon on ITV - and into a brilliant atmosphere. They really should get away from Wembley more often.

7.52pm BST

Gareth Southgate speaks! “Everybody’s in the frame. History tells us that the team that starts against Tunisia will probably change as the tournament goes on. The players have a good mentality and we have great competition for places in all positions.”

7.50pm BST

“Switzerland v Ukraine: the horror, the horror...” says David Hopkins. “Actually a good example of the problem with recent World Cups. The group stages are full of goals and people start talking about ‘the best ever’. Then the knockouts start and it’s down to an average of 0.6 goals per game.”

Yep, that was a particular problem in 2014. Not sure what can be done about it.

7.48pm BST

John Stones is the only survivor from the starting XI against Nigeria on Saturday. I’m sure most of tonight’s team are pencilled in as reserves, but a Gazza v Czechoslovakia performance could change that.

7.45pm BST

A wee recommendation

If you loved the operatic drama of Italia 90, I recommend World in Motion by Simon Hart, a brilliant book that includes fresh interviews with the stars of the tournament: Toto Schillaci, Roger Milla, Sergio Goycochea, the late Benjamin Massing, Pete Davies. It’ll make you happy.

7.28pm BST

An email! “There is something about a World Cup that cuts through all the stuff surrounding it (or some would argue, overshadows important issues that need addressing),” says David Wall. “Like ice cream, even when it’s bad it’s good. But there’s an exception to that ice cream rule of thumb: bubblegum flavour is truly disgusting, and it’s better to go without. Do you think there is a World Cup equivalent?”

I suppose it depends whether you’re talking objectively (2002) or subjectively (2014). I absolutely loved the last three World Cups, and then they started. But that might just be because 2006 was when it became work. And I know, I know, I know how lucky I am, but you do see the World Cup through slightly different eyes after you’ve liveblogged Switzerland 0-0 Ukraine.

7.27pm BST

Pre-match reading

7.05pm BST

England (3-3-2-1-1) Butland; Jones, Stones, Maguire; Alexander-Arnold, Henderson, Rose; Loftus-Cheek, Delph; Rashford; Vardy.
Subs: everyone else

Costa Rica (3-4-2-1) Navas; Waston, Gonzalez, Calvo; Gamboa, Guzman, Borges, Oviedo; Venegas, Campbell; Urena.
Subs: behave

12.41pm BST

Hello. No matter how old you are, certain things will always remind you of the sheer joy of childhood: being told off by your Mum, having your head flushed down the toilet - and the World Cup. We’re seven days away from Russia 2018. And no matter how loud the rational voice in our head protests that it’s a corporate disgrace that will be full of racism and technology, the little voice says: IT’S THE BLOODY WORLD CUP.

Tonight at Elland Road, plucky England play 2014 quarter-finalists Costa Rica in their last friendly before they head to Russia. After the Expected Wins of 2006 and 2010, the England national team are enjoying an Age of Realism. Most fans accept the last 16 is about par, the quarter-finals would be a good achievement and the semi-finals would justify an open top bus tour.

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Published on June 07, 2018 14:15

The Fiver | A long way from the innocent days of ITV and Elton Welsby

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Back in the late 1980s, when the Fiver was a fresh-faced, gender-fluid football obsessive, watching live matches on ITV was a family event. We marvelled at the end-to-end thrills of Coventry City 0-0 Nottingham Forest while Weird Uncle Fiver and Daddy Fiver communicated entirely through broken wind and windmilling fists. Football has changed a bit since then, and on Thursday it was confirmed that Amazon are to become the first legal streaming-only service to legally show Premier League football, legally!

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Published on June 07, 2018 08:31

Where has it all gone wrong for England and how can they fix it? | Rob Smyth

A thumping defeat at Lord’s by Pakistan in mid-May has set alarm bells ringing and raised concerns about the methodology

Never mind The Hundred; English cricket is in dire need of any old hundred. The inability of England’s Test team to convert fifties into centuries has become one of their defining foibles. And it’s getting worse: 24% in 2016, 20% in 2017 and, so far in 2018, a pitiful 6%. An elite batting lineup – such as England in 2010‑11 – would be at around 40%. An even more perverse statistic is that since English cricket’s new dawn in the summer of 2015, the one-day international team have a much better conversion rate (27%) than the Test team (19%). Given the nature of one-day cricket – limited overs, the greater need to risk your wicket – that is pretty staggering, especially as many of the same players are in both batting lineups. Maybe England could try some unusual incentives: a knighthood for the next centurion; Advanced Hair Studio vouchers for players with a conversion rate in excess of 40%. They should certainly pick and pick and pick the brain of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s lead batting coach Graham Thorpe, who made heaps of pretty fifties in the first half of his Test career and plenty of clinical hundreds in the second. It is hard to see how England can improve without resolving such a fundamental problem. Every captain wants to build a team in their own image, but this probably is not what Joe Root had in mind.

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Published on May 30, 2018 02:00

Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad to win the IPL 2018 – as it happened

Shane Watson blazed an astonishing 117 not out to take CSK to IPL glory on their return from suspension

6.14pm BST

Congratulations to CSK and commiserations to Sunrisers, particularly the wonderful pair of Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan. Thanks for your company, bye!

6.12pm BST

After two years on the naughty step, CSK have won the IPL on their return. Shane Watson played the innings of his T20 life, maybe all his life, blitzing 117 from 57 balls. His last 109 runs came from 41 deliveries.

6.10pm BST

CSK WIN BY EIGHT WICKETS WITH NINE BALLS TO SPARE

18.3 overs: Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (Watson 117, Rayudu 15) Rayudu slams four through the covers to complete an immense victory!

6.08pm BST

18th over: Chennai Super Kings 177-2 (Watson 117, Rayudu 11) Watson takes CSK to within two of victory with two brutal straight drives for four off Kaul.

6.03pm BST

17th over: Chennai Super Kings 166-2 (Watson 108, Rayudu 10) That’s it! Watson limps a single off Rashid to reach an astonishing century: 51 balls, seven fours, eight sixes. And he took 11 balls to get off the mark! The milestone liberates him sufficiently to hit Rashid Khan’s last two balls for four. CSK are going to win at a canter.

5.59pm BST

16th over: Chennai Super Kings 154-2 (Watson 98, Rayudu 8) So much for playing Kumar with respect. Rayudu has just Leatherfaced a short ball over long off for six. A single brings Watson on strike, and he steers a single to move to 98 and keep the strike. CSK need 25 from 24 balls.

5.55pm BST

As Rob Key and Mark Butcher have just said on Sky Sports, CSK’s tactics have been excellent. Kumar and Rashid Khan, who have been played with respect, have bowled six overs for 22. The rest have bowled nine overs for 122.

5.53pm BST

15th over: Chennai Super Kings 146-2 (Watson 97, Rayudu 2) Rashid Khan returns to the attack, and if he takes five wickets in an over this might just get interesting. Rayudu is happy to play out a testing over that includes a big appeal for LBW from a googly. It was given not out but Sunrisers had little choice but to gamble on a review. I thought it hit him outside the line, and replays confirm my eyesight is not quite as bad as I feared. Not out.

CSK need 33 from 30 balls.

5.49pm BST

14th over: Chennai Super Kings 145-2 (Watson 97, Rayudu 1) Watson deflects Brathwaite to third man for four to move into the nineties, and then he pings a slower ball over midwicket for his eighth six! This is an utterly ridiculous innings. He had eight from 16 balls; now he has 97 from 48.

5.46pm BST

A scintilla of hope for Sunrisers. Brathwaite produces a nasty bouncer that Raina gloves through to Goswami, who takes an outstanding leaping catch. It’s given not out but Sunrisers review and Raina, who knows he’s gloved it, walks off long before the third umpire officially overturns the decision.

5.42pm BST

13th over: Chennai Super Kings 131-1 (Watson 86, Raina 31) Sandeep Sharma returns in place of Shakib, whose first over went for 15. It’s much of a muchness to Watson, who smashes three consecutive sixes and 27 from the over! He can’t run so he’s blasting the ball to all parts. It’s a stunning display of hitting. He has smashed 78 from the last 29 balls, including seven sixes! CSK were cruising a minute ago; now they are doing whatever comes after cruising. They only need 48 from 42 balls.

5.36pm BST

12th over: Chennai Super Kings 104-1 (Watson 60, Raina 31) Brathwaite comes into the attack. Watson tries to steal an overthrow and winces with pain; it looks like he’s pulled something. He can barely run - so he just drags Brathwaite into the leg side for four to bring up the hundred. CSK are cruising at the moment. They need 75 from 48 balls.

“Evening Rob,” says James Lane. “Did you catch Michael Slater’s kurta-cleavage during the break? I’m still getting flashes.”

5.33pm BST

11th over: Chennai Super Kings 95-1 (Watson 53, Raina 29) Watson brings up a brilliant, ballsy fifty by sweeping Shakib’s first ball of the innings for six. Watson made nought from 10 balls, eight from 16, but he kept his nerve and has bashed 43 off the last 17. Raina ends another great over for CSK with a sweet straight six. Sunrisers are in urgent need of a wicket or, failing that, a dot ball.

“What are your thoughts about ECB’s new 100-ball format,” says Sahil Pandita. “Is it really required? What difference does 20 balls make?”

5.28pm BST

10th over: Chennai Super Kings 80-1 (Watson 45, Raina 22) CSK are playing Rashid Khan with total respect, aiming for nothing grander than a single off every ball. They manage four off the first five deliveries – and then get some bonus runs when the last ball scuttles away for four leg byes. CSK need 99 from the last 10 overs. This is going to the last over, maybe to the last ball.

5.23pm BST

9th over: Chennai Super Kings 72-1 (Watson 43, Raina 16) CSK are targeting Kaul. Watson monsters a straight six and slices a low full toss this far short of Rashid, charging in from deep point. The next ball is slower, picked and belted to long off for four. Watson, who made eight from his first 16 balls, has since made 35 from 14. And poor Kaul’s first two overs have gone for 16 apiece.

5.15pm BST

8th over: Chennai Super Kings 56-1 (Watson 28, Raina 15) It’s time for Rashid Khan, the best T20 cricketer in the world. One way or another, his four overs will probably decide this match. Raina is a key man, having played Rashid well in the past. CSK play low-risk cricket throughout his first over, content to milk five singles. Well played.

5.10pm BST

7th over: Chennai Super Kings 51-1 (Watson 26, Raina 13) Kumar is replaced by Siddarth Kaul, whose second ball is flicked majestically for six by Watson. He slices the next delivery high over the off side, just short of Rashid Khan running in from the boundary. A brilliant over for CSK – 16 from it - continues when Raina helps two poor deliveries around the corner for four. CSK need 128 from 78 balls.

5.05pm BST

6th over: Chennai Super Kings 35-1 (Watson 19, Raina 4) Sandeep Sharma also continues into a third over. Watson hammers him towards cow corner, where Rashid Khan saves three runs with the most nonchalant grab on the run as the ball bounces up. Watson eventually gets hold of one later in the over, clouting Sharma miles over midwicket for six. He follows that with four more and then Raina survives a run-out referral after a neat bit of footwork from Sharma. A desperate slide saved Raina. This is great stuff now.

“Two weeks ago, my expectations of “Hamilton” were recklessly high - and, when I saw the show, surpassed,” says Gary Naylor. “On Tuesday, my expectations of Rashid Khan were recklessly high - and, when I saw the lad, surpassed. How lucky we are to be alive right now.”

4.59pm BST

5th over: Chennai Super Kings 20-1 (Watson 7, Raina 2) Kumar continues into his third over, with Williamson keen to ram home Sunrisers’ advantage. Four from the over. This is exquisitely tight, the atmospheric equivalent of Spandex trousers that are a size too small. Sunrisers would love to get rid of Raina before Rashid Khan comes into the attack. At the moment they won’t want to get rid of Shane Watson, who has struggled to seven from 15 balls.

“Watson’s been a disgrace so far,” says Hari. “Think he’s tiring from a long tournament but he essentially got Faf out there through all those dots.”

4.55pm BST

4th over: Chennai Super Kings 16-1 (Watson 5, Raina 0) CSK need 163 from 16 overs.

4.54pm BST

A huge wicket for Sunrisers! Sandeep Sharma duped du Plessis with a fine slower ball that was toe-ended miles in the air. Sharma called for the catch himself and took it confidently.

4.50pm BST

3rd over: Chennai Super Kings 10-0 (Watson 0, du Plessis 10) This is an extraordinary start from Kumar. He extends his sequence of dot balls to 10 (T-E-N) before du Plessis works the 11th to backward point for a single. Make that five singles: a narcissistic throw from Hoola flies to the boundary and gives CSK four bonus runs. Watson was easily home so that was not the brightest bit of cricket from Hoola.

4.44pm BST

2nd over: Chennai Super Kings 5-0 (Watson 0, du Plessis 5) Sandeep Sharma shares the new ball. His second ball is blasted through the covers for four by Faf du Plessis, Sunrisers’ nemesis five days ago. That aside it’s a harmless over for SRH. Shane Watson has nought from eight balls.

4.39pm BST

1st over: Chennai Super Kings 0-0 (Watson 0, du Plessis 0) Bhuvneshwar Kumar starts the innings with a brilliant maiden to Shane Watson. The first and last deliveries of the over were storming legcutter that beat the outside edge. That is a helluva tone to set for the innings.

4.22pm BST

Innings break Sunrisers would surely have taken that total at the start, though they might regret scoring only 18 from the last two overs. I’d say they are slight favourites, particularly if Rashid Khan works his not inconsiderable magic. See you soon for the CSK innings.

4.20pm BST

20th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (Pathan 45) The last over, bowled by Thakur, goes for 10. He started very well, conceding four from the first four balls. Then Brathwaite clunked a pull down the ground for six, a ridiculous shot, before holing out off the final delivery of the innings. Chennai Super Kings needs 179 to win the 2018 IPL.

4.13pm BST

19th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 168-5 (Pathan 42, Brathwaite 15) Ngidi bowls an outstanding penultimate over of the innings – only eight from it. And it would have been a lot better had Brathwaite not dumped the last delivery over wide long on for six.

4.08pm BST

18th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 160-5 (Pathan 41, Brathwaite 8) What a shot from Carlos Brathwaite! His first ball a wide from Bravo; the second, the first legitimate delivery of his innings, was a slower one that he picked and redirected over long off for a huge six. Pick that out! Bravo’s last over goes for 16, including another vicious hit for four from Pathan, and he ends with nasty figures of 4-0-46-1.

4.03pm BST

17th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 144-5 (Pathan 35, Brathwaite 0) That was the last ball of an over in which Pathan cuffed Ngidi down the ground for six more! This is an immense performance from the big man, who has scorched to 35 from 18 balls.

“If Chennai lose this final it will be their fifth loss in an IPL final,” says Sahil Pandita. “I always wonder whether it is better to reach lots of finals and lose most of them or reach some and win all of them. The agony must be too much to handle.”

4.02pm BST

Hooda falls, flipping Ngidi straight to the substitute Shorey at deep backward square leg.

3.57pm BST

16th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 134-4 (Pathan 27, Hooda 1)

3.54pm BST

Pathan survives a potential run out when Bravo fails to take the ball cleanly in his follow through – but Shakib goes next ball, clouting a low full toss to extra cover. He made a handy 23 from 15 balls, and we’re going to have a timeout.

3.49pm BST

15th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 126-3 (Shakib 22, Pathan 21) The dangerous Pathan makes room to smack Sharma over extra cover for six, the highlight of another decent over for Sunrisers. They are inching towards a score that will be very competitive with their bowling attack.

3.47pm BST

14th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 117-3 (Shakib 20, Pathan 14) A short ball from Thakur is flashed square on the off side for four by Pathan, who looks in the mood today.

3.41pm BST

13th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 108-3 (Shakib 18, Pathan 7) The new batsman Yusuf Pathan glides Sharma for four to get off the mark. Though the dismissal of Williamson is a big blow, Sunrisers are still right in this game.

“Dear Rob,” says Aditi Prabhudesai. “This is off topic but do you get much grief for not having a Twitter account? I sometimes wonder if I am a sane person since I am not given to much Tweeting.”

3.38pm BST

Williamson has gone! He is so angry with himself. He charged the first ball from Karn Sharma, who saw him coming and slipped it well wide of off stump. Williamson ran past the ball and MS Dhoni completed the stumping.

3.36pm BST

12th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 101-2 (Williamson 47, Shakib 18) Sunrisers have defended some low totals in this year’s IPL, so they are pretty well placed at the moment – especially with Williamson anchoring the innings so immaculately. He smacks Bravo’s first two deliveries for four, a princely extra-cover drive followed by a fierce pull. Kevin Pietersen once said that talking to Andrew Strauss about the IPL was like trying to explain gangsta rap to the vicar. Watching Williamson play T20 is like seeing a classical musician try their hand at gangsta rap, and be absolutely brilliant at it.

3.31pm BST

11th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 90-2 (Williamson 37, Shakib 17) Oof, that was desperately close. Williamson, making room outside leg stump, sliced Jadeja just wide of the diving Ngidi at short third man. The ball raced away for four, and then Shakib muscled consecutive deliveries to leg for six and four. Seventeen from the over, and Shakib has 17 from seven balls.

3.26pm BST

10th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 73-2 (Williamson 32, Shakib 6) Chahar returns to bowl his final over, a good one that goes for only three. He ends with figures of 4-0-25-0.

3.21pm BST

9th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 70-2 (Williamson 30, Shakib 5) A misfield from Watson helps the new batsman Shakib get off the mark with a boundary. Both sides will be fairly happy with this position. But so much depends on Williamson.

3.19pm BST

Gone! Ravindra Jadeja strikes with his third ball, angling a delivery through Dhawan’s attempted slog sweep. That’s a really big wicket.

3.14pm BST

8th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 62-1 (Dhawan 25, Williamson 28) Dwayne Bravo, a T20 superstar for over a decade, concedes only one run from his first four balls – but then Williamson smacks 10 off the last two balls of the over! He picked a slower ball and slapped it over extra cover for four; then, when Bravo slipped a low full toss towards leg stumps, Williamson lifted it high over long leg for six! He is playing beautifully. Of course he is; he always does.

“It’s not just England’s frailties against spin that are a problem, but also their attitude,” says Aditi Prabhudesai. “For example, their insistence on playing biff bang bosh when the conditions are screaming for a measured approach. Their rigidity will cost them a knockout match in the World Cup for sure.”

3.08pm BST

7th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 51-1 (Dhawan 24, Williamson 18) The legspinner Karn Sharma comes into the attack. Dhawan hoicks a flat, hard sweep for four to bring up the fifty for Sunrisers. He and Williamson are delivering yet again; after a slow start they’ve scored 34 from the last three overs.

3.04pm BST

6th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 42-1 (Dhawan 18, Williamson 16) Thakur replaces Ngidi and starts with a wide. His third legitimate delivery is smoked over long-on for six by Dhawan, which allows Sunrisers to milk singles for the rest of the over.

“Looking at the performance of the English players in the IPL, it is quite clear that they struggle still against spin, especially the likes of Alex Hales and Jason Roy,” says Hari. “I think England are an unbelievable limited overs side in flat conditions but are definitely going to struggle when there is a bit in for the bowlers especially the tweakers.”

2.58pm BST

Anyone out there? The players are having a quick unscheduled drinks break, since you asked.

2.57pm BST

5th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 30-1 (Dhawan 9, Williamson 14) You can understand Sunrisers’ approach, given their strengths and weaknesses, but the scoreboard pressure is starting to manifest itself in one or two desperate shots. Williamson top-edges a pick-up shot off Chahal for six, the first of the innings. Two balls later he pulls smoothly and authoritatively for four. Thirteen from the over, a good one for Sunrisers.u can understand Sunrisers’ approach, given their strengths and weaknesses, but the scoreboard pressure is starting to manifest itself in one or two desperate shots. Williamson top-edges a pick-up shot off Chahal for six, the first of the innings. Two balls later he pulls smoothly and authoritatively for four. Thirteen from the over, a good one for Sunrisers.

2.51pm BST

4th over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 17-1 (Dhawan 8, Williamson 3) Sunrisers are batting cautiously, scared of losing another wicket – so much so that Ngidi’s second over is a maiden to Williamson.

2.47pm BST

3rd over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 17-1 (Dhawan 8, Williamson 3) CSK have made a dominant start and look less nervous than Sunrisers, who can take only three singles from Chahar’s second over.

“This live blog is a pleasant surprise!” says Don Mihsill. “One of the undertouted benefits of leagues like IPL, Big Bash etc is the opportunity it provides players from less prominent nations to develop their game by playing in pressure situations, with and against some of the best professionals going around. These chances were simply not available to an earlier era (the young Nepali leggie Lamichanne is another one;). For growing the game, these leagues are a powerful tool. They’re well marketed, pay well, scout for the best talent (irrespective of nationality). It also makes a talented youngster in a country where cricket may be the third, fourth or fifth sport, actively contemplate honing their skills. Afghanistan are due to play India in their debut test. Their bowling attack will include Mujib, Rashid and Nabi - all participants in the IPL. I’m guessing they won’t be overawed and will be quite used to Indian conditions.”

2.43pm BST

2nd over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 14-1 (Dhawan 7, Williamson 1) It’s a strange thing to say at one down in the second over, but Sunrisers really need a partnership. So much depends on Dhawan and the captain Williamson. He pushes Ngidi for a quick single to get off the mark.

2.41pm BST

A hideous start for Sunrisers. Goswami comes back for an ill-judged second run and is miles short when MS Dhoni breaks the stumps.

2.36pm BST

1st over: Sunrisers Hyderabad 6-0 (Goswami 3, Dhawan 2) A false start for CSK: Chahar’s first ball is a high full toss that is no-balled, which means a free hit for Dhawan. He can only chip it for a single. Chahar pulls it back thereafter, with no boundaries in the over.

2.25pm BST

Any predictions? The noggin says CSK - they are more experienced, less dependent on key players and have had more rest this week. But Sunrisers have Rashid Khan and Kane Williamson, so I’m going for them.

2.06pm BST

Chennai Super Kings Watson, du Plessis, Raina, Rayudu, Dhoni (c/wk), Bravo, Jadeja, Chahra, K Sharma, Thakur, Ngidi.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Dhawan, Goswami (wk), Williamson (c), Shakib, Hooda, Pasthan, Brathwaite, Rashid, Kumar, Kaul, S Sharma.

2.04pm BST

That’s a bit of a surprise, as it means Sunrisers’ superb bowling attack will know what total they have to defend. The toss was a minor shambles, with TV’s Sanjay Manjrekar not having a clue who won it. MS Dhoni and Kane Williamson managed to sort it out between them.

11.38am BST

Hello. Let us give thanks to England: their generous acquiescence this morning means there is no Test match to cover, so we’re going to liveblog the IPL final instead. A match like this needs no introduction, and not only because I’ve been caught cold by the change of plan.

What’s an IPL anyway?

Today’s matinee show has a simple pitch: it’s CSK’s veterans against Sunrisers’ innocents, most notably the wonderful Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan. He produced one of the great performances to beat KKR in the semi-final: he hit 34 from 10 balls (!) and then took three for 19 from his four overs.

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Published on May 27, 2018 10:12

Pakistan crush sorry England by nine wickets in first Test – as it happened

Pakistan’s pace bowlers ripped through England on the morning of day four to pave the way for a comprehensive victory at Lord’s

1.10pm BST

Signing off. England have been smashed by nine wickets by Pakistan inside 90 minutes on day four, a truly dreadful way to begin their international summer.

Vic Marks has popped out a quick match report on how it fell apart as soon as it began on Sunday morning, their final four wickets falling for seven runs. Pakistan - who were magnificent throughout - did the rest, collecting the 64 runs they needed in 12.4 overs.

12.59pm BST

Mohammad Abbas is the man of the match for his eight wickets.

Wasim Akram is interpreting for him in response to Mike Atherton’s questions on Sky. Abbas said he was happy with the lengthy preparation and it helped him agree on the length he was going to bowl in the First Test at Lord’s. He adds that Glenn McGrath and Mohammad Asif are two his heroes and the bowlers he tries to emulate.

12.56pm BST

Joe Root, England captain, at the presentation.

“We played some poor shots and gave some wickets away and you can’t afford to do that in Test cricket.” He has no regrets on the toss, though: “If we bat well and get 250 or 300 it is very different on that surface. As a batting group we need to find a way.”

12.55pm BST

Trevor Bayliss, England coach, speaks on BBC.

Believes the decision to bat at the toss was a 50/50 call. “The problem is that we didn’t bat very well at all. Yes, it was going to be difficult in the first couple of hours but but we just didn’t bat well enough. We simply keep making the same mistakes. We have seen these guys score runs in difficult conditions but we have to do it more often.”

12.45pm BST

Still waiting to see the captains. The response online is absolutely brutal. I shared the view of Vish Ehantharajah earlier that yesterday at times felt a bit like Hobart when Australia were smashed there by South Africa in November 2016. Having covered both of those annihilations, I certainly share that view 24 hours on. The same despair.

12.33pm BST

A couple of stats from CricViz that stand out.

12.31pm BST

All over inside 90 minutes on day four. To think England came here with actual hope this morning. Instead, they lost four wickets in seven balls to leave just Pakistan 64 to win, which they knocked off in 76 deliveries. “Absolutely walloped,” says Phil Tufnell on TMS. “I can’t remember them playing so badly.”

12.29pm BST

Haris Sohail finishes it in style, popping a full toss from Bess into the grandstand then two balls later clipping him through midwicket for four to win the game!

Pakistan 66-1 (Imam 18, Haris 39)

12.27pm BST

12th over: Pakistan 56-1 (Imam 18, Haris 29) Joe Root at silly point on his hands and knees as though he’s striving for the final wicket late on day five. A short leg also there, a leg gully too. No surprises where Wood is directing his attack at Imam, then. In saying that, Wood is fuller this over than the two that came before it. Runs from three of the six deliveries around the field. Both teams happy for this to finish asap. Eight to win.

12.25pm BST

11th over: Pakistan 50-1 (Imam 13, Haris 28) Haris Sohail looking fantastic here. It is a shame that his day is nearly done. Admittedly, the first of his two boundaries this over was a case of putting away a Bess full toss. No issues with that. The second required real skill, bisecting the two men in the covers after getting to the pitch. Spot on. 14 to win.

12.22pm BST

10th over: Pakistan 42-1 (Imam 13, Haris 20) Wood sends down a maiden to Imam to slow the Pakistan chase, if briefly. He is really banging it in short of a length as his stock delivery, changing it up with a couple of bouncers. No issues for the opener.

When you ring the 5 minute bell but then have to get to the pitch for the team photo...

‍♂️ @AzharMahmood11

¢LoveLords#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/iTXL6h5l58

12.20pm BST

9th over: Pakistan 42-1 (Imam 13, Haris 20) Haris into the 20s with another lovely drive through cover, off Bess this time. He looked fantastic in the first innings, before getting out. A nice red inker here will give him plenty of confidence going into Headingley. Not far away now, 22 more required for a famous Pakistani victory.

A little factoid here from the BBC: “The last time England lost the first Test of a summer, regardless of what month it began, was in 1995 against West Indies.”

12.16pm BST

8th over: Pakistan 36-1 (Imam 13, Haris 14) Mark Wood getting a chance now in place of Broad. Bowled with excellent pace first time around and immediately into his work here, short to Haris who ducks. When Imam gets down there, he gives him a bumper to begin as well. Fair enough. And then again to finish, trying to leave a bruise by aiming at his body.

12.10pm BST

7th over: Pakistan 35-1 (Imam 13, Haris 13) Dom Bess on for a twist and I think that’s a good shout from Root. If the debutant can get his first wicket in Test cricket before this is finished, that won’t be for nothing ahead of next week. He is very close with his third ball of doing just that, Imam throwing his hands and missing everything. Loose shot from a ball that had plenty of air. I’ve liked that from Bess, giving the ball a chance to turn from the outset. Frustratingly, his misses his line next up and Imam tickles a four fine. Gosh, then some big spin out of the footmarks that beats Imam and Bairstow (and Stokes), adding three more runs to the sundries column. Bowled.

12.05pm BST

6th over: Pakistan 27-1 (Imam 12, Haris 9) Forget about that extra half an hour, they’re ticking over nicely here with a couple of boundaries for Haris in this Broad set. The first is in error off the edge, but not to hand. The second is much better, leaning into a lavish cover drive that skips away to the rope in front of the grandstand.

12.02pm BST

5th over: Pakistan 19-1 (Imam 9, Haris 4) Anderson in from the Pavilion End once more. I don’t expect that he will bowl many overs here with back to back Tests. Runs coming from three deliveries in this over, Haris clipping one, Imam driving three then Haris pushing another. He keeps the strike. But really, nothing to see here. Lunch is an hour away and the umpires have the power to extend the session by half an hour if they believe a result is imminent. In other words, one way or another, this ends before lunch.

Watch that stump cartwheel

More clips: https://t.co/9jYAMDq8J7 #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/GSEPr4MTrZ

11.58am BST

4th over: Pakistan 14-1 (Imam 6, Haris 2) Broad charging in from the Nursery End and keeping Imam honest throughout, beating him with a good’un to finish. He receives generous applause from the modest crowd in today. Modest by Sunday at Lord’s standards that is, and for good reason.

“‘Obsequies’ is a lovely word, isn’t it?” observes John Starbuck. Funeral rites, the definition (full disclosure: I googled). But yes, that’s what this is.

11.53am BST

3rd over: Pakistan 14-1 (Imam 6, Haris 2) Haris has three balls to look at, tucking neatly around the corner towards the rope beneath my spot in the press box. A couple for him.

First time in 14 years that Pakistan pacers have taken 18 or more wickets in a Test. Last was against NZ in Wellington in 2003 when Shoaib Akhtar took 11 wickets. #EngvPak

11.50am BST

Something there for Jimmy, picking up Azhar for the second time in the Test. That’s a beauty too, angling in before nipping past the outside edge, smashing into the off-stump. Can’t ask much more of him this week.

11.48am BST

2nd over: Pakistan 11-0 (Azhar 4, Imam 5) “Does this not remind you of Adelaide?” asks Dan Norcross on TMS. Not wrong. A wicket second ball then all over in about an hour. Anyway, Imam’s turn and he’s going to make it count based on the early evidence, playing a glittering off-drive to get off the mark. That’s delightful. A single gets Azhar on strike and Broad beats him immediately.

A couple of emails asking about the spot fixing documentary that has just gone live on Al Jazeera. With an abundance of caution, I’m leaving that alone for now, but Ali Martin is writing up a yarn. I’ll post here soon as it is live.

11.42am BST

1st over: Pakistan 6-0 (Azhar 4, Imam 0) So, Imam is out there batting despite having copped a bad whack to the groin in the field just before Pakistan’s quicks finished it off. His senior partner Azhar Ali is taking the first ball from Anderson, though. He’s defending to begin before a couple of leg byes get the chase underway to fine leg. Then some runs off the bat to finish off the over, four of them, to third man. Not far from the catcher at third slip, but not to be.

11.37am BST

They are back on. Jimmy with the ball in his hand with 63 to defend. Yep.

11.37am BST

Unsurprisingly, the England twitter account have not been posting videos of those wickets. But the clips, if you feel the need to watch them, are alongside the scorecard here (for those reading in the UK).

“Do you think England after 141 years of test cricket are in with any chance of improving on Ireland’s five wicket loss to Pakistan in their first ever test?” asks Peter Salmon on the email. “Something to aim for.”

11.30am BST

There it is! For all the talk of tricky fourth innings chases, England lost four for seven this morning in 25 balls. It’s emphatic from Amir, uprooting Bess’ off stump. Pakistan need 64 to go one-nil up. Early bath then, lads.

11.28am BST

82nd over: England 242-9 (Bess 57, Anderson 0) Jimmy nearly goes first ball! Big inside edge, very lucky it didn’t bend back his leg stump. Oh, I better hit send on this because... (you can probably tell what has happened first delivery of the next over).

11.26am BST

A second ball blob for Broad, who bags himself a pair. Just a soft prod and Abbas finds the edge on the way through. Test wickets don’t come much easier than that. It came the ball after a lengthy delay when Imam was hit in the groin by a Broad drive that went to point, requiring the young man to leave the field in some distress. But given how small the fourth innings target is going to be, he can put his feet up. England lead by 63, adding only seven to their overnight score, losing three wickets along the way. Oh dear.

11.18am BST

It takes four deliveries with the second new ball for Amir to find Wood’s outside edge with a ball that nipped away beautifully. No footwork to speak of, but that’s excellent bowling to the tail. The left-armer warmed up rolling a couple down with the old ball, which enabled Bess to get off strike, but Wood didn’t have much of an idea there. Broad walks out on a pair. I did say this could happen quick.

81st over: England 241-8 (Bess 56)

11.13am BST

80th over: England 240-7 (Bess 55, Wood 4) Shot. Wood off the mark with a lovely square drive to the rope. He’s happy to leave the rest alone. That’s the final over with the old ball and it is a successful one. It looks like they will take it straight away with Amir immediately on to replace Hasan. We’ll see.

Here is the DRS map on the Buttler dismissal. Abbas has taken five LBWs in the match, Andrew Samson tells us on TMS. Nobody has taken six in a Test at Lord’s. He has a big chance to do so here with three England wickets on the shelf with the new nut.

WICKET! Big blow for England as Abbas traps Buttler (67) in the second over of day four. Eng 236-7, lead Pakistan by 57, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event. https://t.co/LPM9KGnhnU #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/Ff4U4rPDBN

11.08am BST

No issue with that decision from Paul Reiffel, technology confirming that the ball is hitting middle and leg. Buttler was beaten on the inside edge from a delivery that just hinted back at the right-hander off the seam. More superb bowling from Abbas who is having a mighty Test Match. He’s in the book for a third time with his second ball of the morning. The 126-run stand is broken with England’s lead 57.

11.05am BST

BUTTLER GIVEN LBW! He’s reviewed. He has to. But it looks pretty good on the first look. Stand by.

11.04am BST

79th over: England 236-6 (Buttler 67, Bess 55) Cripes, the third ball of the day has just about run along the ground. Can England hang around long enough for it to matter? Buttler digs out a yorker to cover but can’t beat the man there, but does keep the strike with a single squeezed to third man.

11.00am BST

Azhar Mahmood ringing the bell. He scored a ton on debut at number eight in 1997, Dan Norcross advises on the wireless. That’s what Dom Bess is trying to do here. If you were wondering, the highest score for an England number eight on debut is Liam Dawson who made 66. He was the last man to debut in that position, as it happens. Bess resumes on 55.

I made a mistake in the preamble earlier, by the way (which I’ll be editing in a tic). Keaton Jennings was, of course, the most recent hundred first up for England - not Trotty.

10.54am BST

Jos Buttler having a chat on radio. “He (Dom Bess) is a confident boy and he knows his game really well. He’s got a lot of talent with the bat. I’m not sure how many people knew it before this Test, but they do now.”

Said from a tricky situation, they showed some “skill and character” to dig in during the final session. “I had the same mentality really, I played the situaiton. I said before the game whether the ball is red, white or pink, I play with the same (approach).”

10.43am BST

Speaking of TMS. Getting in before I’m asked, this is the link to listen to their radio coverage via youtube if you are following from outside of the UK.

10.35am BST

A look at the track. Doesn’t seem the type to misbehave. “I think it has been a tremendous Test Match wicket,” says Michael Vaughan on TMS.

View of the pitch ahead of Day Four!

What are your predictions for today? #LoveLords #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/HOkt5UlkRS

10.31am BST

Some more on The Hundred from Ali Martin the paper today. Looks like they are going to take it on the road (well, the UAE) to give it a spin later this year.

Ultimately the plan is to have the scorecard showing the number of balls going down in each 100-ball innings – regardless of how that number is reached – as the score goes up. One senior ECB official told the Observer this is intended “to help answer the age-old question of ‘who is winning?’” and thus simplify cricket for the uninitiated.

10.28am BST

Andy Bull on Dom Bess.

This line isn’t about the man on debut, but I’ll pull it out as it made me laugh:

A lot of dubious thinking goes on at Lord’s on the Saturday of a Test match. Something about it seems to lead people to make the most bizarre decisions. How else does one explain all the preposterous clobber people wear? The blazers with candy-cane stripes, the schoolboy caps, the scarlet slacks, all those men ferreting around in their wardrobes asking: “Darling, have you seen my red trousers? I reckon it’s just the day for them.”

10.18am BST

Good start. I most certainly tagged my first post as “welcome to day three” rather than day four. You can get stuck into me about that on email the usual way (note the new address, my old account is no longer), or via twitter if you’d prefer.

10.12am BST

When turning in last night, I thought this was going to be an OBO of the wet weather. How about that storm? Lightning strikes every few seconds for what felt like hours. 50,000 of them, I’m told. Followed by chunks of hail that were more tropical Queensland than London. But fast forward to the morning, and it’s all good at Lord’s.

That might not be what England fans necessarily want to hear with the home side still so far behind in this Test, but the forecast says the rain will come again later today. So that gives us is a chance to revel in the work of a couple of lads from the west country who batted beautifully on Saturday afternoon to keep the contest vaguely alive.

2.08am BST

Adam will be here shortly.

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Published on May 27, 2018 05:10