DOHA – The World Cup knockout stages may still be three matches away, but manager Gareth Southgate said his England team are already practising penalties ahead of their Group B opener against Iran on Monday.
He said on Sunday: “We are in a good physical rhythm. We are practising penalties. Harry (Kane) would practise them before every game. It is part of what we do before tournaments anyway.”
England skipper Kane won the Golden Boot at the last tournament in Russia in 2018 with six goals, half of which came via the penalty spot and just one of which was scored from open play.
He also scored his spot kick in the last-16 shoot-out win over Colombia. However, the Three Lions lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties.
The 29-year-old said he was not thinking of retaining his Golden Boot, adding: “We are playing against the best players in the world. I try not to think about the Golden Boot, the most important thing is trying to win the World Cup and that is what we are focused on trying to achieve.”
England will have to begin that quest without defender Kyle Walker and midfielder James Maddison, who will both miss their opener owing to injury, confirmed Southgate.
Meanwhile, off the pitch, defender Eric Dier said the World Cup is marred by the “terrible situation” for migrant workers in Qatar.
He opined: “We have absolutely no say in where we play. Those decisions are made by people way above us and we’re the ones who end up answering these kind of questions. It’s disappointing...
“I’m talking about the building of the stadiums. It’s a terrible situation.”
Also looking beyond football, Iran captain and defender Ehsan Hajsafi on Sunday voiced his concern about a political crisis in his home country, saying he hoped his team could be a voice for the people.
The wave of unrest erupted in September after Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died while in detention of the morality police, after she was arrested for wearing clothes deemed “inappropriate”.
“We have to accept the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy,” he told a news conference.
“We are here but it does not mean we should not be their voice... I hope conditions change as to expectations of the people.”
Meanwhile, ahead of Group B’s other match on Monday, Wales captain Gareth Bale declared himself fit and ready for their opener against the United States, but midfielder Joe Allen has been ruled out as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Bale’s fitness has been a major concern for Wales, with the 33-year-old yet to play a full match for Los Angeles FC due to injury issues. He has played just 28 minutes of competitive football since September.
Asked where he is in terms of his recovery to full fitness, Bale told reporters on Sunday: “I am right where I want to be. I am here, right before the first game and ready to go... We have no excuses now.”
The player who will be donning the skipper’s armband in the opposition camp will be the youngest captain by a distance at Qatar 2022, with Kane the only other skipper under the age of 30 in Qatar.
United States coach Gregg Berhalter gave 23-year-old Tyler Adams the role after he emerged as the popular choice to lead the Americans on their return to football’s showpiece event after missing out in 2018.
“We think he has great leadership capabilities and he leads by his actions and his words,” Berhalter said on Sunday.
“Tyler’s a guy who is mature beyond his years... The teammates know exactly what they’re going to get from him. They know he’s going to go out on the field and compete.”
On their chances in Qatar, Berhalter cut a bullish figure, telling ESPN: “What I do believe is on our best day, we can beat anyone in the world... We don’t want to just be participants.”
REUTERS, AFP
