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Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic yesterday extended her love affair with Doha as she beat China’s Shuai Zhang in straight sets to reach the second round of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open.A two-time champion here, Kvitova posted her 22nd win at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex, the most by any player in the Qatari capital.Also yesterday, fifth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece beat Chinese qualifier Qinwen Zhang while seventh seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland made short work of Viktoria Tomova to sail into the second round of the 500-point WTA tournament. Former Doha finalist Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday eased past Madison Keys of the US in straight sets to move into the second round of the $800,000 tournament.The second day’s action kicked off with Kvitova making the right moves in her win over 34-year-old Zheng in 75 minutes on Centre Court. Kvitova, winner in Doha in 2018 and 2021, fired eight aces in her commanding fifth win over Zheng in seven head-to-head meetings.Kvitova said she loves playing on the Centre Court in Doha.“I like everything here, especially (playing) fans for sure. I’m glad to play in front of them. I love the centre court. I love the crowd,” Kvitova, 33, said yesterday.She turned towards the fans and said: “Thank you very much for coming so early today as well at 2pm already. You know, sometimes it’s pretty windy (in Doha), which probably I like, as I said. And yeah, the court is a little bit slow which I don’t like normally, but I like it here. So that’s important,” she added.Kvitova, who will face fourth seed Coco Gauff of the US in her next match today, praised her opponent’s fight in the match. “Both of us have been on the Tour for a very long time and (we are) still not finished,” Kvitova said with a smile. “So it’s nice to see her still playing very well. And I’m glad I got a win, of course, but she’s one of the nicest people on the Tour for sure,” the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion said.When asked how she spends time away from the tennis court, she said: “Well, I’m not really a fan of training, as you said. I prefer to play matches. And normally (when not playing), I am reading a book or watching some movie or something very easy.”Ostapenko, a losing finalist in Doha in 2016, yesterday looked the part as she demolished Keys in straight sets. Ostapenko won 7-5, 6-2 for her second victory over Keys in five matches. Ostapenko rallied from 3-0 down in the first set to seal her win in emphatic fashion.“First of all, thanks guys for coming. It was a really nice atmosphere. I was always here. I have really great memories being on this court and I just love to play here. Of course, today was a really tough match and she’s such a great player. She was serving really well in the beginning of the match, but I was fighting and I think I found my game at the end and played a little better,” Ostapenko, who fired four aces, said.“I was just trying to not give her any free points because I knew she is a great player and she has the line. I was trying to stay in the rallies and when I had the chance to go for it and I think in the second set especially, I didn’t dwell for too long,” she added.When asked about her match against second seed Jessica Pegula of the US today, Ostapenko said: “She’s a great player and it’s going to be a tough battle, but I’m going to fight and enjoy the match and just try to play my best and we’ll see how it goes.”Sakkari, a semi-finalist last year in Doha, yesterday fired seven aces in her 2-hour 9-minute marathon on Centre Court against Zheng who was making her Doha debut. It was Sakkari’s ninth win over the 2023 season.Bencic, who secured her eighth career title win at Abu Dhabi on Sunday, yesterday crushed Bulgaria’s Tomova in just 59 minutes. Bencic, who also won a title in Adelaide last month, fired four aces.It was Bencic’s third win over Tomova in as many meetings. Bencic today will take on Victoria Azarenka, a two-time champion in Doha.Sofia Kenin of the US – the 2020 Australian Open champion – yesterday upset Abu Dhabi finalist Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-1 in 1 hour and 29 minutes. It was Kenin’s third win over Samsonova in three meetings.Today top seed and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland will take on Danielle Collins of the US in her first outing in Doha.First round resultsPrefix denotes seedingEkaterina Alexandrova (RUS) beat Q-Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6-1, 6-2; 5-Maria Sakkari (GRE) beat Qinwen Zheng (CHN) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) beat Paula Badosa (ESP) 7-6 (6), 6-3; 7-Belinda Bencic (SUI) beat Q-Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 6-0, 6-1; (WC) Sofia Kenin (USA) beat Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-3, 6-1; Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) beat Madison Keys (USA) 7-5, 6-2; Petra Kvitova (CZE) beat Shuai Zhang (CHN) 7-5, 6-2; Danielle Collins (USA) beat Q-Elise Mertens (BEL) 6-4, 7-6 (6); Daria Kasatkina (RUS) beat Rebecca Marino (CAN) 7-6, 6-2Today’s scheduleCentre Court: [4] C. Gauff (USA) vs P. Kvitova (CZE); J. Ostapenko (LAT) vs [2] J. Pegula (USA); [1] I. Swiatek (POL) vs D. Collins (USA); NB 8:00 PM [SR] K. Muchova (CZE) vs [3] C. Garcia (FRA)Grandstand 1[WC] V. Azarenka vs [7] B. Bencic (SUI); [6] D. Kasatkina vs B. Haddad Maia (BRA); [4] G. Olmos (MEX) / S. Zhang (CHN) vs S. Aoyama (JPN) / M. Ninomiya (JPN); [1] C. Gauff (USA) / J. Pegula (USA) vs A. Rosolska (POL) / E. Routliffe (NZL)Grandstand 2[WC] S. Kenin (USA) vs [8] V. Kudermetova; [WC] [5] M. Sakkari (GRE) vs E. Alexandrova; Z. Yang (CHN) / V. Zvonareva vs [ALT] E. Alexandrova / A. Sasnovich; [WC] H. Chan (TPE) / L. Chan (TPE) vs [2] L. Kichenok (UKR) / J. Ostapenko (LAT)

It was another memorable night for football superstar Lionel Messi as Argentina stormed into the FIFA World Cup final with a clinical demolition of Croatia. Messi converted a penalty in the 34th minute before young forward Julian Alvarez added two (39 and 69) as Argentina crushed Croatia 3-0 at Lusail Stadium in front of 88,966 fans.It was Messi’s 11th goal for Argentina in World Cup history, one better than the previous best tally of 10 by Gabriel Batistuta, a former teammate of Diego Maradona. It was Messi’s fifth goal in Qatar in his record-equalling 25th World Cup appearance that he shares with Germany’s Lothar Matthaus.Messi helped Man City forward Alvarez – positioned inside the Croatian box – score Argentina’s third with a superb solo run from the right flank. Despite being chased by Josko Gvardiol for about 25 metres, Messi had the ball glued to his boot as he neared the Croatian box. If ever proof was needed of Messi’s genius with a ball, it came right here as Gvardiol couldn’t mark the Argentine skipper. Messi, after hoodwinking first and then dribbling past Gvardiol, flicked a right-footed low cross for Alvarez who easily connected inside the six-yard box for his second goal of the night.Alvarez, just 22, has now scored four times in Qatar.It was Argentina’s fifth semi-final win in World Cup history. Argentina have posted wins against the USA in 1930 (6-1), Belgium in 1986 (2-0), Italy in 1990 (1-1, 4-3 on penalties), the Netherlands in 2014 (0-0, 4-2 on penalties) and Croatia in 2022 (3-0). Yesterday’s slick win was Argentina’s second in three World Cup matches against Croatia.In the third minute, Rodrigo de Paul found Enzo Fernandez with a neat cross from the halfline. Fernandez ran towards the flank but none of his teammates were in the box for the deflection as the ball sailed away. A tap-in to a teammate from Messi on a throw-in was his first touch in the 4th minute of the match. Thousands of Argentines drowned the Lusail Stadium with a deafening roar as Messi made his first move.Croatian midfielder Mario Pasalic brought down Nicolas Tiagliafico with a rough tackle near the half line but the referee went soft on the young Croat in the 6th minute.Seven minutes later, Italian referee Daniele Orsato once again ignored a rough foul, this time not penalising Croatian skipper Luka Modric who brought down Alexis Mac Allister near the halfline. Seconds later Messi went down near the Croatian box but the referee wasn’t interested much to the dismay of thousands of Argentine fans screaming for a free-kick.Croatia’s Gvardiol and Borna Sosa and Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic kept the ball within themselves for most of the first 15 minutes. On Croatia’s first corner, Dejan Lovren managed to jump high close to the six-yard box but his snap header did not have the angle needed as Argentina’s Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi fell in a heap from the collision inside their own box.In the 20th minute, a packed Lusail Stadium saw Messi holding his left hamstring. A few minutes later, he orchestrated a couple of crosses near the box but the Croatian defenders remained alert to kill the moves. He soon outpaced Kovacic near the centre circle but as went to the left – Messi couldn’t get a shot away.In the 24th minute, Argentine midfielder Fernandes curled in a right-footed shot that was saved by keeper Dominik Livakovic with a dive to his left. Seconds later, Tagliafico scampered down the left flank but his cross into the Croatian box sailed away as none of his Argentine players could meet the loopy ball. Soon after the half hour mark, Croatia’s Spurs forward Ivan Perisic clipped a ball over the keeper’s head but his shot went close to the crossbar.Moments later, Argentina won a penalty that was easily converted by Messi. De Paul who charged into the box – following a loopy cross from the halfline – was brought down by Livakovic as the Argentinemidfielder attempted to sneak past the Croatian keeper. A body check from Livakovic saw De Paul on the turf as the referee showed a yellow to Livakovic. Kovacic was also booked for complaining. A calm and calculated Messi went top of the net with his penalty to give Argentina the much-needed lead in the 34th minute.Five minutes later, Argentina jumped to a 2-0 lead. Forward Alvarez – after picking up a loose ball from the half line – ran all the way into the Croatian box where teammates De Paul and Molina also converged to unsettle the Croatian defenders. Alvarez attempted to shoot but his feeble touch saw the ball hit Sosa and bounce back. In a single move, Alvarez clipped the ball into the net even as keeper Livakovic failed to stop the flick going into the net in the 39th minute.In the 42nd minute, Mac Allister produced a classy snap-header off a corner but the deflection was smartly deflected away by an outstretched hand of Livakovic.Clearly the first 20 minutes belonged to Croatia but Argentina came alive in the last 15 minutes when the two-time World Cup winners produced two goals in quick succession to add to Modric’s woes. Just as injury time was announced, Messi was seen clutching his hamstring again. Messi was back on for the second half – much to the delight of Argentine fans – but Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic brought on Nikola Vlasic and Mislav Orsic for Sosa and Pasalic. Six minutes into the second half, Bruno Petkovic replaced Marceloa Brozovic.Three minutes from the first-hour mark, Messi – after dribbles and shot passing to and from Alvarez – got near the six-yard box but his left-footed drive was blocked by keeper Livakovic. A classic Messi set-piece that nearly brought Argentina’s third. With Argentina running the show, Messi could be seen doing his garden walk on the right flank after 62 minutes.With Modric, 37, getting benched in the 82nd minute, that just about signalled the great Croatian had walked off for the last time in an international match.Messi’s World Cup goalsMessi is the first player to score and assist in three different matches in a single World Cup since 1966.1- Argentina vs Serbia and Montenegro, 2006 World Cup2- Argentina vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2014 World Cup3- Argentina vs Iran, 2014 World Cup4 and 5- Argentina vs Nigeria, 2014 World Cup6- Argentina vs Nigeria, 2018 World Cup7- Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, 2022 World Cup8- Argentina vs Mexico, 2022 World Cup9- Argentina vs Australia, 2022 World Cup10- Argentina vs Netherlands, 2022 World Cup11- Argentina vs Croatia, 2022 World Cup

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni yesterday downplayed the favourites’ tag going into the FIFA World Cup semi-final, saying their European rivals Croatia have the players to present a serious challenge for a spot in the final.Lionel Messi’s Argentina take on Croatia - captained by Luka Modric - today at Lusail Stadium after both teams survived scathing battles in the quarter-finals.Argentina, winners in 1978 and 1986, beat Netherlands in a hot-tempered clash on Saturday while Croatia stunned five-time World Cup winners Brazil in their last-eight match on Friday.Scaloni said Argentina is ready for their toughest match in the World Cup.“We expect a tough match and we are playing against a really solid team. They will make things challenging for us. I am convinced they are a great team. They play as a unit and that is the main challenge for us,” Scaloni said at a pre-match conference yesterday.“Croatia has excellent players and they have troubled many top teams. They have players to hurt us. I won’t name those players or talk about their strengths and weaknesses. Croatia always play in the same way. They have a good, long lasting football tradition,” he added.“We always analyse our previous matches and we look at areas where we can improve,” the Argentine coach explained. “We have to see where we can hurt our opponents.”After a draining quarter-final against Netherlands on Saturday - when players and officials of both sides were in each other’s faces - Scaloni said winning the previous match was all the boost his players needed going into today’s semi-final.“The best recovery is winning a match. That’s the best way to face an outcome. Despite the load (of playing 120 minutes of football), we are doing well. I won’t call it a concern but my squad is doing well,” Scaloni said.“On post-match day, we worked on the recovery. Even yesterday we didn’t train intensely. We mainly discussed the technical stuff among ourselves. Angel Di Maria and Rodrigo De Paul are fit. We have to see how many minutes they can play,” said Scaloni.Scaloni said Argentina will be playing to their trusted method of Messi leading the show on the pitch.“We have our own system, our own style. Of course, you have to see how the opposition is playing,” Scaloni said.“We always talk to our players. We won’t change our style beyond our system and that’s what we are going to do. In the game, we will try to make the best decisions possible,” Scaloni added.“Our hopes about the semi-final? Yes, we are hopeful of reaching the final,” Scaloni said yesterday.“We play for family members of the players and all our fans. Our fans have made such a huge effort - it costs a lot to come here. They spent a lot (of money),” he said.Scaloni said the Argentine camp has managed to keep their emotions in check.“We feel the same when we played Poland, Australia and then the Netherlands. Remember we lost against Saudi (in the opening match). But we won’t change our plans. It’s a crucial match for us. We know that this is a football match and sometimes luck can be on your side,” Scaloni said. “If you are lucky, then you could have an easier road to the final,” he said.“The most important thing is what lies ahead. I don’t think of the past. My objective is tomorrow’s match. We don’t want to think about winning or losing as that takes a lot of energy from you,” he said.Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic yesterday said his team would be aiming to reach their second successive World Cup final. At Russia 2018, Croatia lost to France 4-2 in the final in Moscow.“Playing back-to-back World Cups and to be among the four best national teams, that’s an extraordinary success for Croatia,” Dalic said yesterday.“However, we want more. I am optimistic and have full confidence in my players. They’ve shown their great quality and strength of character, and deserve to be in the final,” Dalic added. Croatia set up their semi-final date following two penalty shootouts against Japan and Brazil in their last couple of matches.“It was quite exhausting with extra time in two matches, but we’re in the semi-finals of the World Cup and we’re not even discussing exhaustion,” Dalic said.“We are still strong, with energy and enthusiasm, without a doubt. We are going to give it our all, just as we have done in previous games. Against Argentina we will do the same, we will give our all. We don’t have any injury problems. They don’t feel tired. They’re under greater pressure than we are. They’ll have more fans and that’s a disadvantage for us, but we won’t be complaining,” Dalic said.“We’re now in the semi-finals and playing against one of the best teams in the world and in history.”The kick-off is set for 10pm today. A capacity crowd of 88,966 is expected to watch the match live.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni yesterday applauded his team’s feisty performance against Netherlands in the quarter-finals, saying the current squad captained by Lionel Messi ‘always knows what to do’.Two-time champions Argentina on Saturday night battled a resilient Netherlands side to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.Leading 2-0 with just seven minutes to go in regulation time at Lusail Stadium, Netherlands fought back with two stunning late goals from Wout Weghorst before Argentina went on to win the penalty shootout in dramatic fashion.Aregntina, the 1978 and 1986 World Cup winners, will take on Croatia on Tuesday for a place in the final.“I think this team displays aspects that are required by the game in each moment,” Scaloni said yesterday. “The spirit of every moment is to know what we want and I think that’s what the team has, that it knows what to do at all times,” the Argentine coach explained.“They continued to show that face in a complicated, very difficult match (against Netherlands),” Scaloni said.“When you think it’s all over, it’s not over.“This team has what it takes, they have the desire, the youth, the pride and they never give up on any situation,” he added.“Argentina’s players have a spirit that guides them to cope with the toughest circumstances.“It is true that the last 10-12 minutes were the most difficult where I was planning to make some substitutions to try to win it sooner,” Scaloni recalled.“Given the situation in which they were in, I chose to stay as we were and in the end these are decisions you have to make. It didn’t work out well because we got a draw but I don’t think they deserved to draw,” he added.Coach Scaloni, who guided Argentina to Copa America glory last year, said he wants Argentina to go for the title in Qatar.“It is a goal to play all seven games, but we would like to continue dancing and take the next step,” Scaloni said. “It’ll be a good match against Croatia and we hope to be up to the task.”Scaloni said Argentina, who were leading 2-0 with 83 minutes in the match gone, should have wrapped up a comfortable victory on Friday night.“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think we deserved to reach the penalty shootout. Yet, my team kept on fighting back in a very difficult match. The opponent offered a very strange game, particularly in the second half,” Scaloni said.“We had everything under control, but that’s football. In this beautiful sport, even if you think you’ve sealed a game, you may get surprised. Again, I believe my team has the means, willingness, freshness and pride to face anything. Those are the key ingredients to not giving up on a game,” he said.“Luckily, the game ended well and that’s it,” Scaloni said.The Argentine coach said it was a tough decision to bring Angel Di Maria late in the match.“In the first half of extra time, we had the chance to bring Di Maria on as he was going to be a smart addition. But we also knew he was not in his best physical condition,” Scaloni said.“Sometimes one has to make decisions in the most difficult moments. I also had to think about the kick-takers for the penalty shootout.“I needed to bring on players with good shooting skills. In such moments, many things go through your mind. But attack is always the main thing to think about,” he said.Scaloni said Netherlands seemed pleased with 2-2 stalemate and did not attempt to score in the extra time.“As I said, in the second half, they started to send long balls to their forwards. They didn’t have any other option to find our net. We were pretty confident the dynamics of extra time would change if we played our football. That’s what we saw: we created chances, they stopped sending long balls, as they were already satisfied with the score.“That’s something we saw clearly during extra time. But we didn’t manage to score the winner in those 30 extra minutes. I said that the game was in our favour, despite that unfortunate last-minute goal from them,” Scaloni explained.“I think our style is always the same and sometimes our opponents play well and we need to be prepared, just like during the first half when the Netherlands managed the ball (well). But this is football, you may have great players, but our game plan was clear to us and we executed it,” he said.When asked about Messi’s confrontation with the Dutch bench, Scaloni said: “There was a lot of talk before the game about an image of Leo going to complain to the Dutch coach. I guess that’s what the match was for too, a quarter-final. These are things that happen on the field and stay there. But we didn’t play with one less when we had the ball today. We played with 11. I think Leo was a bit touched and showed that he is the best player of all time. So, we are glad to have him.”

Five-time world champions Brazil won’t take Croatia lightly when they face off in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter-finals today but the popular South American side will be aiming to keep focus on their ‘own standards’, coach Tite said on Thursday.Brazil on Monday crushed Asian giants South Korea 4-1 in their Round of 16 clash in which the 2002 World Cup winners welcomed back PSG star Neymar Jr following a twisted ankle in the first match of the tournament.Croatia, captained by Luka Modric, beat four-time Asian champions Japan in a penalty shootout to set up a quarter-finals date with Brazil.With first-choice Brazil left back Alex Sandro uncertain for today’s clash at Education City Stadium, Tite candidly admitted the world number one side would be playing to their strengths.“They (Croatia) have individual quality and collective quality as well as a resilience and persistence,” coach Tite said when asked about Brazil’s next opponents Croatia.“We are aware of their virtues but my focus is on maintaining our own standards. Whoever plays best will go through,” Tite, 61, added quickly.Tite, who is set to leave as coach after his second World Cup with Brazil, said he allows his players to express themselves.“We give them (the players) the confidence so they can go out and produce their best,” Tite said. “These are the characteristics of our players, but beyond that pressure, you need courage to play this way,” he added.“This team’s attacking methods has been going across generation of players. I would also point out that there is good balance in the squad. The players know the importance of having a balanced squad. They take pride in defending, of taking care when you don’t have the ball and doing quick recovery,” the coach said.Fit-again Danilo, who has also recovered from an ankle injury like Neymar, hoped Sandro would be fit to play against Croatia.“I hope (Sandro) can train well and be available for the match,” Danilo said at a news conference yesterday. “I’m healthy and I’m comfortable playing in all three defensive positions. I believe that I’ll make the transition soon to centre back because I feel very comfortable playing there at Juventus,” Danilo added.Tite, however, was more definitive about Sandro’s chances. He said: “It looks unlikely that he will play because he has not yet done enough work on the training ground. He still needs to push a little harder, I have to see with the medical and physical department. It will depend on this afternoon.”Modric, 37, yesterday said Croatia are eager to overcome the Brazil hurdle.“We did a great thing by going to the quarter-finals, but regardless of that we would like to do more,” Modric said yesterday. “We have to play our best match against them and if we do that, then we could have a chance of winning the match,” the Real Madrid midfielder added.Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic yesterday pointed to his team’s performances at Russia 2018 – where they finished runners-up – and at Qatar 2022 have been impressive.“We have had 11 matches at these two World Cups and we lost one,” Dalic said yesterday. “Croatia are a small country and enjoying success in two World Cups. We managed to reach this stage but we are ambitious and don’t want to stay here,” he added before saying a quarter-finals clash against Brazil wouldn’t be easy. “I believe that this match will be the most demanding one. I can compare it to the final against France in the previous World Cup. Yes, a great opponent and a great challenge awaits us,” Dalic said. “I wish this match came a bit later,” he added.Reaching the quarter-finals has been a delightful experience for Dalic.“There are 18 new players who were not at the World Cup in 2018 (in Russia). We need time to develop and mature. Our success to be among the eight best teams is tremendous,” Dalic said yesterday.“They (the new players) have still to prove themselves at the World Cup and tomorrow (the quarter-finals against Brazil) is a good opportunity for them to do so. We want to do more and if we manage to do it, it would be spectacular. It would be better if it was the final,” he said.Modric, who is likely playing his last World Cup, said he wanted to see his team beat Brazil.“We have faced Brazil on several occasions and never won against them. I hope we can change the tradition,” Modic said yesterday. “The greatest match at a World Cup is now ahead of us. They are always favourites to win but with what they demonstrated here they deserve to be one of the favourites,” he said.“We have to play our best match and then we have a chance. We should not be satisfied with reaching the quarter-finals,” Modric said.Tite yesterday played down the dancing celebrations of the Brazilian players during their win over South Korea on Monday. The dancing celebrations divided Brazil with many fans saying the players showed disrespect to South Korean teamTite defended the players. He said: “I am 61 and these players could almost be my grandsons but I have a connection with them. If I have to dance I will dance, although I will do so subtly and I asked them to hide me. It is not my way.”

England yesterday crushed Senegal 3-0 to reach their second successive FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.Goals from Jordan Henderson (38), Harry Kane (45 +3) and Bukayo Saka (57) saw England complete a resounding victory at Al Bayt Stadium.Trophyless since 1966, England found their players in scoring form to set up a quarter-finals date with defending champions France who beat Poland 3-1 at Al Thumama Stadium yesterday.The first few minutes easily belonged to England, who were playing with 4-1-2-3 formation as Southgate took charge of his 11th World Cup match as a coach. Southgate’s counterpart Aliou Cisse, who was running a temperature the last couple of days, was back in the saddle and watched the initial action of the knockout clash from the dugout.In the fifth minute, Senegal’s Boulaye Dia charged into the England box but he was well chased and eventually tackled by Harry Maquire as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford collected the ball. Krepin Diatta brought down Jude Bellingham with a tackle from the back resulting in a free kick 20 yards away from the Senegal box. Shortly afterwards Declan Rice, on the edge of the box, slipped in a lob to Maguire who could not jump high enough for a deflection after Kane decided to take the indirect free kick in the 8th minute.Bellingham, close to the flag post, slipped in a cross but Saka was tad behind pace as the ball slipped away without causing any damage.In the 13th minute, Saka outran his marker and slipped in a ball but none of the white shirts were present to take the cross. Seconds later, Kane delivered a near-perfect cross from close to the corner flag but Saka didn’t have the pace to meet the ball for a header from inside the six-yard box. England won the first corner in the 20th minute but Phil Foden’s kick was deflected wayward by John Stones who couldn’t time his jump well from close range.Senegal missed a good chance to score in the 23rd minute when Maquire’s poor cross was intercepted by Diatta near the England box. Dia tried to flick the ball from close to the penalty spot but his shot bounced off Stones’ knee and onto his forearm. Sarr picked up the ball and fired a wayward shot from close range. A VAR check showed Stones’ handball was not deliberate.Soon after the half-hour mark, Ismaila Sarr cut into the box and instead of shooting quickly played a back pass to Dia. Dia fired a shot that was blocked by ’keeper Pickford by sticking out his left arm. Dia was unable to grab the rebound as Senegal wasted their second chance in quick time.In the 38th minute, Henderson opened the scoring for England. Kane found Bellingham on the left flank with a short cross. Bellingham charged into the Senegal box where he rolled a pass to Liverpool star Henderson who easily deflected the ball in the net with a left-footed flick past ’keeper Edouard Mendy.England doubled the lead on the last kick before the first-half whistle on Kane’s deadly strike. Bellingham stole the ball in the Senegal half before he charged ahead. A few metres later, he slipped a cross for Foden who found Kane unmarked down the inside right. With thousands of British fans anticipating a goal, Kane entered the Senegal box – under pressure from marker Abdou Diallo – and fired a bullet past Mendy’s right hand as the ball hit the net at high speed. It was Kane’s first goal of World Cup Qatar 2022. It was Kane’s 52nd career goal, one shy of Wayne Rooney’s tally of record 53 goals for England.Soon after the resumption of play, substitute Pape Matar Sarr attempted a long-range drive but mistimed his shot that bounced away to the left of Pickford. In the 54th minute, Kane picked out Saka on the right. Saka charged ahead with the ball before unleashing a powerful shot that sailed away from the Senegalese goalmouth as England started taking better control of the match. Kane produced a rasping shot from long range but the ball – which dipped at the last second – was smartly blocked by Mendy. In the 57th minute, England jumped to a 3-0 lead after Arsenal midfielder Saka – on a brilliant cross from Foden – smartly clipped the ball into the net from close range. Foden, who picked up a loose ball after a fumble by Kane, charged towards the Senegal box.With Senegal skipper and defender Kalidou Koulibaly threatening a charge, Foden fired a low cross as Saka arrived with perfect timing for the deflection with his left foot near the six-yard box. It was Saka’s third goal of the tournament, having scored a double against Iran in the opening clash. Both Saka and Foden were benched by manager Southgate soon afterwards as England looked to give the substitutes some much-needed match practice.Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish replaced Saka and Foden. In the 74th minute, Pape Sarr curled in a right-footed free-kick from outside the England box but the ball swung to the left of ’keeper Pickford.When Koulibaly was slapped with a yellow card for his reckless tackle on English skipper Kane in the 75th minute, it pretty much summed up Senegal’s dismal performance.

Lionel Messi made his 1000th career appearance for country and club a memorable one yesterday when he produced a sublime goal in the first half as two-time champions Argentina outplayed Australia 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.Messi found the net in the 35th minute with a classic left-footed drive as Argentina set up a quarter-final date with Netherlands who beat USA 3-1 earlier in the day at the Khalifa International Stadium.Julian Alvarez added Argentina’s second goal in the second half (57) after a defensive gaffe from the Australian ’keeper and defenders in their own box at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.Argentina conceded an own goal through Enzo Fernandez on a shot by Australia’s Craig Goodwin in the 77th minute.It was Messi’s first ever World Cup goal in a knockout match and his third in the tournament after strikes against Saudi Arabia and Mexico.Overall it was Messi’s ninth World Cup goal, just one shy of Gabriel Batistuta’s record tally of 10. Messi yesterday went passed Diego Maradona’s tally of eight World Cup goals.The goal against Australia yesterday was Messi’s 789th in his career.“We controlled this match. Apart from the last save that Dibu (Martínez) made, we didn’t suffer too much,” Messi said yesterday. “We wanted to be here because of how it feels like and what people transmit. We must remain united,” he added. “It was a difficult day. We had very little rest time,” he said.It was Argentina’s third successive win in Qatar after losing to Saudi Arabia in the opening clash of the World Cup.The match got off to a fast start with short passes from both sides dictating the early part of the clash. In the 3th minute, Argentina’s Alejandro Gomez clipped a ball towards the Australian goal but Jackson Irvine got away with a clear handball infringement as the referee and linesman failed to take notice.Irvine, seemingly with a pledge to stop Messi, brought down the Argentine star with an elbow to his chest in the 7th minute. After being floored, Messi got up with apparent discomfort in his chest.Defender Nicolas Otamendi, in the 10th minute, found Alvarez in the Australian box with a long-range lob but the Manchester City forward could not lap the ball which slipped away from him.Despite the miss, Argentines enjoyed most of the ball possession. In the 15th minute, Irvine was penalised with a yellow card for deliberately stomping on Marcus Acuna.Gomez tried to break the deadlock with a long-range shot from the edge of the Australian box but his right-footed drive sailed away seconds later. Shortly afterwards Irvine found Aziz Behich with a neat flick back from close to the flag post.Behich – under pressure from Rodrigo de Paul – showed good anticipation and charged into the Argentine box with the ball. But De Paul threw his body weight to keep Behich from taking a shot at the goal as the ball went away for a goal kick.After the first 30 minutes, Messi had barely broken a sweat or made a move as the ball continued to remain on the flanks. Australia managed two corner kicks in the first half hour but Argentina’s backline remained firm to kill the two moves.Australians were ultra defensive in the first 30 minutes whereas Argentina failed to construct a threatening move of note. Shortly after the half-hour mark, De Paul found his captain but the game’s superstar was quickly dispossessed by Keanu Baccus and Aaron Mooy on the edge of the Australian box.Just when the spectators thought they might doze off, Messi found the back of the Australian net. Messi – from the flank – slipped a ball towards Alexis Mac Allister who was close to the Australian box. Mac Allister tapped the ball to Otamendi positioned inside the Australian box while Messi moved closer to the action himself.Otamendi, the Benfica defender, tapped a short cross back to Messi and backed off. Messi positioned himself and then drilled a low shot between the legs of a defender to the right of keeper Mathew Ryan in the 35th minute.Trailing by a goal, Australia’s tall defender Harry Souttar harshly stomped on Messi’s left foot but the referee once again ignored calls for a free kick near the Australian box.Early in the second half, Gomez was benched with Lisandro Martinez, the Manchester United defender, stepping in. Seconds later, Messi found very little wriggle room for a left-footed drive from the edge of the Australian box but his feeble shot was easily pouched by ’keeper Ryan after the Argentine great slipped while taking the shot.Alvarez doubled the lead in the 57th minute when a schoolboy error from Ryan allowed Argentina to jump to a 2-0 cushion. Kye Rowles flicked the ball to his ’keeper Ryan who was challenged by De Paul inside the box. The Socceroos ’keeper tried to push the ball away as Alvarez charged in. Alvarez managed to send the ball into the net with a feeble shot that Ryan could not stop as thousands of Argentine fans jumped with joy in the stands at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.Messi could have added one more but he was brilliantly blocked by Australia’s Milos Degenek when the Argentine skipper was set to take a shot from the six-yard box in the 66th minute. In the 75th minute, Irvine upended Lautaro Martinez with a rough tackle but the referee surprisingly signalled play on.Seconds later, Australia reduced the deficit when Goodwin unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the Argentine box. The ball hit the head of Fernandez and went into the Argentine net with ’keeper Emiliano Martinez in no position to make a save.In the 81st minute, Australia’s Behich charged into the Argentina box, hoodwinked four blockers but his shot from close range was tapped away by Lisandro Martinez with a lunge in what could have been the most spectacular goal of the tournament.

There were tears of joy at Education City Stadium for South Korean players and fans while there were tears of dejection at Al Janoub Stadium among the Uruguay supporters and team players.An injury-time goal by Hwang Hee-chan last night helped South Korea to a stunning 2-1 win over Portugal in the last group stage match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The late goal by the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ forward was enough to push out Uruguay who beat Ghana yesterday 2-0 in the other Group H clash as the South Americans fell short in their bid to reach the Round of 16.Luis Suarez sobbed uncontrollably at Al Janoub Stadium whereas South Korea skipper Son Heungmin had tears of joy as his team reached the Round of 16 in the most dramatic of finishes.“I believe these tears are tears of happiness,” he said. “We waited really long for this moment and we as players believed altogether we could do this.“There were moments when I wasn’t able to do my best and I am thankful for my team-mates that they were able to cover me in the moments I wasn’t able to fulfil my duties, and I’m very proud of them.”Already-qualified Portugal, the 2016 Euro champions, finished top of the group with 6 points with Cristiano Ronaldo starting the game yesterday despite a big concern over his injury. South Korea and Uruguay ended with 4 points each but the Asians went ahead by virtue of scoring more goals in the three matches of the group stage.Seconds before the first goal of the match, a fan seated behind banned Paulo Bento, remonstrated with the Portuguese coach for blocking his view. Bento, who picked up a red card during his team’s match against Uruguay for a verbal spat against the referee, could barely restrain himself while arguing with the fan.Ricardo Horta scored for Portugal in the 5th minute in what was the first genuine attempt at goal. Horta charged into the box with a defender in tow but he wasted little time in deflecting from close range to the right of the outstretched hand of keeper Kim Seunggyu.Pepe found Diogo Dalot with a long ball from the Portuguese half line. Dalor picked up the cross and went far to the edge of the Korean box. Dalot found Horta with a low shot which was easily sent into the net by the Braga forward from seven yards.Korea continued to press on in the first 12 minutes of the match with numerous moves but with a goal’s advantage, the Portuguese backline remained firm to every threatening move.In the 17th minute, Kim Jinsu tapped a loose ball into the Portuguese net after keeper Diego Costa had effected a save on an indirect corner kick. Jinsu’s tap from close range was on target but the linesman rightfully correctly called it off-side.In the 23rd minute, Ronaldo was in the right position fora close range deflection - ona long cross from Matheus Nunes - but Korea’s Kim Younggwon outpaced the Portuguese captain with a clearance for a corner.Three minutes from the first half hour, Younggwon was quick to drill home a ball that landed at his feet off Ronaldo’s body who was trying to duck away on a corner kick. Ronaldo turned his back to the ball which bounced off his right shoulder and landed near unguarded Younggwon who produced a left-footed shot.Shortly afterwards, Ronaldo was one-on-one with the Korean keeper but the Portuguese captain - in an attempt to shoot into the right of the net - failed to get the elevation on his shot that was slapped away by Seunggyu. Moments later, Ronaldo charged to receive a long cross but the Korean keeper reached first to catch the ball on the edge of his box.Dalot added to the Portuguese momentum in the 33rd minute when he unleashed a rasping left-footed drive 30 yards out but the shot was blocked by the Korean keeper.Six minutes from the first-half whistle, Korean captain Son Heungmin also rifled in a powerful shot from outside the Portuguese box but keeper Costa collected the ball to kill the move. Seconds later, Ronaldo went midair to head home - after the keeper had fumbled with his collection on a long-range shot by Vitinha, but the ball sailed away as Portugal kept Korea under sustained pressure.Close to the hour-mark, Antonio SIlva blocked a shot of Korean captain Heungmin who was inside the Portuguese box. Moments later, Korean midfielder Lee Kangin and Matheus Nunes rammed into each other causing a stoppage in play. At this point, the camera panned on Bento in the stands talking to one of his assistants.The irritated fan who was infuriated with Bento for blocking his view at the start of the match seemed to have probably swapped his seat with somebody else. Five minutes later, Ronaldo walked off after being benched. Before he took off, Ronaldo handed his captain’s armband to Pepe, 39.Hwang Inbeom, in the 66th minute, unleashed a rasping shot that hit the palms of keeper Costa and trickled away.In a missed opportunity, Jinsu sent a cross to Heungmin who connected with a bullet shot that hit Cancelo on his elbow inside the Portuguese box.South Korea vainly pleaded with the referee for a penalty in the 70th minute.Six minutes later, Dalot found Horta with a neat cross but Portugal’s goal scorer for some strange reason backtracked inside the six yard box.Just as everyone thought the game was over, South Korea turned things around in dramatic fashion in injury time. Korean captain Heungmin ran from his own box to the rival team’s box. He found Hee-chan with a neat cross near the edge before the substitute slotted home on his first attempt.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos on Thursday said captain Cristiano Ronaldo is not a certainty against Asian giants South Korea when the two teams clash in the last match of the group stage at Education City Stadium today.Group H points leaders Portugal are under no pressure to include Ronaldo, 37, who missed training on Wednesday. Portugal, the 2016 Euro champions, have six points after wins over Ghana and Uruguay.“I think it is 50-50 if he plays the match or not. We will see how it goes,” Santos said at a news conference yesterday. “It will depend on if and how he feels during practice. If we see he is in good condition, maybe he will play the match. There is a plan for if he is not available,” Santos added.Ronaldo spent the day recovering at a gym where the backroom staff is trying to get the Portugal captain ready for the Round of 16 at the 32-team tournament. Later in the evening, Ronaldo was in seen doing light training.The Portugal camp yesterday also confirmed that Nuno Mendes’ Qatar campaign has ended following a thigh injury the PSG star sustained in their match against Uruguay.When asked about Mendes’ injury, Santos said yesterday: “He will continue to stay in Qatar, because the player wanted it. PSG allowed him to stay here with us at the World Cup. This reflects the spirit of the team and how united we all are.”Raphael Guerreiro, the Borussia Dortmund full-back, is likely to replace Mendes as he did against Uruguay.With Otavio and Danilo also out injured, Santos said he expects the players in the reserves to step up against South Korea.“I have complete confidence in all my players,” Santos said. “I’m already missing three players, let’s see about others. Playing every four days is tough, players get tired and are experiencing fatigue.“Fatigue leads to stress and stress leads to injuries.“We want to win and finish top in our group because this will gives us an extra day to recover the players in the best way possible,” Santos said.South Africa’s Portuguese coach Paulo Bento yesterday said a dedicated performance his players against Portugal.“We played our first two matches with a lot of passion. We will have to show that passion again (against Portugal).“But we’ll also need a bit of luck. If we have all that, we can create a miracle,” Bento said yesterday. Bento candidly admitted that Portugal – who are ranked 9 in the world – are a force even without Ronaldo or the absent injured players. South Korea are aiming to qualify for the Round of 16 for the third time after 2002 and 2010.“He (Portugal coach) can play in different ways, with different formations, he can make three or four changes in his team and they will stay at the same level,” Bento explained. “In addition, the context is favourable for them because they are already qualified and a draw will ensure first place,” Bento added.Bento, who played for Portugal 35 times, will not be available for his side following a red card he picked up in the match against Ghana. Bento said: “They (the assistants) make most of the decisions, they suggest them to me. It’s not going to be a problem. This time they will be on their own but it won’t change much. The players are also in line with the technical staff.”South Korean defender Kim Young-gwon said facing Portugal would be a tough challenge. He said: “They have all these talented players.”He added: “To contain them we’ll have to play as a team, as one unit. We don’t have anywhere else to go than forward.”

A week ago popular coach Louis van Gaal boldly announced that his Dutch side had arrived in Qatar seeking their first FIFA World Cup title win. The 71-year-old veteran coach yesterday saw his side add credence to that claim when Netherlands handed Qatar their third successive defeat with a clinical 2-0 victory at Al Bayt Stadium.For Netherlands, the 2010 FIFA World Cup runners-up, it was their second win in three matches after PSV Eindhoven striker Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 26th minute while Frenkie de Jong found the net in the 49th in front of 66,784 fans.For Qatar, after having lost to Ecuador and Senegal earlier in the week, it was a chance to end their World Cup journey with an upset win against the 8th ranked side in the world. The Netherlands, tutored by Van Gaal, made sure that it wouldn’t happen for the hosts.In the first half hour the Dutch dominated play but Qatar – trailing by a goal – picked up short momentum in the last 15 minutes before the break.Thereafter the hosts played catch-up for most part of what was entertaining match from the men in orange.Just four minutes into the first half, captain Virgil van Dijk found Barcelona forward Memphis Depay with a slick long ball to the left of the Qatar box. Depay was tad slow to position himself as the ball bounced away without causing any damage. Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos, playing his 171th game, produced a counterattack but his shot from outside the Dutch box was pouched by keeper Andries Noppert.Moments later, Daley Blind tried to shoot the ball into the net from close range – following a goalmouth melee – but his feeble shot was punched away by Meshaal Barsham, younger sibling of global track and field icon Mutaz Barshim.Shortly afterwards a stoppage in play took place when Qatar’s Ismael Mohamed felt the force of a head butt against Dutchman Nathan Ake. In another stoppage, Davy Klassen rammed his head into Homam Ahmed inside the Qatar box.Al-Haydos and Akram Afif were seen playing at the back as fear of attacks by the Dutch mounted in the first 12 minutes. Barsham, the young Qatari keeper, was alert to a deflection from his own defender as he dived to his right to collect the ball.Depay, who was inside the Qatari box, sent a volley above the crossbar in the 13th minute as FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched from the stands.The Dutch – with their relentless attacks – forced a corner after al-Haydos cleared a ball from Denzel Dumfries but the flag kick was wasted much to the delight of Qatari fans.In the 20th minute, Afif swivelled past a couple of Dutch defenders but his cross from the edge of the box had no takers on the far side. Jurrien Timber blocked a shot from Homam to allow Qatar the first corner in the 24th minute. Another corner followed moments later but Al Sadd defender Abdelkarim Hassan was wayward with his deflection from inside the box. Afif, in another solo run on the flank, found Homam with a cross that seemed to have too much pace. Gakpo, seconds later, added his third goal of the tournament in the 26th minute.After a short dribble near the Qatari box where he was chased by Assim Madibo, Gakpo – following a neat cross from Klassen – quickly positioned himself and unleashed a powerful right-footed drive that sailed past the outstretched hands of Barsham.Ismail Mohamed and al-Haydos tried to sandwich Gakpo who exhibited incredible speed and accuracy on his shot for his side’s first goal. Soon after the half-hour mark, Qatar tried to build momentum with a couple of threatening moves but the forwards lacked coordination up front. In the 34th minute, defender Hassan broke free of his marker on the left flank but his cross had no takers with Dutch captain van Dijk easily clearing up the move inside his own box.In another similar attack, striker Almoez Ali slipped in a neat cross for al-Haydos inside the Dutch box but the Qatari captain was slow to react before he lost the ball.Marten de Roon found Gakpo with a cross on the edge of the Qatar box in the 40th minute. Gakpo once again found pace on his shot but there was too much elevation on the flight that sent the ball sailing above the Qatar crossbar. From the corner of his eye, a disappointed Gakpo realised the move was declared offside by the linesman.To summarise Qatar’s performance in the first half was the miss from Afif after a neat cross from Hassan close to the halfline. Shockingly Afif had no leg power to keep the ball in play.On the final touch of the first half, Deepay launched a fierce drive that picked up late swing and sailed past the goalpost to the right of keeper Barsham.Netherlands doubled the lead in the 49th minute when Barcelona midfielder De Jong scored from close range. Qatar keeper Barsham had saved a brilliant shot from Deepay but De Jong wasted little time to find the net.Four minutes from the first hour mark, Qatar suffered another hit-and-miss when Hassan delivered a neat cross into the Dutch six yards where there was no home player to keep the ball in play.A few minutes later, defender Pedro Miguel delivered a near-perfect cross from the left flank but once again the ball sailed away with no Qatari striker in position for a deflection.With lack of finishing in the front, coach Felix Sanchez made three substitutions that included captain al-Haydos called back. Van Gaal, on the other hand, rolled back Deepay and Memphis to cool the star players for the next round.In the 67th minute, Steven Berghuis and Vincent Janssen combined to score their side’s third goal. Berghuis’ easy shot into an empty net from close range was cancelled after a VAR decision showed Gakpo had handled the ball in the build-up.In the 80th minute, keeper Noppert made a save near his own goalpost before Mohamed Muntari could initiate a move. In injury time, Berguis hit the Qatar crossbar.As van Gaal looked towards the Round of 16, Qatar coach Sanchez was seen looking for his accreditation after the final whistle.We didn’t plan to reach the last 16: Sanchez**media[1654]**Qatar players applaud the fans after the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group A match against the Netherlands at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, yesterday. (AFP)Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said yesterday his team were never targeting a place in the knockout phase after defeat by the Netherlands left the hosts without a point in the World Cup.The home side finished rock bottom of Group A after a 2-0 loss at the Al Bayt Stadium, having already joined South Africa in 2010 as the only hosts to be dumped out at the first hurdle.“We’re a country with 6,000 football licences so this was a likely situation,” said Sanchez when asked if he ever thought Qatar would get through the group.“We never thought at any time to set a target of reaching the last 16 or the quarter-finals.“We just wanted to come here and see what we could do. We managed to play two good games against Senegal and the Netherlands. The first game (against Ecuador) we weren’t at our usual level and we know that.“You can use statistics how you want but we need to make our own assessments.”Qatar came into the tournament as continental champions after winning the 2019 Asian Cup, but never seriously threatened to pull off any surprise results. Sanchez, who has been in charge since 2017, said he would wait to decide whether or not to stay on as coach.“I’m not sure about my future to be honest... We just have to reflect on this. We haven’t thought anything in particular abut the future.”The win sent the Dutch through as group winners, along with Senegal. (AFP)

A week ago popular coach Louis van Gaal boldly announced that his Dutch side had arrived in Qatar seeking their first FIFA World Cup title win. The 71-year-old veteran coach Tuesday saw his side add credence to that claim when Netherlands handed Qatar their third successive defeat with a clinical 2-0 victory at Al Bayt Stadium.For Netherlands, the 2010 FIFA World Cup runners-up, it was their third win in as many matches after PSV Eindhoven striker Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 26th minute while Frenkie de Jong found the net in the 49th in front of 66,784 fans.For Qatar, after having lost to Ecuador and Senegal earlier in the week, it was a chance to end their World Cup journey with an upset win against the 18th ranked side in the world. The Netherlands, tutored by Van Gaal, made sure that it wouldn't happen for the hosts.In the first half hour the Dutch dominated play but Qatar – trailing by a goal - picked up short momentum in the last 15 minutes before the break. Thereafter the hosts played catch-up for most part of what was entertaining football from the men in orange.Just four minutes into the first half, captain Virgil Van Dijk found Barcelona forward Memphis Depay with a slick long ball to the left of the Qatar box. Depay was tad slow to position himself as the ball bounced away without causing any damage. Qatar captain Hassan AlHaydos, playing his 170th game, produced a counterattack but his shot from outside the Dutch box was pouched by keeper Andries Noppert.Moments later, Daley Blind tried to shoot the ball into the net from close range - following a goalmouth melee - but his feeble shot was punched away by Meshaal Barsham, younger sibling of global track and field icon Mutaz Barshim. Shortly afterwards a stoppage in play took place when Qatar's Ismael Mohammed felt the force of a head butt against Dutchman Nathan Ake. In another stoppage, Davy Klassen rammed his head into Homam Ahmed inside the Qatar box.Al Haydos and Afif were seen playing at the back as the fear of attacks by the Dutch mounted in the first 12 minutes. Barsham, the young Qatari keeper, was alert to a deflection from his own defender as he dived to his right to collect the ball. Depay, who was inside the Qatari box, sent a volley above the crossbar in the 13th minute as FIFA president Gianni Infantino watched from the stands.The Dutch - with their relentless attacks - forced a corner after Al Haydos cleared a ball from Denzel Dumfries but the flag kick was wasted much to the delight of Qatari fans.In the 20th minute, Afif swiveled past a couple of Dutch defenders but his cross from the edge of the box had no takers on the far side. Jurrien Timber blocked a shot from Homam to allow Qatar the first corner in the 24th minute. Another corner followed moments later butAl Sadd defender Abdelkarim Hassan was wayward with his deflection from inside the box. Afif, in another solo run on the flank, found Homam with a cross that seemed to have too much pace.Gakpo, seconds later, added his third goal of the tournament in the 26th minute. After a short dribble near the Qatari box where he was chased by Assim Madibo, Gakpo - after a neat cross from Klassen - quickly positioned himself and unleashed a powerful right-footed drive that sailed past the outstretched hands of Barsham. Ismail Mohamed and Al Haydos tried to sandwich Gakpo who exhibited incredible speed and accuracy on his shot for his side's first goal.Soon after the half-hour mark, Qatar tried to build momentum with a couple of threatening moves but the forwards lacked coordination up front. In the 34th minute, defender Hassan broke free of his marker on the left flank but his cross had no takers with Dutch captain van Dijk easily clearing up the move inside his own box.In another similar attack, striker Almoez Ali slipped in a neat cross for al-Haydos inside the Dutch box but the Qatari captain was slow to react before he lost the ball.Marten de Roon found Gakpo with a cross on the edge of the Qatar box in the 40th minute. Gakpo once again found pace on his shot but there was too much elevation on the flight that sent the ball sailing above the Qatar crossbar. From the corner of his eye, a disappointed Gakpo realized the move was declared offside by the linesman.To summarize Qatar's performance in the first half was the miss from Afif after a neat cross from Hassan close to the halfline. Shockingly Afif had no legs to keep the ball in play and move ahead. On the final touch of the first half, Deepay launched a fierce drive that picked up a late swing and sailed past the goalpost to the right of keeper Barsham.Netherlands doubled the lead in the 49th minute when Barcelona midfielder De Jong scored from close range. Qatar keeper Barsham had saved a brilliant shot from Deepay but De Jong wasted little time to find the net.Four minutes from the first hour mark, Qatar suffered another hit-and-miss when Hassan delivered a neat cross into the Dutch box where there was home player to keep the ball in play. A few minutes later, defender Pedro Miguel delivered a near-perfect cross from the left flank but once again the ball sailed away with no Qatari striker in position for a deflection.With lack of finishing in the front, coach Felix Sanchez made three substitutions that included captain Al Haydos called back. Van Gaal, on the other hand, rolled back Deepay and Memphis to cool the star players for the next round.In the 67th minute, Steven Berghuis and Vincent Janssen combined to score their side's third goal. Berghuis' easy shot into an empty net from close range was cancelled after a VAR decision showed Gakpo had handled the ball in the build-up.In the 80th minute, keeper Noppert made a save near his own goalpost before Mohamed Muntari could initiate a move. In injury time, Berguis hit the Qatar crossbar. As Van Gaal looked towards the Round of 16, Qatar coach Sanchez was seen looking for his accreditation at the final whistle.

Asian champions Qatar will be playing for pride when they take on Netherlands in their last Group A match on day nine of the FIFA World Cup 2022.In the first two matches last week, Qatar lost to Ecuador and Senegal. Qatar, the side that won the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE under coach Felix Sanchez, scored only one goal in the two matches.With nothing at stake but pride, coach Sanchez yesterday said they will be playing to make their fans ‘proud’ at Al Bayt Stadium today.“Our objective is to be competitive (against the Netherlands). We won’t be able to qualify for the next stage or advance. We would have loved to be in a position to advance but it is not to be,” Sanchez said at a pre-match news conference yesterday.“We will give our best against Netherlands. We will try to enjoy being here at the top level. I think that we have self confidence and we will try to compete and make our fans proud,” the 46-year-old Spaniard added.“The players I have, they are a demanding lot. They push themselves. I think we should be happy about the efforts that have been made all this while,” he said.“When you play a team like Netherlands you don’t need any motivation (to do well).“It is a team with high calibre and we are not concerned about their ranking. We are fully focused on our next match,” Sanchez said.“Netherlands have achieved great results over the years at World Cup events. Usually they finish among the top teams,” he said.“Regarding our journey here, we have faced top African and South American teams like Senegal and Ecuador. They are some of the best teams in their region. We are aware of the reality that we had a demanding group.“Yes, I would have preferred to have been in a better position but this international sport for you. We have a player base of just 6,000 (registered individuals).“This team has achieved great results in the last few years. We may have lagged behind here but we do hard work daily. We will keep doing it. This is the only way we can close the gap against top teams in this competition,” Sanchez explained.Sanchez said he doesn’t feel let down by poor results in the first two matches.“I think I have said this a few times that we have to take into consideration that we built our team from a small population. We are at our first World Cup. I don’t feel embarrassed. These players got good results in the past. Only a few teams can be at a World Cup,” Sanchez said.“We didn’t get the results we expected but this is part of a process that we are following. Bigger population provides with bigger potential to build stronger teams. Hopefully the team can do better (in the future),” he added.Sanchez said every competition Qatar takes part in gives way to a new cycle of planning and preparation for the national team.“We won the Asian Cup in 2019 and that was the end of one phase at that time. That was the end of a cycle. Every competition is a cycle. We are closing a chapter now. The country is focused on preparing for a new competition and to get behind a new era. We want to play our best football,” Sanchez said.“If I go back in time? It’s easy to talk about things after it’s over. I think we have prepared in the best possible way, but everything has to be considered in perspective, we have been working with this group for a long time. Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to.“There was no other preparation possible. Sometimes things don’t work out. Things happen for a reason,” Sanchez said philosophically.“I am very proud to represent Qatar. I am only thinking about the next match. It’s an honour to be playing this match tomorrow,” he said.Qatar’s premier striker Almoez Ali told reporters yesterday: “As a player, I wanted Qatari fans to be proud of us but we didn’t win. We will try to play our best. Netherlands is a great team. We have learned a lot and hopefully we will qualify for the next World Cup. Hopefully we can leave the tournament with a positive result.”Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal yesterday said he will be keeping an eye on the other match of the day involving Ecuador and Senegal. Netherlands and Senegal have 4 points each while Senegal have 3 as they head into the last round of matches today.Van Gaal admitted a flurry of goals would be desirable to make sure Netherlands top Group A.“I think it’s straightforward,” Van Gaal said when asked if he would be interested in the result between Senegal and Ecuador.“Of course I will keep tabs on the other game and I will be informed,” the 71-year-old Dutchman said.“But the fact of the matter is, if you want to become world champion you have to be capable of beating everyone,”the former Manchester United manager Van Gaal added.“The countries you might not expect to progress are progressing, or at least making it very difficult for other teams to progress.”FACT BOXNetherlands vs QatarWhen: Today, 6pm Where: Al Bayt Stadium, Al KhorCapacity: 68,895Key stats:Netherlands need a win or a draw to qualify to the last 16 for the 11th time regardless of the result betweenSenegal and Ecuador.If Netherlands lose they will qualify directly to the second round if Ecuador beat Senegal, but if Senegal win the goal difference or fairplay tiebreaker will decide second place in the group.Netherlands never won the title but were runners-up three times in 1974, 1978 and 2010.Qatar were the first team to be eliminated from the finals, and it was only the second time that a host country exited the tournament in the first round after South Africa in 2010.Qatar will try to avoid being the first host country to fail to win a game in the finals.Mohamed Muntari made history when he scored Qatar’s first World Cup goal in the 3-1 defeat by Senegal.Previous meetings:This will be the first meeting between the sides.

Coach Dragon Stojkovic yesterday said Serbia will have no other option but to attack against African giants Cameroon when the two sides clash in the a FIFA World Cup Group G clash today.Serbia lost to former World Cup champions Brazil in the first round at Lusail Stadium last week while Cameroon - also known as ‘The Indomitable Lions’ - were edged by Switzerland when the two sides played Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday.“Are we going to be offensive? Well, we will be because in order to score a goal, you have to attack. We must be a compact team that knows exactly what it is doing on the field,” Stojkovic said at a news conference yesterday.“We hope that we will be at our best level and that through our style of play we will be able to tame the ‘lions’. I believe in my team and I think that, as far as we are concerned, everything will be fine. We will try to come out with the strongest team against Cameroon,” Stojkovic told reporters.“Serbia will play for a win as it has played in the last two years. We respect all our rivals and we respect Cameroon. They are a very strong team and they can cause problems for everyone,” he said.“I remember in the 90s they had players like Roger Milla. I don’t know what they achieved during their last World Cup but I have a lot of respect for African football and a team like Cameroon has players who are legends of world football. They have had quality players the people of Cameroon can be proud of.“They still have very good players, fast and dangerous in counterattacks,” the Serbian coach said.Stojkovic said Serbia will ring changes for today’s clash and bring in winger Filip Kostic who did not play against Brazil in their 2-0 loss.“The situation is not excellent, but I am satisfied compared to what we had before. The situation is better and that makes me happy,” Stojkovic said yesterday.“He has been training well with the team for the last two sessions. I liked the intensity he worked at, which shows he is ready to play. I am glad he is fit and that we can count on him,” he added.“I can’t say if he will be playing but he is one of the potential players, which was not the case earlier.“The way he runs and his physical engagement in training has shown that is going to be okay and that makes me very happy,” he added.Stojkovic knows a tricky scenario awaits Serbia who would be knocked out if Brazil fail to win their match against Switzerland today. Meanwhile, Cameroon will be out of the tournament if they lose and Switzerland fail to win against five-time World Cup winners Brazil.Cameroon coach Rigobert Song yesterday candidly admitted his team needed their A-game today.“We’re in a difficult situation (after losing to Switzerland in the first round),” Song said. “It’s a decisive game but my team is fully ready for this match.”Cameroonian right back right back Collins Fai yesterday said his team must deliver a better performance than they did against Switzerland.“We didn’t give everything in the first game and we left with a lot of regrets,” Fai, 30, said yesterday.“This game was an important message for us, you pay dearly for every mistake at the highest level,” he added in an interview with the AP wire service.FACTBOXSerbia vs CameroonWhen: Today, 1pmWhere: Al Janoub Stadium, Al WakrahCapacity: 44,325Key stats:Cameroon and Serbia are looking for their first points of the tournament after suffering opening-round defeats to Switzerland and Brazil respectively.Serbia have lost nine of their last 11 World Cup games, last beating Costa Rica 1-0 in the 2018 group stage.Cameroon have not qualified for the knockout phase since their quarter-final appearance in 1990 and are without a win at the finals since 2002, after missing out in 2018 and losing all of their group stage games in 2010 and 2014.Serbia have exited the tournament in the group stage in each of their last three appearances - 2006 (as Serbia & Montenegro), 2010 and 2014.Serbia are aiming to qualify for the knockout round for the first time since 1998, when they competed as Yugoslavia.Previous meetings:Serbia beat Cameroon 4-3 in their only previous meeting in a friendly in 2010.

Lionel Messi yesterday scored a goal and delivered a slick assist for the second as Argentina beat Mexico 2-0 at Lusail Stadium.Argentina, who lost their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday, recovered in quick fashion to post their first win of Group C in front of 88,966 fans.Making his 21st World Cup appearance for Argentina, Messi led from the front by scoring in the 64th minute before slipping in an assist to Enzo Fernandez who found the net in the 87th minute. It was a sterling effort from the two-time World Cup winners who looked sluggish and out of sorts in the first half. Argentina now have 4 wins over Mexico in World Cup history.Argentina, playing their second successive match at Lusail Stadium, looked ragged for most part of the first half. Mexico’s striker Alexis Vega elbowed Argentina’s Seville defender Gonzalo Monteil in the fifth minute close, a trend of rough play that was to follow numerous times in the first half.After clinching the first corner kick in the 9th minute after Hirving Lozano made a good run on Lisandro Martinez, Hector Herrera curled in a lovely free kick but none of the Mexico forwards were able to connect as the ball went wide of the goalpost to the left of Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez in 10th minutes.Five minutes later, Herrera elbowed Marcos Acuna close to the edge of the Argentina box in another round of rough play from both the sides. Two minutes later Lautaro Martinez rammed his body into Andres Guardardo, the Mexican skipper, in an intense tussle for ball possession.Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi brought down Lozano resulting in a free kick in the 20th minute. The Argentina keeper beat Herrara to the ball on a loopy cross on the free kick. As expected, a rough bit of play saw Araujo slapped with a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Acuna. In another moment of madness, Acuna - deep on the right flank - stepped on Kevin Alvarez’s shin rather forcefully forcing a stoppage in the play.Vega of Mexico brought down Argentina’s Rodrigo de Paul as the referee pointed to a free kick 10 yards out from the Mexico box. Messi curled in the resultant free kick but Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa was tall enough to kill the move with ease.Angel Di Maria curled in a long ball but Lautaro Martinez was off target with his snap-header in the 40th minute, the first real Argentina move. Seconds later, injured Guardado was benched as Erick Gutierrez was brought on. A yellow card was shown to Monteil for a reckless tackle on Gutierrez near the Argentina box two minutes from the first-half whistle.Vega curled in a spectacular free kick that was stopped by the Argentine keeper with a short jump to his right. In the 50th minute, substitute Gutierrez in a rush brought down Messi near his own box. The referee barely wasted a second to signal a free kick which was sent sailing above the Mexico crossbar by off-target Messi. Close to the one-hour mark, Argentina brought goal hero Fernandez to replace Guido Rodriguez.In the 64th minute, Messi and Argentina opened their account with a clinical finish. Di Maria cut inside from the right flank and found Messi - unmarked near the Mexico box - with a neat low cross. Messi quickly positioned himself and launched his trademark left-footed drive that went through a defender’s legs and beat the outstretched left hand of keeper Ochoa. It was Messi’s 8th goal in World Cup history and second in Qatar.In the 81st minute, defender Hector Moreno’s loopy header inside the box was easily caught by Argentine keeper Martinez as Mexico attempted to equalise late in the second half. Two minutes later, Mexico also wasted a corner kick as Messi dropped back to help his backline. In a slick counterattack, Argentina doubled the lead in the 87th minute.Messi, after picking an indirect corner kick, found Fernandez unmarked at the edge of the Mexico box. Fernandez hoodwinked Gutierrez and then cleverly curled in a right-footed drive that sailed past keeper Ochoa’s left hand before crashing into the net.

Lionel Messi Saturday scored a goal and delivered a slick assist for the second as Argentina beat Mexico 2-0 at Lusail Stadium.Argentina, who lost their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday, recovered in quick fashion to post their first win of Group C in front of 88,966 fans.Making his 21st World Cup appearance for Argentina, Messi led from the front by scoring in the 64th minute before slipping in an assist to Enzo Fernandez who found the net in the 87th minute.It was a sterling effort from the two-time World Cup winners who looked sluggish and out of sorts in the first half. Argentina now have 4 wins over Mexico in World Cup history.Argentina, playing their second successive match at Lusail Stadium, looked ragged for most part of the first half. Mexico's striker Alexis Vega elbowed Argentina's Seville defender Gonzalo Monteil in the fifth minute close, a trend of rough play that was to follow numerous times in the first half.After clinching the first corner kick in the 9th minute after Hirving Lozano made a good run on Lisandro Martinez, Hector Herrera curled in a lovely free kick but none of the Mexico forwards were able to connect as the ball went wide of the goalpost to the left of Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez in 10th minutes.Five minutes later, Herrera elbowed Marcos Acuna close to the edge of the Argentina box in another round of rough play from both the sides. Two minutes later Lautaro Martinez rammed his body into Andrea Guardardo, the Mexican skipper, in an intense tussle for ball possession. Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi brought down Lozano resulting in a free kick in the 20th minute. The Argentina keeper beat Herrara to the ball on a loopy cross on the free kick.As expected, a rough bit of play saw Araujo slapped with a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Acuna. In another moment of madness, Acuna - deep on the right flank - stepped on Kevin Alvarez's shin rather forcefully forcing a stoppage in the play.Vega of Mexico brought down Argentina's Rodrigo de Paul as the referee pointed to a free kick 10 yards out from the Mexico box. Messi curled in the resultant free kick but Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa was tall enough to kill the move with ease.Angel di Maria curled in a long ball but Lautaro Martinez was off target with his snap-header in the 40th minute, the first real Argentina move. Seconds later, injured Guardado was benched as Erick Gutierrez was brought on. A yellow card was shown to Monteil for a reckless tackle on Gutierrez near the Argentina box two minutes from the first-half whistle. Vega curled in a spectacular free kick that was stopped by the Argentine keeper with a short jump to his right.

Japan yesterday stunned four-time World Cup winners Germany 2-1 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match at Khalifa International Stadium.Two second-half goals by super subs Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano eight minutes apart yesterday lifted three-time Asian champions Japan to their first win in Qatar.After conceding a goal in the first half when Ilkay Gundogan – the Manchester City midfielder – converted a penalty in the 33rd minute, Japan delivered a ferocious counter attack after the break in the Group E clash.Coached by Hajime Moriyasu, Japan clicked as a unit in the second half when substitutes Doan and Asano combined in superb fashion to script a hard-fought win against a side that has played the most number of FIFA World Cup matches (112).Earlier on Tuesday, Moriyasu candidly admitted at a news conference that his players had improved their game by frequently appearing for Bundesliga sides over the years.Yesterday, Japan looked the part as they undid the global football giants.“At the end they came at us with the full power,” Moriyasu said yesterday. “In the past maybe we would have given up (in such a scenario) but the players have been playing in Germany and Europe they’ve learned so much from that, so we held on,” Moriyasu added.“United as one, we needed to hang tough until the final whistle went and we were able to grasp our opportunity,” the Japanese coach said.“We wanted to start aggressively, we wanted to dominate the game but Germany are very strong so we needed to defend persistently and take our chances,” he said.“In our tactics, we had many options and looked at many scenarios. We knew there was a chance we could go a goal down, we planned for it, we prepared for it.”After scoring the goals, Doan and Asano celebrated their magical moment with teammates on the touchline as thousands of Japanese fans at Khalifa International Stadium rejoiced in the stands.With veterans Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer – both appearing in their fourth World Cup editions – Germany looked set to launch their Qatar campaign on a positive note but it was not to be against a side that did not give up even after conceding a penalty in the first half.In an early sign of aggression, Bayern Munich striker Serge Gnabry charged into the Japan box but a couple of Samurai Blue defenders stayed firm to block the move in the third minute.Japan retaliated by clinching the first corner in the 5th minute but failed to make any inroads. Three minutes on, Celtic forward Daizen Maeda outpaced his marker Antonio Rudiger and deflected the ball into the net but the linesman quickly adjudged the move offside much to the dismay of the Japanese supporters. Maeda held his hands in despair knowing he had moved a fraction of a second too soon.Six minutes later, Joshua Kimmich unleashed a powerful shot a little away from the edge of the box but VbF Stuttgart defender Wataru Endo produced a sliding tackle to block the shot heading towards his goal.In the 16th minute, tall defender Rudiger jumped high over the Japanese defenders but his deflection hit the outside of the Japan net. Four minutes later, Kimmich unloaded a powerful right-footed drive that sailed past a couple of defenders but Japan ’keeper Suihchi Gonda dived to his right to deflect the ball away.Shortly afterwards Hiroki Sakai – positioned close to Neuer – could not find the elevation on a header following a cross from the deep right flank. Three minutes from the half-hour mark, striker Gnabry found Gundogan who fired a bullet that was saved by ’keeper Gonda.Soon afterwards David Raum charged into the box after clutching a loopy cross from Kimmich. Raum grabbed the ball and returned back but he was brought down by the Japanese ’keeper in his own box prompting the referee to point to the spot kick in the 31st minute.Gundogan easily converted the penalty that went to the right of Gonda who chose to dive to his left in the 33rd minute. Despite being sluggish for most part of the first half, Germany were quick to grab the lead when the opportunity arose. With momentum on their side, Niklas Sule found Kimmich with a neat short cross but the Bayern Munich defender saw his shot gobbled up by ’keeper Gonda five minutes before from the first-half whistle, Midfielder Jamal Musiala – on the edge of the Japanese box – sent his right-footed drive sailing above the crossbar in another wasted opportunity to score soon afterwards.In the dying seconds of the first half, Kai Havertz deflected the ball into the net from close range following a cross from Gnabry a few feet away. The linesman called it a goal but VAR showed Havertz had moved ahead of the Japanese backline. Just seconds later, Japanese ’keeper had deflected a bullet from Kimmich who was on the edge of the box.In their best chance to equalise, Maeda’s header – on a cross from Yuto Nagamoto – narrowly missed the goalpost to Neuer’s left. Seconds later the two teams walked off the pitch with Muller barely breaking a sweat in the entire first half.Muller, early in the second half, picked up a loose ball and charged ahead with a Japanese marker in tow. Close to the edge of the box, the German star found Gnabry on the right. Gnabry sneaked into the Japanese box following the cross from Muller but his powerful drive sailed above the crossbar. Muller wanted the ball back but Gnabry went solo. In the 50th minute Musiala – after dodging three makers in the Japan box – sent the ball above the crossbar from close range.Gundogan was unlucky in the 58th minute when his shot from the edge of the box went through a Japanese defender’s legs but the ball ricocheted off the goalpost left of ’keeper Gonda who had no chance to dive and stop the shot.Muller, who had not played a full 90 minutes since September, was benched by manager Hansi Flick in the 65th minute after a lackluster show by the German. In the 75th minute, Japan equalized.Takumi Minamino – on the edge of the German box – slipped in a cross towards Neuer who threw out his left arm and parried the ball which landed at unguarded substitute Doan’s feet. Doan quickly found the top of the net with a bullet from six yards out.Asano gave Japan the lead with a breathtaking run of about 30 yards following a free kick cross from Itakura in the 83rd minute. Asano charged into the six-yard box while being chased by Nico Schlotterbeck. With the ball to his right, Asano slipped a shot into top of the net with Neuer unable to stop the flick from close range.

Former Asian champions Japan Wednesday produced a stunning upset by beating four-time World Cup winners Germany 2-1 while European giants Spain hit Costa Rica for seven goals in a one-sided match at Al Thumama Stadium.Trailing by a goal at the end of the first half, a resilient Japan picked up the pieces in dramatic fashion late in the second half when substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano found the net only eight minutes apart in their Group E clash under lights at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium (KIS).A day before their opening FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match against Germany, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu candidly admitted that his players have improved their game looking at German players. A total of eight players in the current squad appear for Bundesliga clubs.After making five substitutes in their high-paced game against Germany, a delighted Moriyasu once again underlined the presence of his players in Germany."We have seven players in the Bundesliga and one in the German second division, but we have many more playing in big leagues in Europe and that has played a big part in our development," Moriyasu said after the intense clash played in front of 42,608 fans at KIS."Germany are a great team but I have to say our players stayed calm and patient for most part of the match," he added.Moriyasu said playing with aggression got them to rally after conceding a goal in the first half scored by Ilkay Gundogan (penalty, 33rd minute)."We wanted to start playing aggressively, we wanted to dominate the game. But Germany are very strong so we needed to defend persistently and take our chances," Moriyasu said.Appearing at a World Cup for the seventh successive time, Japan clearly looked the part Wednesday."It's a big surprise. We saw the Saudi victory over Argentina - the Asian countries are reaching the global standard," Moriyasu said.Wednesday's loss in the opening clash was a repeat of Russia 2018 when Germany - as defending champions - went down to Mexico before losing to South Korea on way to getting knocked at the first stage.Goalkeeper Shuchi Gonda who fought gallantly under the Japan crossbar said his team was inspired by Saudi Arabia's stunning win over Argentina on Tuesday."We knew that like Saudi Arabia, if they didn't score any more goals and we kept going until the end, we would get our chances," Gonda said. "Even if I concede one, my job is to make sure I don't concede any more and give us a chance of turning it around," he added.Big win for SpainAlso Wednesday, Spain - the 2010 World Cup winners - kept the scorers busy as Dani Olmo (11), Asensio (21), Ferran Torres (31-pen and 54), Gavi (74), Carlos Soler (90), Alvaro Morata (90+2) scored almost at will against hapless Costa Rica.It was Spain's biggest ever World Cup victory surpassing their 6-1 victory over Bulgaria in 1998. Coached by Luis Enqriue, Spain now take on Germany on Nov 27 at Al Bayt Stadium followed by a game against Japan on Dec 1 at the same venue."Our objective is to continuously dominate the play, and for that you have to have the ball," coach Enrique told TVE after the match. "Your opponent gets tired and can't get into it, our pressing was exceptional and the 16 players we used were superb - although we still have room to improve."Croatia-Morocco draw, Belgium winIn the day's other match, Croatia and Morocco played a goalless draw at Al Thumama Stadium while Belgium edged past Canada 1-0 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Four-time World Cup champions Germany are keen to hit the ground running when they take on Asian giants Japan but coach Hansi Flick said his team won’t take the ‘Samurai Blue’ lightly.The two teams clash for the first time at a World Cup when they face off at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium today.Champions in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014, Germany are clear title favourites in Qatar.After tackling Japan - the three-time Asian champions - Germany take on Spain and Costa Rica in Group E of the 32-team tournament being held for the first time in the region.Japan, on the other hand, have never gone beyond the Round of 16 though they are making their seventh trip to the World Cup.The German coach said his team respects the quality of the Japanese side.“I have to come out as a fan of Japanese football. The players are tactically and technically very well trained. It is a very big task that awaits us. But we’re going into the game well prepared. Anything is possible, you saw that today (Saudi Arabia beating Argentina). We don’t underestimate an opponent,” Flick said yesterday.“Many of Japan’s players play in the Bundesliga and almost all of them are very agile, very fast, and are strong players,” Flick said at a news conference.“They have great technique so we have to be careful.”Flick, who saw Joachim Low-coached Germany go out in the first round at Russia 2018, will have the services of experienced players in Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer. Muller and Neuer are appearing in their fourth World Cup.“I’m totally happy that we have these players in the team, that they play for Germany. With their quality, they give us an enormous number of opportunities,” Flick said.“We have had very good training sessions in the last few days. We have had good training conditions for the game.“The group is very strong, but we go into our matches with a positive mind. We are happy that things are starting for us,” Flick said yesterday.“All the top teams set themselves the goal of becoming world champions. That’s why we’re here in Qatar. I think you have to deal with the pressure positively. We have to go to our absolute performance limit, you can expect that from the players because they have enormous qualities,” he added.Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu knows his team is up against the might of Germany in the Group E clash today. The 54-year-old made a candid admission at the pre-match press conference that his team would fight but won’t get ahead of themselves considering the high skill-set the Germans bring to a game.“We are very grateful to the Germans, they are role models for us,” Moriyasu said yesterday. “We are still developing and of course at the same time have incorporated good qualities from them into our playing style. So, yes, we have kind of mixed feelings about playing against Germany,” he added.‘Going to give our absolute best’Moriyasu quickly added: “But no matter who our opponents are, we are going to give our absolute best performance that we can on the pitch. We have prepared well for all the tournament matches in which we seek to go far by achieving the best results.”Moriyasu will rely on the brilliance of Takumi Minamino of Monaco and Schalke centre back Maya Yoshida when they take on Germany today knowing they have only met two times in friendly games. Moriyasu also know he has in his squad eight players who feature in the Bundesliga.“We will look to present the best level against the German national team, which we know well. We have players in the Bundesliga, playing with or against the best players in the world, and I want them to be confident when they play in tomorrow’s game,” he said. “Germany have won the World Cup and that is our aim too - they are role models for us,” Moriyasu said yesterday.“We are learning from Germany but we also want to compete on the world stage with the qualities that Japan has. We have a lot of feelings towards Germany but we have to treat this game as if we are playing any other team and just do our best.”Captain Maya Yoshida - who is appearing in his third World Cup - yesterday echoed his coach’s sentiments about Germany’s firepower.“We understand that they have good qualities - speed, pace and physical ability as well,” said Yoshida.“The key is we have to defend well. Probably less opportunity to attack, but we need to make counter-attacks,” the former Southampton player added.Yoshida urged Asian fans to cheer for Japan.“Germany is so strong so we need some support,” Yoshida said.“We are representing Japan of course, but at the same time representing Asia. So hopefully many fans come to the stadium, not only Japanese but also the many Asian fans.“We believe that we have a chance,” he said yesterday.Flick confirmed yesterday that Germany will miss Germany winger Leroy Sane who is down with a knee injury.“It is extremely tough to have to play without Leroy because with his qualities he is a player who can turn a game around by himself,” Flick said.“Hopefully he can play on Sunday.“The whole medical staff are working on it,” he added.