Spain coach Fernando Hierro admitted that his team had been on the ropes before a lucky Diego Costa goal on Wednesday handed them their first win of the FIFA World Cup as dogged Iran came close to causing a major upset.
The victory in Kazan put the 2010 winners on course for the last 16, but Iran had an equalizer disallowed for a narrow offside.
“We have three points ... but it was a very difficult and complex game. Both halves were very tough,” Hierro said. “We started well, with good pace, but Iran are a very tough team, it’s very difficult to score against them.”
Costa, who scored twice in a 3-3 opening draw with Portugal in Sochi, Russia, courted controversy early in the Group B encounter when he stepped on the toes of Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand.
His gesture went unpunished, and the Atletico Madrid striker required another stroke of luck on 54 minutes when his shot came off Ramin Rezaeian to beat Beiranvand after he had been sent through by Andres Iniesta.
Just before the hour mark, the entire Iranian bench poured onto the pitch when Saeid Ezatolahi fired an equalizer for Iran.
However, the thousands of Iranian supporters that filled the stadium with the sound of vuvuzelas throughout were left disappointed when it was ruled out for offside.
With three points from two matches, Iran still have a chance of qualifying if they can get a result against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Monday.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz hailed the bravery of his side and pledged they would fight to make the last 16.
“We left the pitch 1-0 down, but we won respect. I’m sure the fans are proud of our team,” Queiroz said. “Our players can go home and sit with their family and friends and be proud of themselves.”
“People gave us no chance, but we still have chances to qualify for the second round. We’ll fight for our dreams,” he added.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
RSS