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Middle East crisis live: US and Iran in blockade stalemate as Washington’s navy secretary leaves office ‘immediately’ | US-Israel war on Iran
Interim summary
If you’re just joining us, here’s a recap of the latest developments to bring you up to speed.
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Iran has seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz a day after Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off US attacks, while there is no sign of peace talks restarting.
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In a U-turn after threatening to renew bombing, Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral announcement on Tuesday that the US would extend the ceasefire with Tehran until it had discussed an Iranian proposal in peace talks to end the two-month war.
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Iranian officials did not say they had agreed to any extension of the truce, and criticised Trump’s decision to maintain the US navy blockade of Iranian ports. Lead Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a full ceasefire only made sense if the blockade was lifted.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps seized two vessels on Wednesday for what it called maritime violations and escorted them to Iranian shores, according to the shipping companies and Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency – the first time Iran has seized ships since the war began in late February.
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Trump was “satisfied” with the US naval blockade and “understands Iran is in a very weak position”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The US president had not set a deadline on Iran submitting a peace proposal, she said, after Trump on Tuesday said he was indefinitely extending the ceasefire at the request of mediator Pakistan until Tehran responded to the US’s negotiating positions or until talks were concluded “one way or the other”.
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The Pentagon announced that the US secretary of the navy, John Phelan, would depart the office “effective immediately”, without providing an explanation for his sudden exit amid the naval blockade.
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The US-Israeli war against Iran is “starting to weaken Europe”, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his German counterpart. Erdoğan said: “If we do not address this situation with an approach that prioritises peace, the damage caused by the conflict will be far greater.”
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Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, and wounded a photographer accompanying her, a senior Lebanese military official and Khalil’s employer said. The death of Khalil, 43, brought the death toll to five people on Wednesday – the deadliest day since a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah was announced on 16 April. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Khalil’s death.
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Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near the town of al-Tayri when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle in front of them, Reuters reported. They ran into a nearby house that was then also targeted by an Israeli strike, said Lebanon’s health ministry. Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said Israeli targeting of journalists and obstructing relief effort constituted war crimes.
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Oil prices leapt 4% on Thursday after Iran vowed not to reopen the Hormuz strait amid the US naval blockade despite the truce extension. Around 0025 GMT, the benchmark US oil contract West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 4.06% to $96.73 a barrel, while the international oil benchmark Brent North Sea crude climbed 3.62% to $105.63. Both eased back minutes after.
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Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school amid mounting assaults on education in the territory, witnesses and local officials have said.
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United Airlines implemented broad-based rises of 15-20% on fares as it sought to offset the surge in petrol prices while protecting profits, executives said. The big US carrier has also cut its 2026 flying capacity by 5%.
Key events
EU needs playbook on helping members under attack, says Cypriot president
EU leaders meeting in Cyprus on Thursday need to start preparing a playbook on what should happen if a member country facing attack puts out a call for help from bloc partners, the president of Cyprus said.
Nikos Christodoulides said EU leaders would discuss “giving substance” to article 42.7 of the bloc’s treaties, which oblige all 27 member states to assist each other in such times of crisis.
“We have article 42.7 and we don’t know what is going to happen if a member state triggers this article,” he told the Associated Press ahead of an EU-Middle East summit he is hosting later this week which is expected to focus on the Iran war and its fallout.
The issue resonates particularly with Christodoulides, who appealed for help from fellow EU countries last month when a Shahed drone struck the British air base RAF Akrotiri in southern Cyprus early in the Middle East war. Cypriot officials said the drone was launched from Lebanon.
Greece, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal dispatched ships with anti-drone capabilities to help defend the island.
Christodoulides said he was pleased to see that fellow EU leaders now “understand the importance” of bringing the bloc closer to the Middle East with such initiatives as the Mediterranean Pact that implements specific projects on a range of issues including health, education and energy in Middle Eastern countries.
Attending the informal EU leaders’ summit later this week will be the leaders of Egypt, Lebanon Syria and Jordan, affording the opportunity “not just to exchange ideas but to see in action how we elevate our cooperation in a strategic level”, Christodoulides said.
Iran has executed a man convicted of links to the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e-Khalq and to Israel’s intelligence service, the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan said on Thursday.
Mizan identified the man as Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr, saying he had been a long-time member of the opposition group and was found guilty of cooperating with Israeli intelligence.
His death sentence was upheld by the supreme court and carried out after legal procedures were completed, Mizan added, quoted by Reuters.
Lebanon to request ceasefire extension at Israel talks
Lebanon is reportedly planing to ask for a month-long extension of the soon-expiring ceasefire with Israel at a fresh round of talks between the countries in Washington on Thursday.
Israel said ahead of the negotiations that it had no “serious disagreements” with Lebanon, calling on it to “work together” against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, which opposes the talks and is not taking part.
The two countries’ direct talks on 14 April were their first in decades and the US soon after announced the 10-day truce, which is set to expire on Sunday.
As in the last round, US secretary of state Marco Rubio will bring together Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, in the presence of the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is now also expected to join the meeting, a state department official told AFP.
An unnamed Lebanese official told the news agency that Lebanon would request a month-long extension of the truce, as well as “an end of Israel’s bombing and destruction in the areas where it is present, and a commitment to the ceasefire”.
Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that “contacts are underway to extend the ceasefire period”.
Most stockmarkets in Asia have fallen in response to the latest Iran war developments.
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore and Wellington are all down. But Seoul rallied more than 1% to a new record due to a fresh rally in the tech sector that has been the backbone of a surge in the Kospi index this year.
Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were also up.
Oil prices remain elevated, with Brent holding above $100 after a surge on Wednesday, although they pared Thursday’s initial gains.
Brent crude briefly jumped above $105 earlier today, before dropping to hover around $103.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards released video footage earlier today purportedly showing their forces seizing two vessels in the strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it seized the vessels for what it called maritime violations, and escorted them to Iranian shores, according to statements by the shipping companies and Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
It is the first time Iran has seized ships since the war began at the end of February.
Tasnim said the IRGC had accused the two ships – the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and Liberia-flagged Epaminondas – of “attempting to exit the strait of Hormuz covertly”.
At the White House, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Donald Trump did not consider the capture of the two container ships to be a violation of the US-Iran ceasefire because the vessels were not American or Israeli.
Leavitt said:
No, because these were not US ships, these were not Israeli ships. These were two international vessels.”
Opening summary
Welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.
Iran has seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz a day after Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off US attacks, while there is no sign of peace talks restarting.
The status of a two-week-old ceasefire – due to expire earlier this week – remained unclear. In an about-face hours after threatening renewed violence, Trump made what appeared to be a unilateral announcement on Tuesday that the US would extend the ceasefire with Tehran until it had discussed an Iranian proposal in peace talks to end the two-month war.
But Iranian officials did not say they had agreed to any extension of the truce, and criticised Trump’s decision to maintain the US navy blockade of Iranian ports. Lead Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a full ceasefire only made sense if the blockade was lifted.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized two vessels on Wednesday for what it called maritime violations and escorted them to Iranian shores, according to the shipping companies and Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency – the first time Iran has seized ships since the war began in late Februar.
In other key developments:
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Trump was “satisfied” with the US naval blockade and “understands Iran is in a very weak position”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The US president had not set a deadline on Iran submitting a peace proposal, she said, after Trump on Tuesday said he was indefinitely extending the ceasefire at the request of mediator Pakistan until Tehran responded to the US’s negotiating positions or until talks were concluded “one way or the other”.
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The Pentagon announced that the US secretary of the navy, John Phelan, would depart the office “effective immediately”, without providing an explanation for his sudden exit amid the naval blockade.
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The US-Israeli war against Iran is “starting to weaken Europe”, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his German counterpart. Erdoğan said: “If we do not address this situation with an approach that prioritises peace, the damage caused by the conflict will be far greater.”
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Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, and wounded a photographer accompanying her, a senior Lebanese military official and Khalil’s employer said. The death of Khalil, 43, brought the death toll to five people on Wednesday – the deadliest day since a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah was announced on 16 April. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Khalil’s death.
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Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near the town of al-Tayri when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle in front of them, Reuters reported. They ran into a nearby house that was then also targeted by an Israeli strike, said Lebanon’s health ministry. Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said Israeli targeting of journalists and obstructing relief effort constituted war crimes.
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Oil prices leapt 4% on Thursday after Iran vowed not to reopen the Hormuz strait amid the US naval blockade despite the truce extension. Around 0025 GMT, the benchmark US oil contract West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 4.06% to $96.73 a barrel, while the international oil benchmark Brent North Sea crude climbed 3.62% to $105.63. Both eased back minutes after.
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Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school amid mounting assaults on education in the territory, witnesses and local officials have said.
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United Airlines implemented broad-based rises of 15-20% on fares as it sought to offset the surge in petrol prices while protecting profits, executives said. The big US carrier has also cut its 2026 flying capacity by 5%.
Key events
68th over: England 241-9 (Fisher 5, Baker 0) Sonny Baker is England’s last man. I haven’t seen too much of him with the bat but I don’t think New Zealand’s 150 odd lead is in too much jeopardy. Fisher clubs a couple off Jamieson and then takes a single to give Baker his first taste of Test match batting. Baker fences at two balls in a row and is beaten.
67th over: England 238-9 (Fisher 2, Baker 0) “Latham is captaining the Kiwis really well” writes Colum Fordham. “Clever field placings (short mid wicket to get Cox out) ably supported by his fielders and bowlers. England fielded poorly and batted recklessly yesterday. At this rate, New Zealand are going to get a more than decent lead. I hope Stokes gains redemption and comes back for what promises to be the decider at Trent Bridge.”
That would be good, wouldn’t it?
WICKET! Josh Tongue c Smith b Henry 1 (England 238-9)
Matt Henry has five! Tongue plinks a drive to mid on where Nathan Smith juggles a catch trotting backwards, it pops out and he snaffles it at the second grab!
66th over: England 237-8 (Fisher 1, Tongue 1) Jamieson slams down another maiden. You’d hate to face it. You especially.
Tanya Aldred is on Ben Stokes watch at Chester-le-Street:
65th over: England 237-8 (Fisher 1, Tongue 1) Josh Tongue joins Fisher and gets off the mark first ball with a neat clip off his toes. England still trail by 154 runs, which could well be terminal.
WICKET! Jofra Archer c Blundell b Henry 8 (England 236-8)
Archer is caught behind from a loose poke outside off and England are nearly all done for here. Matt Henry wheels away in celebration of his fourth wicket, sharp catch by Tom Blundell behind the sticks.
64th over: England 236-7 (Archer 8, Fisher 1) An unmistakeable waft of Ambre Solaire hits my nostrils. Delightful. Matthew Fisher has something else up and around his nose, a series of short balls from Kyle Jamieson. He does well to duck and sway, one ball thuds into his right flank as he doesn’t get out of the way quick enough but he survives the over, a maiden.
63rd over: England 236-7 (Archer 8, Fisher 1) Matthew Fisher is the new batter, England still trail by 155 runs. Close! Fisher pokes at his first ball and the edge falls this short of first slip. He’s off the mark next ball with a drop into the off side. Eeeeesht! Archer is very nearly pinned LBW by Henry but an inside edge saves him. Henry has his dander up and looks dangerous every ball.
WICKET! Jordan Cox c Latham b Henry 27 (England 235-7)
Gah! Cox is livid with himself after he whips a straight ball in the air and gifts his wicket away! Latham takes a sharp but simple catch at short midwicket and Cox has to depart. He spits his gum and middles it with his blade as he stomps from the middle. He middled the shot he got out to too… but straight to the man.
62nd over: England 235-6 (Cox 27, Archer 8) Jamieson was a bit off the boil yesterday and his fortunes don’t look too much brighter in the early stages of day three. Archer drives solidly and holds the pose as the ball beats the fielder and goes for four and then follows up with a castanet crack of a cut shot for four more. Short and wide from Jamieson, nicht gut.
61st over: England 227-6 (Cox 27, Archer 0) Shot! Cox flicks his wrists on a half volley from Matt Henry and the ball traces away for four across the baking square. Lovely timing on that.
60th over: England 223-6 (Cox 23, Archer 0) It will be intriguing to see how Cox plays this morning, I have a feeling we might see some dashing strokeplay if he can hang around for a few overs and get settled. Jamieson is back of a length, Cox lets one pass by and then defends with a straight bat to mid off. The Oval is thrumming with excitement and plenty of folk can be spied applying a thick layer of sun cream, there isn’t a lot of shade here at the moment. A cheer greets Cox and England’s first run of the day, a guide to point for single off the final delivery.
Righto, here come the players, Kyle Jamieson is going to start with the ball. Jordan Cox on strike. The game on the line. Let’s play.
Just read this beautiful piece from my pal Jon Hotten who watched Rew and Cox make their way for the first time in Test cricket from a lofty perch (lah-di-dah) here at the Oval:
Yesterday at the Oval, James Rew walked out to bat as England’s number six. The score was 170-4, and, disconcertingly, he had to pass Joe Root, who was stomping off having reviewed a marginal leg before decision and not much enjoyed the result. Has there ever, in the history of the game, been such a disparity between outgoing batter and the incoming one? Root had just fallen to the 24,327th delivery he received in Test cricket. Rew, as if he needed reminding, was yet to face a single ball. What would he give, at that moment, for just one of Root’s 13,998 runs?
Tom Blundell remained up to the stumps. Matt Henry switched to around the wicket. It must have been an out-of-body experience for James Rew, that first delivery. No matter how you prepare, how long you have visualised the moment, it can’t have been like this, not 170-4 on a muggy afternoon at the Oval, the captain out, the early serenity of the afternoon’s play broken open, this lifetime’s dream now a visceral reality.”
Today is A Day for Thorpey at the Oval. You can find out all about it here.
What a player. Much missed.
Thorpe’s in” or “Thorpe’s still in” were words that always provided some solace in the back seats. Thorpe was a headbanded and hard-bitten nugget of hope. A zinc-lipped beacon. A “Kookaburra Bubble” stickered mast on which to cling as England found themselves taking on wave after wave of all-time great bowlers. Be it night or day, seam or spin, lost cause, dead rubber or soul stirring victory – Graham Thorpe was batting.
Against a rolling backdrop of Cornhill Insurance, npower girls, spindly gasometers, snow-capped mountains and Tetley Beer hoardings – Graham Thorpe was batting. Against Australia, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and the aliens of Independence Day – Graham Thorpe was batting. During Labour landslides, Knebworth singalongs, through BSE, foot and mouth and Millennium Bugs. Somehow, Graham Thorpe was batting the entirety of the decade.”
The players are on the outfield warming up here at the Oval, not that they really need to, it is ‘Scorchio!’
A couple of Kiwi squad members do some sprint training about 80 metres away from my seat in the outdoor press box. Good on them, I’m going to find some coffee.
Could the Ben Stokes saga be nearing a sensible conclusion?
Andy Bull wrote about Sonny Baker’s second day as a Test cricketer:
But the next morning was a lesson, if he needed it, that Test cricket turns on you pretty quick. Root had decided Baker should open the bowling. His first ball flew high and wide for four byes down the leg side, his second shot away off the outside edge of Glenn Phillips’s bat for four more.
His second over started with a ball that was thumped through point by Kyle Jamieson, who bats, nowadays, like Paul Bunyan setting about a forest of Redwoods. The next was another boundary, slashed over the top of the wicketkeeper. And then Baker got him to pull one high out towards deep midwicket.
Baker threw his hands up in celebration at the catch, then dropped them again as he watched Ben Duckett fumble it. Just to rub it in, Jamieson took the single while this was happening, and Phillips carted Baker’s next delivery away square. At this point he had conceded five boundaries in 10 deliveries. The game was running away from him as if it was on a flywheel.”
Catch up on the day two action with Ali Martin’s report:
Preamble
James Wallace
Hello and welcome to ‘moving day’ at the Oval. The sky is show off blue in South London and the sun is already beating down, if ever there was a day for batting, batting and batting some more then this is patently it.
England need runs. A flat and at times downright confused morning in the field yesterday saw Glenn Phillips score his maiden Test century and New Zealand post a decent first innings score of 391-6. Joe Root’s men will resume on 222-6 this morning with the whole kit and caboodle back in the sheds… apart from Jordan Cox on Test match debut.
Cox was nervy last night but managed to get through to the close and earn the opportunity to bat in heaven sent conditions this morning. His fellow debutant James Rew will be wishing he had done the same instead of instinctively hooking to an O’Rourke short ball and departing amongst the long shadows.
Cox has 22 to his name and Jofra Archer for company, England trail by 169 and need one of their debutants to dig them out of a hole.
Play begins at 11am, join us.
Police say the boy remains in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital.
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World Cup 2026: Koné injury mars Canada rout; Scotland’s ‘big challenge’; USA v Australia buildup – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
Mexican photographers do things differently.
A draw for Scotland later would almost certainly be enough to get them into the knockout stages but playing for a point is a dangerous game. If they do get out of the group, it will be the first time in their history that Scotland have made it that far at a World Cup.
“I don’t think any of the lads or the coaching staff and backroom staff have shied away from it,” Andy Robertson said. “We want to be the first team to be able to do that for our country. And it’s obviously a nice feeling to try and do that.
“We know how difficult it’s going to be. We’re now playing against one of the best teams in the world. But we also believe that if we perform to our maximum, then we can make it difficult for anyone. I think we’ve proven that over the years.”
How closely have you followed the sporting week? Test yourself with our quiz.
Tony Hughes emails to say: “Now that each team has played once, I can look at Scotland’s 1-0 win over Haiti and see it was a good result. Maybe even better than good. I’m from the era of ‘how many will we win by?’ when anticipating Scotland performances at major tournaments, however even I can see that many teams better than Scotland struggled against lower-ranked opposition, so the three points is the key and we – Scotland – move on.”
Rodrygo
My close colleague Rodrygo has written another column for us on the impact of social media on players.
Over the course of two afternoons in New York I ran into true legends, icons, and friends I’ve made through football. They were precious moments where I could listen, exchange ideas and receive support from stars such as Marcelo, Kaká, Paul Pogba and Zinedine Zidane. What started as a scheduled appearance for a shared sponsor turned into a casual, friendly chat from different generations united by the passion football ignites. We were right there, close to the fans. Five guys representing Brazil and France, greeted by hundreds of fans from all over the globe, all hoping for a brief moment of proximity, a photo, or a wave. And yes, I have idols too; I managed to get an autographed shirt from Zidane, my former coach and a giant in the history of the sport.
Jacob Steinberg
Declan Rice, as Jacob Steinberg points out, looked rather weary against Croatia. Thomas Tuchel needs to manage the Arsenal man carefully throughout this tournament but he has had a relentless past six years.
Get your podcast listening in your ears right now! Max and Baz are here with the latest World Cup daily, including Ben Fisher and Nicky Bandini.
Morocco’s Hakimi to stand trial for rape
French court confirms Moroccan footballer Hakimi will stand trial for rape
A French appeals court on Friday confirmed Moroccan football star Achraf Hakimi will stand trial charged with raping a young woman.
In February 2023, a woman then aged 24 told police in the Val-De-Marne region southeast of Paris that Hakimi had raped her.
The Paris Saint-Germain player and captain of the Moroccan national team, whose side are playing their second World Cup match on Friday against Scotland, has consistently denied the allegations. AFP
Frankly, anything other than Sweet Caroline would suit me.
Harry Kane hopes ‘Wonderwall’ can become the soundtrack of the summer as England plot their way to World Cup glory.
Thomas Tuchel’s side got off to a great start with an impressive 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening Group L game in Dallas on Wednesday, where Kane scored twice to equal Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals.
England’s victorious players celebrated in front of their fans while Oasis hit ‘Wonderwall’ blared out around the AT+T Stadium.
Kane, who appeared emotional during the singalong, will savour the moment and wants fans to keep rolling with it as they aim to achieve their masterplan of winning the World Cup.
“That was one of my favourite ever moments in an England shirt and especially at a major tournament,” he said on the Lions Den. “I know it’s just the first game, and we’re not getting carried away, but just that emotional connection with the fans, we know how much it means to them. I think they see how much it means to us.
“We have that connection right now, but just that moment, singing ‘Wonderwall’ in the stadium, everyone knew the words, and that was a really special moment, I thought. As first games go, to have that kind of support from everyone, and we know back home is the same.
“We know there would be plenty of beer getting thrown around, with it being a night game, so we love that stuff. All the squad are fans, we’ve grown up watching England. We’ve grown up in those environments, and to be on the other side now doesn’t mean that we’re disconnected. It just means that we’re trying to give the fans now special moments, like Wednesday. So, hopefully, we can have a few more.” PA Media
A bit more from the England camp …
David Hytner on England’s super subs:
Thomas Tuchel’s pub chat.
The later games will see Brazil take on Haiti in Philadelphia at 1.30am BST/8.30pm local time.
And after that it is Turkey v Paraguay at 4am BST/8pm local time.
Then we move to Boston where Scotland fans have been having the time of their lives but that will be punctuated with a second match of the tournament. Morocco should provide more stern opposition that Haiti.
Steve Clarke knows it will be difficult, that’s for sure.
Ewan Murray on Scott McTominay’s importance to the side.
Kick off is at 11pm BST/6pm local time
Let’s begin our look at what will happen later today.
First up is USA v Australia in Seattle at 8pm BST/12pm local time.
Jack Snape on the rivalry between the two.
How the game will be won and lost.
The latest from the Socceroos camp.
A little bit of history.
Barney Ronay
It would be wrong to describe that second half as a shedding of the Gareth-shaped homunculus on this team’s back. But sometimes you do have to stop trusting the process, change the patterns, and just run forward with a great deal more aggression. England burned an effigy of everything they used to be in the second half in Dallas. Is it real? And where will it lead them across the next two games and five weeks beyond that?
Barney Ronay on England’s bright start and what they need to do going forward at this World Cup.
I wonder if Rodri will be the next Spain player to head to pastures new for a decent chunk of change. With plenty of changes happening at Manchester City and Real Madrid clearly willing to invest in new players, including his former teammate Bernardo Silva, it could be the right time.
The Spain squad are moving for some hefty price tags while away with the national team. Victor Muñoz’s £34.5m move to Liverpool was confirmed yesterday, while Marc Cucurella is now a Real Madrid player, costing the Spanish side £52m.
Cucurella said:
I got a phone call one morning. My people told me the two clubs had the terms mostly agreed and that I had to decide if I wanted to go there. I had no doubts. It is a big step for me, very important in my career. It all happened in roughly a day and a half. For me, that was the best thing, so it could be all done and I could keep my focus on the World Cup.”
Iran are further pointing out how dreadful this World Cup is politically. Will Fifa do anything about it …?
Thomas Tuchel swapped the dugout for the mound as the England boss threw the first pitch for the Kansas City Royals the night after opening the World Cup with an impressive win.
Just over 24 hours after watching his side open their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia, Tuchel went to Kauffman Stadium to perform the ceremonial act.
Captain Harry Kane and defenders Dan Burn and Djed Spence were watching their boss throw the ball to Royals manager Matt Quatraro ahead of the MLB clash with the St Louis Cardinals. Kane is no stranger to finding the strike zone, taking his World Cup tally to 10 goals with a double against Croatia, and as a keen fan of American sports, he would like to do it with a bat in hand.
“Great recovery day with the boys at the baseball,” he said on social media. “Would love to give batting a go one day! Thanks for having us @Royals.”
Kane, who was pictured leaving the AT+T Stadium in Dallas with his left leg bandaged, had a low-key recovery day. “He got a strike, so fair play to him,” Kane, who has thrown out a first pitch at Yankees and Cubs games, told KansasCity.com “It’s not easy. It’s actually… that was the first time I’ve been up mound in 12 years, so you forget how far away it actually is.
“So, watching the professionals do it, and they’re launching that ball at 90, 100 miles per hour, it’s pretty impressive. So the boss has done pretty well. I’ll give him that. He was a little nervous before.”
He added: “We really appreciate it. I can say, for us to come here and get the treatment that we have already is obviously great. And I’m not sure where we’re sitting, but I’m sure the seats will be great, as well. So, yeah, all we can say is thank you to them.” PA Media
Because I am really cool, I was speaking to someone about Johan Manzambi before the match yesterday. Freiburg are open to selling him this summer but it would cost any buyer around €60m, maybe even more after last night’s goals.
Ben Fisher
Granit Xhaka pulled no punches after capping Switzerland’s 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirming his pointed “blah-blah” celebration was in response to accusations that he stoked negativity within the Swiss camp.
Xhaka made a talking gesture with his right hand after scoring a stoppage-time penalty and afterwards said: “They know why I did it,” said the 33-year-old Sunderland captain. “I received thousands of messages. But I don’t read them anymore. I think I’m past that age. It doesn’t bother me at all. As mentioned, it’s something that can’t be influenced by me. That’s all I can say.”
Swiss media reported Xhaka’s critical comments of the team’s performance in their opening Group B draw with Qatar went down badly inside the squad.
“What I can influence is my performance on the pitch. And as mentioned before, if there is something to praise, then I am the first one who praises someone,” he said. “And if there is criticism, then I am also the first one who criticises someone.
“When I criticise, it doesn’t mean that I criticise others and not myself. And I start with myself first. And I think now, I’ve played almost 150 games for the national team now. And by now, you should know me too. If some can’t deal with criticism, then that’s a pity. And if someone has something to say, they should come to me about it.”
Johan Manzambi scored twice in the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina but Xhaka said he had no intention of presenting the 20-year-old Freiburg midfielder with the chance to complete his hat-trick.
“It’s not about the individual thing. We have rules,” Xhaka said. “He’s young, he has a big future in front of him, so let’s take the experienced players first for penalty takers. His time will come.”
On paper, yesterday’s fixtures promised little but it was a fun day across the tournament in the end.
Admittedly, Czechia v South Africa did not offer a great amount of quality but Hugo Broos did very angry about a few things. Sid Lowe was in Atlanta to watch and listen.
Ben Fisher was pondering what to write about with 20 minutes to go in Switzerland v Bosnia and Herzegovina until the goals came flowing in.
Jeff Rueter was on hand to witness World Cup history as Canada won their first match at the tournament. Nine-man Qatar were hit for six but at the cost of a terrible leg break for Ismaël Koné.
Last but not least, Jonathan Wilson saw Mexico see off South Korea.
Preamble
Scotland are back in action, looking to back up their victory over Haiti against Morocco. They are in Boston, which is very convenient for the players and fans. If Steve Clarke’s can secure another maximum, it would put them into the knockout stages but the African champions will provide a much sterner test than Haiti.
We will have a thorough look back at yesterday’s results. Mexico became the first team to secure passage to the knockout stages by defeating South Korea. A new star was born in Switzerland as Johan Manzambi came off the bench to score twice against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Not forgetting that Czechia and South Africa drew.
All the latest from the England camp will be thrown your way, too.
Join us!
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