Pickford and England in USA stalemate

Taffs remind me of Evertonians. Absolutely brilliant supporters deserving of a better team.

To think there are thousands who support both teams... How's your luck?

Meant to add. COME ON WALES!!!

Why can't I ever feel like that about England?

I've never been able to get behind England. Nothing sinister or resentful, just never felt it. I've got worse since living in London.

Soft spot for Wales having been based there for 4 years. Whenever we had memorial or Remembrance services, both anthems were sung.

As you say, spine tingling. Especially when a traditional Welsh male choir sings it.

If Wales don't win this, it makes for an interesting last group stage, assuming England will beat the USA later.

If Tom Davies tried to shoot himself he'd probably miss his head by a metre or two.

Missed the ball by a clear yard and kneed the player in the head.

Iran have outplayed Wales here.

Whereas that Bendan Johnson looks pretty useless in this game.

Well done Iran, well deserved.

Kopite flop Allen at the centre of both goals with mistakes. Shame.

On the first goal, why did that defender loosely flick his lower leg out at the ball rather than put his body on the line and block the shot?

I know what Tarkowski would have done.

That aside, well done to Iran. They went for it and got their rewards.

Been impressed by Keiffer Moore trying to lead the line in a hard working but ultimately ordinary Welsh team.

This competition came about 4 years too late for the likes of Ramsey, Bale and Allan.

Given the turmoil in Iran at the moment. You cant help feeling pleased that their footy team has provided a little bit of an escape for them

I missed the start - did the Iran team remain mute for their anthem?

Had a bit everything really - and kudos to the TV producers, some of the shots of fans and players after the first goal were superb, showing the highs and lows of the world cup. Also the shots of the Iranian fans openly weeping during their national anthem brings home the reality of the struggle women are facing there right now. Perhaps we don't need the likes of Gary Lineker and Gareth Southgate with their clunking lecturing and posturing. when you see a picture like that.

Which anthem did they sing? On Monday they sang their adopted anthem ‘Yma o Hyd' but their official national anthem is ‘Land of My Fathers' (Hen Wlad Fy isn't it?

Wales are not out yet

Maybe not everyone who watches the footie is as clued up on the situation in Iran as you are, Michael. More grist to the mill, say I. I'm certainly not going to criticise anybody who is doing the job of raising awareness about the shittiest of human behaviour, especially when it is promulgated by state leaders and difficult for the sufferers to speak openly about.

Looking at it. This group is still wide open. I wouldn't bet on England definitely beating the Welsh – especially if they win today. Iran will be bubbling and fancying their chances and you wouldn't write the Yanks off in any sport. They always fancy their chances.

Iran played some lovely stuff, such good feet, first-time balls and finally a great goal. Wales were relying on the old guard but those guys are well past it now. Keifer Moore in January please.

They released a World Cup song based on a 60s folk song, which they've sung at matches in recent times. I believe the title translates to "Still Here".

I find it interesting. Having lived there, for all the history with Rugby Union, and previously little interest in the national football team, the impact the football team has had in the past few years is far outweighing the decades of a previously Rugby dominated nation.

That might upset a few of my Welsh friends who call me a "kiss baller", but considering the general apathy towards the national football team that existed in Wales over the decades in comparison to the Rugby team, they've galvanised a nation in a relatively short period of time.

The last time they will appear on the world stage as Wales apparently.

They were saying that in response to the kiwis, doing their famous Hakka, the whole stadium started singing land of my father, and this is something that originated, from that day?

I haven't checked it, but it sounds like a good story to me!

Time to copy the Arsenal route and start with younger players and to find a new Gaffer who is more pro-active and be much bolder and braver.

Am just sick and tired of Manager's who set out their teams not to lose instead of really going for it from the off.

England should comfortably beat the Boyo's without busting a bollock...2-0...if Paige plays the two has beans above it could get even worse!

I have affinity with Swansea. A few of my close friends are from there and having spent 4 years in Haverfordwest, Brawdy to be precise, so I have ties to the region.

Solva is a beautiful place and where I understand our former player Simon Davies played as a youngster. I'm assuming it was on the sloped pitches I drove past many times on the way to St Davids.

I'm going to suggest that Wales have got caught up in the emotion of the occasion on the big stage. I hope they come through, but they're up against it now. Then again, so were we in May.

Rob, I remember reading something about him... wasn't he the first vegan footballer?

Still, we've got more players injured in training than any of the teams in Qatar.

Equador putting the pressure on now.

Wales were poor today, I've just had a message from a Welsh mate who's over there for a week, he's gutted. One thing about them though, they gave their all, something we don't always get at Goodison.

Romania v Argentina in 1994 was one of the best games I've ever seen with Hagi sublime

I remember he went to Swansea and was part of a squad of deemed “past it” pros like Latchford, Leighton James, Alan Curtis who gatecrashed the top flight under Toshack.

Neil had a decent career after leaving Everton. RIP, Neil Robinson.

In retrospect, he thought it was pretty funny that his only goal for Everton was not only booed by the fans but disputed by his own teammates.

A draw here would be brilliant. I'd not have to read England fans comments on TW, and we'd control our own destiny. Huge, huge game for us. Still, even with a loss, beat Iran, and hope England doesn't lay back and take a day off against Wales. Win and party like it's 1999.

We had 20+ people over for the Wales game, watching at my backyard bar. Brilliant day, shite result. Still, USA played very well against Wales IMO. Play like that and it'll be a damn good game.

I also remember the crowd booing Mick Lyons for scoring from a cross that was just about to land on Bob's head!

If they recreate the drive and energy of the Wales first half the English syndrome of retreating into their shell might see them through.

They ran out of gas in the second half so England might recover if their arses haven't completely dropped.

Can see a USA 3 England 1 result with Southgate bitten by a camel in the car park

Correct the appropriate term is treasonous turncoats

Yanks is just fine coming from anyone outside of 'Merica! BUT! If you come South, don't call anyone a Yank or Yankee.

3 to 1 you get shot. Probably in the leg only just as a warning, but 3 to 1 a bullet flies. 😂

Gaynes is keeping his head down so far.

Yeah if he is I can't endure watching Alexei Lalas going incandescent about it again. He seemed to freak out Dempsey with his rant on Monday

Gerry - I'd still build the backyard bar in Qatar. I'd be dead or in jail, but I'd build it.

The colonial slurs almost have me interested but I'll keep calm until the bullets fly on the live forearm.

85%, 20% will actually watch.

Interested? 50% or so I'd say

Yeah, the Americans will get really interested if we win.

Can't be sure it was the Yanks booing the anthem. There may be some Scousers in the crowd.

You are but the fact our whole team are lounging on deck chairs taking naps is a factor

Keep it that way.

Great half by the USA.

Nothing to concern them here.

I thought that, thought the Chuckle Brothers were playing…

From me to you, to me to you etc.

Agree with with you,@ (123) USA looking good but could tire in the second half, but working as a team up to now and could have gone in leading.

Lampard is trying for the England manager's job.

Need a Maddison to come on an unlock this. Shame he's injured.

(I didn't say "yanks" for fear of being reprimanded for offending the south. But is it ok to say Robert E Lee was massively overrated and a traitor?)

Your 2-0 is therefore perfectly normal and you should not be concerned.

He'd rather bring on a donkey old enough to have been ridden by Jesus.

Whats the thoughts on him from our US folks?

Good game by USA. Beat Iran, in. Just what we wanted.

Iran will set up to defend like gladiators.

Earlier subs. Play Reina. Still not 100% happy but overall he's done well.

B+

Subs were wrong, should have been Foden and Wilson for Mount (who lost every ball) and Sterling.

Instead he brings on yard dog Henderson.

England are a fucking joke. Content to keep a hard working but very ordinary USA team at arms length and they only just about managed that.

Prideless fuckers. Tripover and Shaw were even wasting time strolling forward to take a corner and a free kick late in the game. I'd have loved the Yanks to score at the end.

I cant remember either goalie heaving a save to make ?

Southgate & Holland. Should be selling cheap menswear in Uttoxeter.

Boobs and chicken wings, what's not to like?

Good catch. Maths was never my best subject lol

Pretty much one of the worst games of the few I've seen, due to working but, England should qualify.

Does any one know the teams England could play in the next round if they qualify?

Thanks.

Who do you sit in favor of Reyna? Maybe Weah? Or go with no striker?

I'm not sure which of those three I'd fancy? Depends on Valencia's injury.

You know what ? I can see England beating any of them - in boring fashion of course. Then we can look forward to the tabloids going into overdrive calling Southgate's Zombies world Champions elect.

I didnt think I would say this a week ago, but I'm missing Everton already

I doubt we'd have scored, in fact I'm positive we wouldn't gave scored but no shots on target and a nil nil, yes deffo

Still don't think they'll go beyond last 8.

Not that I'm bothered very much.

England strolled, America worked very hard, but it's tournament football, and the result definitely suited England more?

They will probably get slaughtered for playing within themselves, but I personally think England, have come a long way, and are definitely a much wiser, but extremely cautious football team now.

Although we've seen all this under previous managers, you just know Southgate is the instigator. He has negative written all over him. So glad I didn't watch.

Wales shot themselves in the foot with some awful defending against the Iranians and even an unlikely draw against England would see them out.

A lot of teams make a good showing in the early group games and that's why we have some surprises but I am sure the usual suspects will get to the later rounds.

Last month I was on the edge of my seat more or less in every match of the cricket T20 World Cup given the range of physics defying athleticism on view throughout.

When I wasn't watching that I watched the Rugby League World Cup, where similar athleticism and nerve-tingling brilliance was 100% evident in every game.

And now this. Football matches where the ball is passed ad nauseam with no threat to the opposition, shots on goal usually numbering less than the fingers of one hand, and endless life-threatening injuries being feigned by millionaire talentless footballers.

Let's build a new river-side stadium to celebrate such performances eh?

Getting the most talented squad of midfielders and forwards England have probably ever had left completely isolated by a back four game of pass the parcel for 90 minutes needs a formidable talent to organise it, capped with the Southgate piece de resistance - the return of Henderson.

Blue Bill will be wetting himself with excitement at the prospect of having Southgate as his next manager (if the Ginger One doesn't get sacked by January).

Loved Jamie's suggestion of USA bringing on a hyena as sub. Now that would have livened up the game!

I couldn't find tie breaker rules on FIFA. I know recently they've done the head to head but ESPN, NBC, USA Today here all claim this time it's on goal difference not head to head. Not saying they're correct but I can't find the official word

Hristo was awesome. Him and Romario together at Barcelona. What a pairing

This is a talented squad but Southgate is not the right manager to maximise it.

Agree with the comments about the back 4. Only Stones looks comfortable on the ball. Harry Maguire often looks afraid of it.

England has done enough. 4 points with Iran on 3, USA on 2, Wales on one.

Even a nightmare scenario of Wales beating them and Iran beating the USA would see them through in 2nd place. If the USA beat Iran, then England's goal difference would take them through on goal difference. And should Wales beat England they're going to need to do something special.

I think I've got most of the close to the mark, but it's tournament football.

On that note, how often have we seen teams get off to a racing start in the Group stages, to fade in the knockouts? Germany have been masters of keeping their powder dry and doing what needs to be done and then go through the gears as the tournament progresses.

Not that Germany will do much this time around. As I've said, early days, but Brazil, Spain and France have impressed me so far for different reasons. I still think England could be in the mix and they will qualify from this group.

It will soon be Boxing Day.

That's what I keep telling myself.

Footy is dying on its arse.

I've followed Weston McKennie, but understand he's a squad player at Juventus and not a regular? I mean, everyone is a squad player these days, but could he be tempted to the Premier League? And by that, I obviously mean Everton!!

I think the gap has closed so much and football has become a much more competitive game. Everyone is extremely physical, and everyone works very hard, with the saddest thing being, that “off-the-cuff” isn't in any coaching manual's, and seems to be really discouraged?

It's not even as if teams are over-defensive imo, it's just that not many teams are very committed to attacking anymore, and everyone seems to mostly play the same way?

It's early days, but I honestly enjoyed the rugby, more than I'm enjoying the football, but this will hopefully change when we get into the knockout phase of the competition, and hopefully we can see teams like Spain v Brazil, playing against each other🤞

Ah, maybe that's it, a toss of a coin!

But tournaments often throw up shocks and someone will no doubt come from left of arc to surprise everyone. I think of Croatia a few years back who went close.

I personally don't like the Group format. It's like the Champions League. Teams are mostly cautious and try not to lose rather than go out to win.

Once it gets to the knockout phase, there is no option. The game has to be settled on the day, so go to win it. It changes the psyche. Or it should do.

The game was always interesting because of the score line but as many have said the football was really boring and it is in many of the games I've watched,mostly fleetingly, that game was the first I've watched completely.

I love watching football, anywhere, any time, but the football I watch today is nowhere as exciting as it can be and was meant to be, a lot of sports are still the same as they've always been, lively, open and lovely to watch, what's wrong with football? Lousy and negative coaches has got to be one of the reasons, come on get football back on it's feet and start making the goalkeepers earn their money, they could take an armchair onto the pitch with them now, they have so little to do.

To Danny - My thoughts during the game was that McKennie was frustrating, particularly with his shots 3 or 4 metres over the bar. He could have won it for the States. Not a player I rated on the night.

The lad Dest looked extremely useful I thought, along with a fleet footed Robinson (!). I was very surprised to see him (Dest) subbed off although it did look like he might have been cramping up a bit. He had covered over 8k/5miles when he was subbed.

I am English (although a dna test recently showed I was 35% Scandinavian) so I feel a bit of a traitor saying this, but I am not a fan of England at all these days and I found myself actually wanting the US to nick the win as they were the ones who looked like they wanted to play.

There is a total lack of charisma from to to bottom and no characters I can warm to in that team (except perhaps Picks until he gets his big move). One thing this squad would never win is a personality contest.

Anyway, let's see how I feel when the knockout rounds start given that we are as good as there already.

Watching McKennie over time, I think Evertonians would like him.

He might not have shown it in last night's turgid affair, but he's mostly energetic and hard working. He's also very versatile and can play in a number of positions.

Some would say that versatility is a plus. Others would argue it is their downfall in not being able to nail down a position as their own. Alan Harper and Phil Neville spring to mind, but both were great assets to the Everton teams they represented.

I think McKennie could be, but not sure he'd be available.

Long gone are the likes of Mckenzie, Gazza, Hoddle, Ronaldinho etc… who were given free licence to roam the pitch and go on mazy runs, exciting friend and foe alike. Now everyone uses the same tactics, formations, and cuntish (imported) expressions like “actions” and “park the bus”.

Fuck off. Football is a simple, beautiful game but it's being ruined and turned into chess-like game played by androids!

The modern player is a superb physical specimen but who is unable to think for themselves if it's not showed on some poncey iPad.

Puzzles me how Foden doesn't start every game, he's by far England's best midfield player by a very big margin, he scores he creates and doesn't shirk his defensive duties.

I thought our front 6 were individually and collectively ineffective. When you start slow with our central defenders making more passes to each other, then it's difficult to change that tempo, so we played far too slowly and gave USA time to get back into formation.

As Wales proved, this US team are very average and showed in the 2nd half how to dominate a very average team, but Southgate seemed reluctant to ever want to go all out for the win.

I thought Maguire was England's best player and to come back from all the criticism he has had over the last 6 months is very creditable.

For the life of me how Trippier gets in this side really astounds me, when he has Walker and Arnold on the bench. Yes sometimes people question the defensive qualities of Arnold but this game was tailor-made for his abilities.

I think the winners will come from Brazil, France or Spain. I can't see any other team who can match the quality of these 3 teams.

Are you local?

If so, no surprise that you have high traces of Scandinavian DNA.

According to a Tranmere Rovers fan of my acquaintance, West Lancs and the Wirral are ‘hotspots' for Viking DNA.

In his spare time Stephen Harding is Professor of Applied Biochemistry at the University of Nottingham, so he probably knows what he's talking about!

We tend to think of Vikings invading from the east but they had a huge presence on the Irish coast around Dublin.

Pity the Vikings weren't Brazilian - we might have produced some tricky local talent.

I got worn down by the dreadful facilities and pitches. The obsession with big, powerful and fast over technical ability. Not that the technical ability could do much on daisy covered pitches in the spring and mud quagmires in the winter.

Hard running and hard work has always been a factor to making a good footballer and football team. But so has ability, fitness, attitude, desire and a will to win a game rather than try to not lose one.

I lived on the Wirral hence my allegiance to the Blues, I was born in Newcastle which is not really relevant, my Mum was a farming girl from Rutland and my old man has southern ancestry, so I'm not sure where it comes from, my name has Roman origins.

It seems that a fair few of my distant ancestors hailed from the US but I have been unable to find any Scandinavian connection. It's quite interesting actually but all becomes incredibly convoluted.

You'd have thought over the generations that the Scandinavian would have been diluted down or diminished but it is what it is. There's a bit of Welsh, Scottish and Irish in there, and some 17% Eastern European!

Apologies for deviating away from the World Cup.

Predominance is now disciplined physicality that delivers relentless intensity, pace and total forward thinking on the attack and clinical finishing.

If you've not got the players who can deliver this, other teams will have and you'll suffer. Even the best creative players in the world, like Kevin De Brunye, sometimes gets snuffed out by the modern physical intensity but often he mucks in with the dirty work too. This shows how high the bar has to be to get creativity into the side without giving away too much.

What I'm driving at is that, to be a mid-table team in the 22-23 Premier League you have to have that physical ability and intensity, always for 90 minutes, working in tandem with the given footballing ability. It's become the new normal to be a mid-table team.

I think over the transition period and even currently, to this modern incarnation of football, Everton have always been playing catch-up and most acutely from a midfield perspective.

Kim, we're all mixed breed. As I've said before, second generation Liverpool Irish on one side, Northern Irish and Scottish on the other, but born in England. Spent part of my childhood in Germany and have since lived in Germany again, Cyprus and Italy.

My wife is from the West Midlands but her mother's side has Basque origins.

Like I say, just like the States, the UK has always been a country based on migration and immigration. It's why it confuses me when people get concerned about it. Especially the city of Liverpool. Oldest black community and oldest Chinese community in the UK.

And as for the Irish, well just look at most of our names and culture!!

Going back to coaches and managers I agree with you completely, especially going on size, power and speed and practically ignoring technical ability, very good players getting passed over and less gifted players being selected.

That takes me back to when Tony represented Liverpool Boys, he had a good partner in midfield, for two years at U13 and U14 level, Colin Murphy, who I thought was every bit as goos as Tony, when they got to the U15's a new manager took over and although Colin was in the squad he rarely got a game, in the end his dad handed the shirt back to the coach and him very politely that he was withdrawing Colin from the squad, I was disappointed as was Tony but I understood his dad doing what he did,because a lot of the parents on the sideline thought that Colin wasn't being treated in a fair way. I think it goes back to : If you're good enough you're big enough, or it should do.

Too much focus on results vice development.

Fast forward several years and the then small and lightweight player is a physical equal, but has long lost his interest in football. As apposed to the player who was bigger and quicker, but not really as good in terms of ability.

We're getting better, but its long been a problem within the English game at grass roots in my opinion. We still rely on crossing our fingers and hoping a collection of players come through at the same time. It's by chance rather than by having a system or a plan in place.

I know we haven't met, but you know I could talk all day about this!!

I messaged Tony earlier, hopefully we can rectify that at the next match and finally meet up in person.

Tony was lucky with his local team, they had a man who was fair and treated every player the same, not so sure about when he played higher up even when he got to Forest, I think at a lot of professional clubs it's a case of who you know more than what you know.

Tony was playing in a benefit game early this afternoon for a great Evertonian fan who died suddenly and tragically a few months ago so he might not have got your message yet, it will be nice to finally meet you when it happens.

Kirkby Middle English for town with a church derived from Old Norse Kirkja

He's a cocky, colorful guy -- wiping his hands on the photog's vest before the throw-in yesterday was classic McKennie -- and a fierce, relentless competitor. Everton were very much in for him at Schalke, but once his childhood hero Pirlo rang him up from Juve, it was all over. Pirlo was tough on him and made him more professional in training. He's a fine finisher with his head, but as you saw, not so much with his feet. Good passer, though.

Fair enough, I knew you thought McKennie was a good player from previous posts.

I wish he would have slotted that decent chance last night, it could have finished up being the winner and what an interesting finale would have been in store next week with the last two games of the mini-league.