Doha Connection: Frida Fagerlund on site at WC
Doha. No Budweiser, no James Madison. But a few minutes of football are long overdue.
Today both England and little brother Wales are entering the World Cup.
Here’s the latest from Gareth Southgate, the story of the Wales supporters who nearly missed the flight to Doha and why FIFA could sanction Harry Kane.
Kane defies the ban
Harry Kane wants to go ahead with plans to wear the ‘One Love’ armband, despite FIFA’s call not to do so. If the football organization does not reverse its decision during the day, that means the captain risks immediate punishment with a yellow card in Monday’s World Cup premiere. Should he wear it in the next match as well, and receive another warning, he is suspended for the third match.
– We, as a team and organization, made it clear that we intend to wear the bandage. I know the FA and FIFA are talking, we have a decision to make, but I want to carry it,” Kane said at the press conference the day before the Iran game.
Gareth Bale, Wales, is another captain who has also opened up about wearing an armband (nine in total) and its purpose is to draw attention to the rights of LGBT people.
James Madison is injured… who’s going in?
Before a tournament, there is always a player who is carried around largely with the help of who likes – and to some extent – people’s votes. During last summer’s European Championships, the Wembley crowd mainly chanted the name of Jack Grealish, whose popularity has since died down. Perhaps due to the move from Aston Villa and the fact that he no longer carries a team on his shoulders. Grealish wasn’t bad for Manchester City, but he was no longer an irreplaceable underdog.
The baton of seduction was passed on to James Madison. Just as Grealish was ahead of the Championship in 2021, Madison is the center of a mediocre club and a hard-to-stop offensive builder. A defensive-minded type of player like Gareth Southgate tends to find it hard to integrate.
Maddison stays or not, however, Southgate does not have to think twice about the match against Iran. During the week leading up to the premiere, the midfielder has been nursing a pesky knee and in the latest training session no one has seen him yet. The rest of the squad (with the exception of Kyle Walker) are fresher, but it’s not entirely clear which players we’ll see in the first 11.
Will it be a triple line or a quadrilateral? Guessing what formation Southgate will land in is about as fickle as predicting the weather in the British Isles. One option is having central defenders Harry Maguire and John Stones on either side of Eric Dier. The latter played 90 minutes against both Italy and Germany last autumn and consistency is one of Southgate’s most devoted spells.
However, the quality of the opponent speaks of a four-line defense. Although one thing that is really clear is that Harry Kane leads the front line with some sort of rainbow colored love band on his arm. And for fans to wait patiently for James Madison to make his World Cup debut.
Not all Welsh fans stay home
64 long years have passed since the last time Wales saw both feet in a World Cup final. On the plane to Doha, I ended up in the same row as two Welshmen carrying four Budweisers each (just to fill the tanks, for obvious reasons. The stewardess quickly announced that beer was in here, too).
It should be noted that Wales is one of the proudest regions in Europe and is much more patriotic compared to Scotland. Emotionally, his national team nearly hit rock bottom 11 years ago when then-national team captain Gary Speed chose to end his life. Friend Chris Coleman carried on Speed’s legacy and after a turbulent hiatus with Ryan Giggs on the touchline, it was Rob Page who had the honor of leading the team to the World Cup.
Was it a difficult decision? Going to Qatar? Absolutely not, my fellow passengers say.
— you may never get an opportunity like this again, says Mark, who is unafraid of his modest supply of alcohol.
Honestly, it’s a party wherever we Welsh people go. You don’t have to drink a lot of beer to enjoy watching your team play the World Cup. It is much more than that.
Speaking of banning beer at match grounds, another hux flux rule was introduced shortly before the flight from London to Doha departed. Now proof of repatriation was suddenly required to be accepted into the country, something two Welsh seniors did not have. After a sweaty half hour, during which the duo got technical assistance from some young talent, they managed to redeem two return tickets and made it to the plane.
The incident places the finger on the authorities’ unease with last-minute decisions, as it is the ban itself, not the ban, that causes anger. The men in question, wearing their green, red, and white hunting hats, could exhale. They’ll be able to sing along to “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau” with nearly 3,000 other citizens during Monday evening, filled with ecstasy rather than Budweiser.
A freak accident had cost Phillips the restroom
When England reached the final of Euro 2021, Calvin Phillips was one of those playing in midfield. This summer he switched Leeds to Manchester City and has subsequently endured a tortuous autumn with a persistent shoulder injury and mediocre playing time.
Even Gareth Southgate’s place in the World Cup squad was never clear. And the injury certainly could have been costly for Phillips. But then that shoulder was not intended, but rather an accident in the gymnasium shortly after his appearance in a League Cup meeting with Chelsea.
“It’s actually a pretty good story,” Phillips begins.
– Before City’s meeting with Brentford, you went to the gym, you’re a pro, and did a lot of heel exercises in the leg press.
The midfielder went to pick up a five-kilogram weight, and then fell right on his foot.
– Everything is fine now, but I stood for about ten seconds and thought “Oh my God, what is this?”. If it weren’t for five kilograms, but heavier, it would certainly have been worse. This can happen when you are trying to act like a professional.
Linker’s speech to the nation
– It’s the most controversial World Cup in history and football hasn’t started yet.
This is how Gary Lineker, in his Doha location, began the first BBC broadcast of the World Cup. The announcer mentioned gay rights (non-existent), women (lack of rights) and the migrant workers who made the city ready for the event.
Then he concluded by saying:
– The tournament must be played, and it is the tournament that will be followed and appreciated all over the world. Stick to football, says FIFA. Well, we will. For a few minutes anyway.