World Cup Qatar: Biggest Soccer Games of the Year Underway
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The biggest sporting event of the year is taking place in Qatar now, with teams from around the world competing in the World Cup tournament. England has run circles around Iran, the Netherlands defeated Senegal, and the fans seemed to soldier on despite the lack of alcohol in the stadiums.
England entered its Monday game against Iran as the heavy favorite to walk away with the win. With strong players like Jude Bellingham and Luke Shaw on the English team, many experts expected the English to dominate. However, a 6-2 goal-fest was still a bit above expectations. That powerful performance solidifies the English team as a force to be reckoned with going into the deeper World Cup tournament.
Notably, Iran’s goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand, collided with one of his own players in a rough crash and suffered a head injury. He tried to play through it but had to be removed, dramatically shifting the game’s momentum. Still, England’s victory is commendable, and it marks them as a team to watch throughout the event.
Also on Monday, the Netherlands triumphed in a 2-0 victory against Senegal. Despite that seemingly lopsided score, it was a very close match. The Netherlands’ first goal only came in the 84th minute as Cody Gakpo nailed a beautiful header to take the lead.
The Dutch team guaranteed it would stay atop the stacked Group A with a quick rebound in the 99th minute from Davy Klaassen. The team now sits atop the group alongside Ecuador, which itself won over the home team, Qatar, on Sunday.
Much ink was spilled ahead of the Qatar World Cup when some fans realized that Qatar’s local laws prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages in sporting venues. That means that fans who are accustomed to having a beer while they watch a soccer match have had to make do with non-alcoholic beverages.
The stadiums are selling alcohol-free beers, like Budweiser Zero. Reporters noted that the non-alcoholic beers are being sold at the concession stands for around $8.25. Many European fans stated that they were already accustomed to not drinking in soccer stadiums, though, as many venues banned beer and liquor to cut down on destructive hooliganism. Never change, soccer fans.