FIFA World Cup 2022: Rouzbeh Cheshmi's late goal sends Iran to 2-0 win

Rouzbeh Cheshmi scored in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time to break a scoreless stalemate and Iran went on to defeat Wales 2-0 at the World Cup on Friday.

Cheshmi's strike from outside the box was just beyond the diving reach of Wales backup goalkeeper Danny Ward, who was pressed into duty when starter Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the 86th minute.

Ramin Rezaeian added a second goal moments later and Iran wildly celebrated while some of the Welsh players dropped in disbelief to the field.
 

Gareth Bale made his 110th appearance for Wales, the most all-time for the national team, but the Welsh appeared sluggish early after a 1-1 draw with the United States in their Group B opener.

Meanwhile, Senegal sent the host team to a second loss at its home tournament on Friday after seizing on a defensive error from the Qatar team for the opening goal in a 3-1 victory.

Qatar’s elimination from the World Cup could now come on Friday and less than a week into the tournament it's been preparing to play in for 12 years if Netherlands and Ecuador draw in the day's other Group A game, or if the Dutch win.

Senegal, on the other hand, got its campaign back on track after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands earlier.

In Friday’s big match, Brazil’s Richarlison came through for the “Seleção.” A spectacular acrobatic kick followed an easy tap-in from close range as Richarlison scored both goals in Brazil's 2-0 victory over Serbia. (Reuters)

Injured Neymar to miss Brazil’s second match
 

Neymar will miss Brazil’s second World Cup match but will remain with the squad undergoing treatment for his ankle injury, the team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, said on Friday. Lasmar said tests conducted on his right ankle showed that Neymar has a ligament injury and will not be fit to play against Switzerland, adding that “the goal is to have him recover’’ in time to still play in the tournament. 

2 brothers, 2 teams, 2 contrasting experiences 
 

Williams brothers Iñaki and Nico have managed to mark both sides of their family's heritage in a remarkable way at this World Cup. Nico was part of the young Spain team that beat Costa Rica 7-0 on Wednesday. A day later, big brother Iñaki played his first World Cup game for Ghana, a  3-2 loss to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal. This meant a complicated 24 hours in the family home back in Spain.