The Latest: Suarez strike has Uruguay up 1-0 at halftime
MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday at the World Cup (all times local):
6:53 p.m.
Uruguay is on course for early qualification in Group A, leading Saudi Arabia 1-0 at halftime with a goal from Luis Suarez.
Suarez scored in the 23rd minute, flicking in a corner from Carlos Sanchez to score in his 100th appearance for La Celeste.
The
Saudis fought hard for an equalizer, with winger Hatan Bahbri leading
counterattacks. But the South Americans controlled the game and
maintained pressure on Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais.
The
Uruguayans beat Egypt in their opening match. A win Wednesday would put
them and the host Russians through to the knockout stage.
— Associated Press writer Derek Gatopoulos reported from Rostov-on-Don.
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6:23 p.m.
Luis
Suarez has scored against Saudi Arabia during his 100th game for
Uruguay. Suarez met a corner kick from Carlos Sanchez in the 23rd minute
and fired in from close range to give Uruguay a 1-0 lead in the World
Cup Group A game.
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6:09 p.m.
It looks like Iceland defender Hordur Magnusson will be staying in Russia after the World Cup.
CSKA
Moscow and second-tier English club Bristol City say they've agreed on a
transfer deal for the 25-year-old center back. The terms weren't
disclosed.
Magnusson played on the left side of the defense in Iceland's opening 1-1 draw with Argentina on Saturday in Moscow.
Magnusson
spent five years with Juventus but didn't play a first-team game for
the Italian club before moving to Bristol City in 2016. He made 61
appearances while in England.
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5:45 p.m.
France
coach Didier Deschamps says star striker Antoine Griezmann is on track
to play the World Cup game against Peru after injuring his ankle during
Les Bleus' opening win.
Deschamps
says there was "a little concern" following the 2-1 victory over
Australia after Griezmann experienced some swelling but now "he's well"
and will be available for Thursday's game.
Griezmann
scored France's first goal against Australia from the spot — the first
penalty awarded at the World Cup on video review.
Deschamps
says Griezmann "wasn't at his best during the match, he had heavy legs,
but it was less decisive because he did score the goal."
Griezmann has 55 international caps and 21 international goals.
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5:40 p.m.
Anti-discrimination
campaigners are denouncing the host of the British version of "The
Apprentice" reality television show over an offensive World Cup-related
tweet.
Alan
Sugar, a member of the House of Lords, combined an image of Senegal's
World Cup team with a photo of handbags and sunglasses laid out on
sheets. Referring to a Spanish resort, Sugar tweeted: "I recognise some
of these guys from the beach in Marbella. Multi tasking resourceful
chaps."
Sugar,
a former chairman of Premier League club Tottenham, later deleted the
tweet and apologized, saying it was not "intended to cause offence."
But
Piara Powar, executive director of the anti-discrimination Fare
network, says "this ignorance and stereotyping of a whole race, a
continent of over 1.3 billion people, is disgraceful. It is particularly
damaging coming from a prominent public figure, a member of the House
of Lords."
The BBC, which airs "The Apprentice" in Britain, described Sugar's tweet "seriously misjudged."
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5:30 p.m.
His
team has received a favorable decision from it but Peru coach Ricardo
Gareca doesn't seem to be a fan of the newly introduced video assistant
referee technology at the World Cup.
Speaking
through a translator a day before Peru's second Group C game against
France, Gareca says that for him soccer differs from other sports
because "mistakes always occur. That's one of the attractions football
has to offer."
He says the VAR technology can be useful but it's not a "perfect solution."
Gareca says "There are always differences in opinions. Football is inexplicably interlinked with mistakes."
Peru
was awarded a penalty after a video review in its first game against
Denmark late in the first-half when the score was still 0-0 but
Christian Cueva sent the spot shot sailing over the crossbar.
Denmark won the game 1-0 and shares top spot in the group with France, which beat Australia 2-1.
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5:15 p.m.
Striker
Luis Suarez will play his 100th game for Uruguay in the World Cup
encounter against Saudi Arabia. Suarez is hoping to recover from his
lackluster performance against Egypt which Uruguay went on to win 1-0.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez handed starting places to first-game
substitutes Carlos Sanchez and Cristian Rodriguez in midfield.
Still
reeling from a 5-0 opening loss to Russia, Saudi Arabia switched
goalkeepers to start with Mohammed Alowais but stuck with its
forward-leaning lineup and players from the opener.
Lineups:
Uruguay:
Fernando Muslera, Jose Maria Gimenez, Diego Godin, Guillermo Varela,
Carlos Sanchez, Rodrigo Bentancur, Cristian Rodriguez, Luis Suarez,
Matias Vecino, Edinson Cavani, Martin Caceres.
Saudi
Arabia: Mohammed Alowais, Osama Hawsawi, Ali Albulayhi, Mohammed
Alburayk, Salman Alfaraj, Hatan Bahbri, Yasser Alshahrani, Abdullah
Otayf, Taiseer Aljassam, Salem Aldawsari, Fahad Almuwallad.
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5 p.m.
Neymar has returned to practice two days before Brazil's World Cup game against Costa Rica.
The
Brazilian star joined the rest of the squad in a training session in
Sochi on Wednesday, a day after he limped out of practice because of
pain in his right ankle.
Brazil's
practice session was closed to the media but the Brazilian soccer
federation says Neymar "participated normally in the team's activity."
It also posted photos of him practicing , including one showing the
playmaker touching the ball with his right ankle.
The
federation says Neymar had been in pain since the team's 1-1 draw
against Switzerland on Sunday, when he was consistently fouled. It had
downplayed the seriousness of the injury, saying he was confirmed to
play against Costa Rica on Friday in St. Petersburg.
Neymar was sidelined for about three months earlier this year because of an unrelated right-foot injury.
Brazil and Switzerland are two points behind group leader Serbia, which defeated Costa Rica in its opener.
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4:54 p.m.
Cristiano
Ronaldo has made European football history by scoring in a 1-0 win for
Portugal that also meant Morocco was the first team eliminated from the
World Cup in Russia.
Ronaldo's
header in the fourth minute was his fourth goal at this tournament, his
85th for his country, and lifted him over Hungary great Ferenc Puskas
as the most ever for a European national team.
The Portugal star celebrated with a trademark run and soaring leap toward a corner flag at Luzhniki Stadium,
Morocco
fell to a second straight 1-0 loss and is out of contention in last
place even before Group B rivals Spain and Iran play later Wednesday.
4 p.m.
Australia
coach Bert van Marwijk isn't saying whether the team's all-time leading
scorer Tim Cahill will play the World Cup game against Denmark.
Van Marwijk says "There's always a chance — for all the players."
The
38-year-old Cahill, who has scored 50 goals in 106 appearances for
Australia, had limited playing time at club level last season and that
cast some doubt over his selection in the World Cup roster. Van Marwijk
included Cahill in the squad, saying he knew the veteran star's
"qualities," but didn't start him in the opening 2-1 loss to France.
Cahill
is aiming to join an elite club with four other players who have scored
in four straight editions of soccer's top tournament.
With
his hat trick against Spain in Portugal's opener, Cristiano Ronaldo
joined the group. Others who have goals in four consecutive World Cups
include Brazilian legend Pele and Germans Uwe Seeler and Miroslave
Klose.
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3:48 p.m.
Cristiano Ronaldo's 4th-minute goal has made the difference as Portugal leads Morocco 1-0 at halftime.
Ronaldo
made European football history when he stooped to score with a powerful
header from Joao Moutinho's right-flank cross after a corner.
His
85th goal for Portugal broke a tie with Hungary great Ferenc Puskas as
the most ever for a European national team. Only Ali Daei of Iran, who
scored 109 international goals, is ahead of Ronaldo in the world list.
Ronaldo
created a good scoring chance for Goncalo Guedes in the 39th but
Morocco goalkeeper Monir El Kajoui stood tall and strong to beat out the
shot.
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3:20 p.m.
Morocco
midfielder Noureddine Amrabat started the game against Portugal wearing
protective headgear after he sustained a head injury in his team's
opening 1-0 loss against Iran.
Amrabat
had a cushioned protector similar to the one worn in recent years by
Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech. It didn't last long. Amrabat ripped
the headgear off after a challenge early in the game, and threw it over
the sideline.
The
31-year-old midfielder fell heavily, face first, to the turf in a
challenge late in Morocco's opening game last Friday. Team medical staff
slapped Amrabat on the cheeks before he was substituted and later
treated in a hospital.
FIFA
wrote to remind the Morocco team of "the importance to adhere to the
guidelines that have been communicated" regarding possible concussion
cases.
It is a team decision if a player is deemed fit to start a game.
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3:05 p.m.
Cristiano
Ronaldo has scored his fourth goal at the World Cup and Portugal leads
Morocco 1-0 in the fourth minute at Luzhniki Stadium.
Ronaldo
stooped to score with a powerful header after he evaded his marker,
Manuel Da Costa, when the ball was crossed from the right flank after a
corner.
Ronaldo,
who scored a hat-trick in Portugal's opening 3-3 draw with Spain, is
now the all-time leading scorer for any European national team. His 85th
career goal for Portugal moves him ahead of Hungary great Ferenc
Puskas.
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3 p.m.
He implied he was the GOAT. Now he's grown a goatee.
Cristiano Ronaldo sported the facial hair on his chin before Portugal's World Cup match against Morocco on Wednesday.
After
the first of his three goals in Portugal's 3-3 draw against Spain,
Ronaldo stroked his then-hairless chin — an apparent reference to an ad
featuring Lionel Messi of Argentina cuddling a live goat. The ad makes
the case that Messi is the GOAT, an acronym for "greatest of all time."
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2:10 p.m.
Noureddine
Amrabat retains his place in the Morocco team to play Portugal, days
after sustaining a head injury in a 1-0 loss against Iran.
Amrabat
was treated in a hospital and regarded as a doubtful starter for a game
Morocco likely needs to win to have hopes of advancing.
Morocco
coach Herve Renard makes three changes, with forward Khalid Boutaib
replacing Ayoub El Kaabi, Manuel Da Costa coming in for Romain Saiss in
central defense, and defender Nabil Dirar replacing winger Amine Harit.
Cristiano
Ronaldo is again partnered in attack by Goncalo Guedes, despite the
Valencia forward's unimpressive form in a 3-3 draw with Spain. Joao
Mario starts in midfield replacing Bruno Fernandes.
Portugal:
Rui Patricio, Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, Jose Fonte, Cristiano Ronaldo,
Joao Moutinho, Joao Mario. Bernardo Silva, William Carvalho, Goncalo
Guedes, Cedric Soares.
Morocco:
Monir El Kajoui, Achraf Hakimi, Manuel Da Costa, Mehdi Benatia, Hakim
Ziyech, Karim El Ahmadi, Younes Belhanda, Khalid Boutaib, Mbark
Boussoufa, Noureddine Amrabat, Nabil Dirar
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12:30 p.m.
Poland
goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has finalized a move to English Premier
League club West Ham while on national-team duty at the World Cup.
The
33-year-old Fabianski has left Swansea, which was relegated from the
Premier League at the end of last season, to join West Ham on a
three-year deal. He has made more saves than any other goalkeeper over
the last four seasons in the English top flight.
Fabianksi
is the back-up to Wojciech Szczesny for Poland at the World Cup and
didn't play in the team's first group game, a 2-1 loss to Senegal.
West
Ham director of football Mario Husillos says Fabianski "fits perfectly
the mould of the modern goalkeeper, with excellent agility, presence and
distribution."
Joe Hart and Adrian were West Ham's goalkeepers last season. Hart was on loan from Manchester City.
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12:10 p.m.
FIFA
is "extremely satisfied with the level of refereeing" at the World Cup,
and hails the introduction of video review as a success.
The
new technology system for helping referees make decisions has "on the
whole ... been positively accepted and appreciated within our football
community," FIFA says.
The introduction of the video review has coincided with more penalty kicks being awarded.
However,
Brazil complained to FIFA about Switzerland's goal in a 1-1 draw being
allowed to stand, and wanted audio recordings of communication between
the match officials to be released.
England
fans were bemused as to why rugby-style tackles by Tunisia defenders on
forward Harry Kane at set pieces did not earn a penalty. The same video
review official in that game was the referee who in an earlier game
awarded a penalty to Croatia for a similar challenge by a Nigeria
defender.
FIFA concedes there will "still be discussion and divided opinion" about some incidents.
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11:30 a.m.
Rather
than risk further outrage from football fans, rights holders in
Australia have agreed to keep sharing World Cup matches with free-to-air
TV until the end of the group stage.
Telecommunications
company Optus bought the broadcast rights for most World Cup games in
Russia but technical issues with the live streaming in Australia caused a
major backlash from subscription buyers — to the point where the prime
minister had to intervene.
The
SBS network, which retained the broadcasting rights for Australia's
games and the World Cup final under a sharing agreement with Optus for
the 2018 tournament, initially stepped in to broadcast all matches for a
48-hour period as the telco tried to rectify its technical problems.
The
network issued a statement Wednesday saying "following further
discussions with Optus ... it has been mutually agreed that SBS will
continue simulcasting the 2018 FIFA World Cup until the end of group
stage on June 29."
The technical issues over the first few days of the tournament included poor-quality match footage or no vision at all.
Australian
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull took the unusual step of contacting
Optus chief executive Allen Lew, wanting assurances the problems would
be fixed.
"There's
no doubt this has adversely affected the Optus brand," an apologetic
Lew said, "everybody is very disappointed, to put it mildly."
Lew
on Wednesday said his company would continue to stream matches, but all
pool matches would also be telecast on free-to-air TV.
Optus
also decided to provide all Australians with free access to its
streaming service, and those users who paid 15 Australian dollars ($11)
to access Optus Sport during the World Cup will receive refunds.
Australia lost its opening game 2-1 to France and has group games remaining against Denmark and Peru
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