Your latest World Cup headlines on Thursday, November 24.
England bench 'better than most players in Wales'
Sven-Goran Eriksson has thrown his full support behind England and says they will cruise to victory against the USA and Wales.
The Three Lions thrashed Iran 6-2 in their tournament opener while Wales drew 1-1 with the USA to ensure what most feel is a race for second spot between the latter pair remains nip and tuck.
However, former England boss Eriksson says, based on what he saw in the opening Group B fixtures, that Gareth Southgate's men will have no troubles when it comes to securing victory in their remaining two matches prior to the knockout stages.
GRAB YOUR COPY: Get your brilliant 48-page Wales at the World Cup preview special
"USA were very good against Wales in the first-half," he told Midnite. "They played typical American football, very aggressive, a lot of life and they looked very well but in the second-half they died and Wales took over.
"USA find it difficult to play 90 minutes so on paper I think it will be rather easy for England to win their games against USA and Wales. It's important for England to get the first goal because after what they saw yesterday I don't think opponents will attack England from the start."
Both Wales boss Rob Page and USA manager Gregg Berhalter admitted they feel England will win the group while adding that the 1966 champions are among the favourites for glory in Qatar.
Such is the strength in depth England possess, former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor stated that not a single Welsh player would make it into the Three Lions' best 30-man squad.
And Eriksson believes England's bench is stronger than most of the players in Wales altogether.
"Wales is a small country and you can't compare them to England, but in one game they can make it difficult for England, although I don't think they will," he added.
"Wales depend a lot on Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale whereas England have a bench which is better than most of the players in Wales. The difference between England and Wales is huge and if Bale doesn't play his best then it's a huge blow [for Wales]."
Moore licking his lips while studying Iran tapes
Kieffer Moore admits he was licking his lips at watching clips of Iran's hefty defeat to England.
Carlos Queiroz's troops were thrashed 6-2 by England on Monday and come up against Wales on Friday morning.
The Welsh players watched the fixture prior to their 1-1 draw with the USA, and while Moore is confident that there are plenty of weaknesses for Wales to exploit in the Iranian side, the Bournemouth forward expects a reaction from their next opponents given the nature of their defeat on Monday.
"I was, yeah," said Moore when asked if he was licking his lips at the prospect of battling it out with Iran. "England played really well to utilise those positions and to get balls into the box. If we can replicate that then hopefully we can get the same outcome.
"You could just see England's dominance in the box, they took a 3-0 lead into half-time and I think that set the tone for the game. We know what to do. We know what to expect from them, it's going to be a tough game and they're going to have a reaction so three points is a must for us."
Wilson's nod to Neco
Harry Wilson paid tribute to Neco Williams' World Cup display against the USA following the death of his Wales team-mate's grandfather.
Williams played from the outset in his side's tournament opener at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Monday night and broke down following the conclusion of the contest. The Nottingham Forest ace fell to his knees and pointed to the skies in a nod to his grandfather who passed away the night before what was Wales' first World Cup fixture since 1958.
Players and boss Rob Page embraced the 21-year-old on the pitch, with Williams later posting on social media to confirm the sad news.
"Yesterday was the toughest news I’ve ever had to face and that was listening to my mum tell me my grandad past away last night," he said. "To go from crying all day to start in a World Cup game was extremely tough but I got through it from the support of my team mates and family. So I dedicate that game and a important point to him."
And Wilson has revealed the squad rallied around Williams ahead of the showdown with Gregg Berhalter's side.
"First of all, Neco showed great courage and bravery to play the game," said Wilson, who played with Williams at Fulham last season. "Everybody knows to lose a family member is never easy, and for it to happen on the eve of his first ever World Cup game and for him to put in the performance he did, I thought he was fantastic.
"We tried to make him feel as comfortable as we could and he felt a lot of emotion. Like I said, to put in the performance he did after the news he did, I thought he was great."
READ MORE: Wales put up rainbow flags at Qatar training base in defiant message after controversies
Germany to avoid punishment for One Love gesture
Germany will not be punished for covering their mouths as part of a protest in relation to the One Love armband prior to their contest with Japan, according to PA.
The German starting 11 gathered to take their pre-match squad photo but raised their hands and covered their mouths. Boss Hansi Flick said: "It was a sign, a message that we wanted to send out. We wanted to convey the message that FIFA is silencing us."
It comes after FIFA told teams that they would face sanctions should they make political statements at Qatar 2022. However, it is claimed that the governing body will not punish the four-time World Cup winners for the gesture they made in their tournament opener in which they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat.
Send your message of support to the Wales football team at the World Cup here
READ NEXT:
