Wales coach Robert Page admitted his team had fallen well below the standards they set for themselves when losing to Iran.

Wales coach Robert Page admitted his team had fallen well below the standards they set for themselves as defeat to Iran put them on the brink of World Cup elimination.
Page refused to use Wayne Hennessey's red card &ndash; only the third for a goalkeeper in World Cup finals history &ndash; as an excuse for the defeat, and said Carlos Queiroz's team were well worth their win.
Iran hit both posts and had a goal disallowed before they finally took the lead in the 98th minute through substitute Roozbeh Cheshmi's long-range strike, with Ramin Rezaeian adding a breakaway second three minutes later.
Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, so often the architects of Wales' successes down the years, were both disappointing and they now need a victory over England next Tuesday to have any hope of reaching the knockout stages.
Page even appeared to refer to the England game as Wales' "final" match of the tournament, underlining how difficult the road ahead is for the Dragons from here.
"This is a hard one to take," Page said. "I've said to them before every game: 'Go and show the world what you show us every day,' and that is not a true reflection of that team.
"They got their true rewards today, they deserved that defeat. We fell well below the standards that got us to the World Cup, if we'd met those standards we'd have been alright. And if you do that in top competitions, you get punished."
Asked about the England game, Page said: "We want to finish the competition on a high. It's out of our hands for going through, but we want to finish with a good performance and a win. We're low at the moment, but we'll get them back up tomorrow for a tough game to finish with."
Hennessey was initially shown a yellow card after he raced out of his goal and clattered into Iran's Porto forward Mehdi Taremi, but referee Mario Escobar was advised to review the decision, and returned from the monitor brandishing a red card.
The challenge was reckless and high, regardless of whether there was cover behind him.
The win for Iran means their match against the United States &ndash; which would always have been highly charged given the political history between the nations &ndash; could now be winner-takes-all for a place in the last 16.
Queiroz felt too much external pressure was placed on his players ahead of the England game.
The team have become a political lightning rod for the turmoil in Iran, with those who are pro-regime criticising them for not singing the anthem before the England match and protesters attacking them for not doing enough to highlight the plight of women in the country.
The Portuguese coach criticised the Iranians in the stands at the England match who booed his team, but was much more complimentary about the fans after the Wales match.
"The crowd deserve a special word today," he said. "It was a joy, it was happiness, it was drama, I love this game when things are this way."
He hailed the character of his team, adding: "It was really very emotional because we rebounded from a difficult situation."
Cheshmi admitted the team had found the first few days of the World Cup extremely tough.
"I should say that if the pressure was football-related that would be acceptable but if the players were under pressure unfairly that would not be right," he said via an interpreter.
"Players were judged abruptly and received non-football pressure. All the team helped each other. I scored the goal but the team did the work."

Robert Page admits Wales did not play well in Iran loss

Marcus Rashford is eager to keep the goals ticking after netting a brace for England in their World Cup win over Wales.

Marcus Rashford is eager to keep the goals ticking after netting a brace for England in their World Cup win over Wales.
Rashford hit a stupendous free-kick and ended a mazy run by finishing through back-up goalkeeper Danny Ward's legs after Phil Foden had doubled England's lead in what proved to be a 3-0 stroll against their British rivals in Al Rayyan.
The forward told BBC One: "Moments like this, this is what I play football for. The biggest moments, the best moments.
"I'm really happy today, I'm happy that we're going through to the next round.
"Hopefully we can build on this performance because I have massive ambitions for this team and I think we can play even better than we showed today.
"It's obviously a great feeling.
"We were a little bit disappointed as a team after the last game against the USA (Friday's goalless draw).
"I thought we could have played a lot better and the only way to bounce back from that is to have a good performance in your next game and I think we did that.
"First half, we defended brilliantly, we didn't really give them any opportunities.
"And it was just about us killing the game off and taking the chances when they came."
On his free-kick opener, Rashford added: "I fancied one in the first half but the one in the second half was in a better position.
"And from there, it's just about being calm and trying to execute what you practice in training.
"They don't go in often but I'm pleased that it went in today."
Speaking about Rashford, Southgate told BBC One: "It's great for him. He's trained really well, I have to say.
"He's really been impressive since he came back in with us. He could have had a hat-trick really, the chance in the first half, the one at the near post in the second.
"The free-kick, that is what he's capable of, it's an incredible strike really."

Rashford: Scoring England brace is a 'great feeling'

Gareth Southgate said the "big business starts now" after Marcus Rashford's brace helped England reach the World Cup knockout phase and brought Wales' first World Cup appearance since 1958 to an end.

Gareth Southgate said the "big business starts now" after Marcus Rashford's brace helped England reach the World Cup knockout phase and brought Wales' first World Cup appearance since 1958 to an end.
The 104th meeting of the old rivals ended with last year’s European Championship runners-up wrapping up top spot in Group B on Tuesday evening at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Rashford's brilliant free-kick and fizzing strike came either side of Phil Foden’s goal in Tuesday's 3-0 triumph against Wales, who head home as England gear up for the last 16.
Their reward for topping the group is a clash with Senegal on Sunday and alcohol-free celebrations in Qatar, having toasted progress with a beer in Russia four-and-a-half years ago.
"We've got loads of milkshake back at the hotel," Southgate said with a smile.
"Everything is different, isn't it? We're embracing it. We love our base camp, the people that are operating the hotel are fabulous people. Really we couldn't be happier.
"We're enjoying each other's company and the players are really tight, so to this point we're very pleased.
"Of course the big business starts now, really."
Foden did his chances of a greater role on Sunday no harm in Al Rayyan, but it was Rashford who made the greatest case to start against Senegal.
The 25-year-old has three goals in as many games at this World Cup, with his goal off the bench against Iran coming on his first England appearance since missing his penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout.
Rashford struggled for form and fitness in the intervening period, but the Manchester United forward has kicked on impressively.
"It's been a challenge for him," said Southgate, who was unaware that the man-of-the-match's friend Garfield Hayward, to whom Rashford dedicated his goals, had died in the build-up to the game.
"I went and saw him in the summer, had a long chat with him and he had some clear ideas on things that he felt he needed to think about and to do.
"You can see with his club there's been happiness in his performances this year.
"And I have to say that's shown itself on the training ground all the time with us.
"We've got a different version completely to the player we had in the Euros last summer, so he's managed to produce those moments tonight.
"He could have had a hat-trick, really, with the chance in the first half and then the one at the near post towards the end.
"But great for him and because it's great for him it's great for us."

England focused on 'big business' against Senegal following Wales victory

United States star Christian Pulisic is confident he will be fit to face the Netherlands after sustaining a pelvic injury while firing his country into the last 16 of the World Cup.

United States star Christian Pulisic is confident he will be fit to face the Netherlands after sustaining a pelvic injury while firing his country into the last 16 of the World Cup.
Chelsea forward Pulisic claimed the only goal in Tuesday evening's winner-takes-all Group B clash with Iran in Doha.
The 24-year-old was hurt scoring the decisive 38th-minute strike after colliding with Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and did not return for the second half at Al Thumama Stadium.
Amid fears over his condition, Pulisic posted a positive update from his hospital bed ahead of Saturday's knockout clash with the Dutch.
His team later tweeted to say the player had been diagnosed with a pelvic contusion and would be assessed "day-to-day".
"So f***ing proud of my guys I'll be ready Saturday don't worry," Pulisic posted on social media.
Pulisic was unable to celebrate his goal, which secured the USA second spot in the group behind England, and stayed down for several minutes.
He appeared to hurt his leg and his torso as he flew into Beiranvand at full pace, with his face and neck also hitting the keeper's chest.
Pulisic was helped from the pitch by medics and then briefly returned before being replaced by Leeds' Brenden Aaronson at the break.
USA coach Gregg Berhalter had no news on the severity of the injury immediately after the match but heaped praise on his key man.
"No update (on his fitness), but it is a wonderful thing when one of your best players is one of the hardest working," said Berhalter. "And he is certainly that.
"I can't say enough positive things about Christian."

Pulisic confident he will be fit for Netherlands clash despite injury

Christian Pulisic fired the United States into the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran at the Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar on Tuesday.

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Christian Pulisic fired the United States into the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran at the Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar on Tuesday. 
The Chelsea forward grabbed the only goal of the game in the 38th minute when he bravely stole in to convert a headed cross by Sergino Dest from point-blank range.
Iran summoned little in search of the equaliser that would have sent them through to a second-round clash with the Netherlands, with only a late diving header from Morteza Pouraliganji and a last-gasp VAR check causing American hearts to flutter.
The US dominated the opening period to such an extent that the only fear was whether they would live to regret a catalogue of missed chances as they once again lacked cutting edge in the final third.
Yunus Musah drove an early shot over the bar and a good Pulisic header was saved by Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand, who also scrambled clear from a Dest cross.
Exploiting plenty of space on the flanks, Dest was proving the major threat for the US whilst the Iranians, looking to make it through the group stage for the first time at the sixth attempt, offered little.
American woes in front of goal continued when Timothy Weah snatched at a header when unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, before the same player drilled another good opportunity over the bar.
Weston McKennie sparked the breakthrough the US deserved shortly before the break with a brilliant cross-field pass to find Dest, who deftly flicked the ball into the path of Pulisic.
Weah found the net but was judged marginally offside in the process, while the withdrawal of Pulisic, who had been injured in the process of scoring, suggested a long second half in store for Gregg Berhalter’s men.
Iran certainly carried more threat in the form of Brentford striker Saman Ghoddos, on for the ineffective Sardar Azmoun, and he had Iran's best chance in the 52nd minute when he met Ramin Razaeian's excellent right-wing cross with a header that flashed just wide of target.
After Pouraliganji's header, which went the wrong side of Matt Turner's right-hand post in the third of nine added minutes, the US also had to survive a late VAR check when Mehdi Taremi crumbled under the challenge of Cameron Carter-Vickers in the box.
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