England route Iran 6-2 in World Cup match

England defeated Iran 6-2 in their first FIFA World Cup match in Qatar on Monday.

The goalfest started when Jude Bellingham leaped high and headed a Luke Shaw cross into the net to give favored England the lead in the 35th minute. Harry Maguire headed down a corner, and Bukayo Saka drove the ball home for goal No. 2 in the 43rd minute.

Raheem Sterling picked up the third goal off a Harry Kane pinpoint assist in added time. The goals were a fair representation of the first half, in which England consistently bossed Iran.

The second half was a little different. Saka got the ball in the box, did some dribbling, then kicked the ball in, once he found an opening. It seemed almost too easy.

Unexpectedly, Iran pulled one back in the 65th minute, with a goal from its star, Mehdi Taremi, a late-bloomer who has been knocking them in at Porto in Portugal. Taremi got behind the defense and picked up a nice pass from Ali Gholizadeh before chipping the ball in.

Normal service resumed minutes later as England broke forward with numbers and Marcus Rashford, who had come on just a minute earlier, coolly knocked home another past the back-pedalling Iran defense. Another sub, Jack Grealish, got Goal No. 6 on the break.

Deep into extra time, Iran, which to its credit kept trying throughout the game, earned a penalty. Taremi converted it to make the final score 6-2.

In the first half, Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand had collided hard with his own defender, suffering a head injury. After extended treatment on the turf, he returned to the game briefly before being carried out on a stretcher.