Thursday Fulham Stuff - 01/12/22...

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World Cup: USA and Iran stars go viral for emotional embrace after game

The United States of America are through to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup.

After back-to-back draws against Wales and England, Gregg Berhalter's side rallied to pick up a potentially campaign-defining 1-0 win over Iran.

A first half goal from Chelsea star Christian Pulisic was enough to secure three of the most precious points in the history of American football (or should we say, soccer).

The USA will take on Group A winners Holland in the Round of 16, a match which kicks off at 3pm GMT on Saturday.

Berhalter's side and their fans will forever remember the night of November 29th, 2022, and the joy was there for all to see.

But while he was ecstatic about the outcome of the match, Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson still took the time to comfort a member of the opposition – who have been eliminated from the tournament.

Robinson and Iran's Ramin Rezaeian shared a very emotional embrace on the pitch, a demonstration of sportsmanship which has rightly gone viral on social media.

Check out the footage...
Video: Robinson and Rezaeian's embrace after USA 1-0 Iran
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Moments like that at the World Cup just hit differently, don't they?

Iran and Rezaeian can be immensely proud of their efforts on the biggest sporting stage of all, particularly with the widely-publicised political unrest at home hanging over their heads.

What did Berhalter say after his side reached the 2022 World Cup knockout stage?
After the nerve-wracking win over Iran, the USA manager joked about how agonising the prolonged period of stoppage-time was.

"I have less hair on my head now!" Berhalter said in a post-match interview. "With this new injury time, I was counting every second. It's stressful. But we'll take it and battle Holland.

"I feel proud. Proud. I think that the first half we showed what we can do, soccer-wise. We played a good first half.

"Second half we showed what we can do determination-wise. The guys grinded, we're undefeated going into the next round."

Will Pulisic be fit for the match against Holland?
On the fitness of his star man, who suffered an injury while scoring the game's only goal, Berhalter added: "No update on the status. But I've been saying all along, it is a wonderful thing when one of your best players is one of the hardest working.

"I can't say enough positive things about Christian."



https://www.givemesport.com/88089891-world-cup-usa-and-iran-stars-go-viral-for-emotional-embrace-after-game

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World Cup: Mixed Emotions In Group B

There will have been contrasting emotions amongst Fulham's World Cup contingent on Tuesday night.

Wales had to beat England to stand any chance of progressing to the knock-out stages, but went down to a 3-0 defeat courtesy of Marcus Rashford goals either side of Phil Foden's tap-in.

Dan James started the contest, and was replaced by his club teammate Harry Wilson in the 77th minute.

Elsewhere, the United States also needed a win to progress at the expense of Iran, and they obliged with a 1-0 triumph.

They dominated the first half and took a deserved lead when Christian Pulisic turned in Sergino Dest's header across goal.

It came at a cost, though, as the Chelsea man collided with the goalkeeper and had to be substituted at half-time.

Iran improved after the break but the States backline held firm, with Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson both getting a third 90 minutes of the tournament under their belt.

In that time, the US have conceded just once.

Having finished runners-up to England, they will now face the Netherlands, winners of Group A, in the last-16 on Saturday. 




https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/november/30/world-cup-mixed-emotions-in-group-b/

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USA star embraces distraught Iran players at full-time in emotional World Cup moment

Political relations between the United States of America and Iran have been strained for years and the two nations faced each other in a World Cup game on Tuesday night

United States international Antonee Robinson showed his class by consoling Ramin Rezaeian and other Iran players after the Stars and Stripes progressed and sent their opponents home on Tuesday night.

The image of Robinson embracing Rezaeian is one of the most powerful of the Qatar World Cup. The political relations between the USA and Iran have been strained for decades and the two nations haven't met on a football pitch since January 2000.

US manager Gregg Berhalter and captain Tyler Adams faced a barrage of questions from Iranian journalists ahead of Tuesday's game, with one reporter suggesting America is a 'racist' nation and another asking about their country's military presence in the Gulf.

The US social media account also raised the stakes by publishing an Iran flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian government asked FIFA to kick US out of the World Cup due to the controversial post, but the request was denied.

Berhalter did apologise for the flag incident. "Sometimes things are out of our control," he said. "We're not focused on those outside things and all we can do is apologise on behalf of the players and the staff, but it's not something that we were a part of."

Yet it was still feared Tuesday night's game could boil over. That didn't happen, however, as US won 1-0 at the Al Thumama Stadium thanks to Christian Pulisic's goal. The result means Berhalter's side will face Netherlands in the last 16 on Saturday.

Iran, meanwhile, are out of the World Cup. Their players were evidentially distraught by the result, with Rezaeian in floods of tears. Fulham defender Robinson was on hand to console his rival and give him a warm cuddle and pep talk lasting several seconds.

Considering the furore surrounding Tuesday night's game, Robinson's embrace wasn't expected at all. The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the political world and proves football can be used a force for good in even the most challenging situations.

USA president Joe Biden wasn't as gracious towards Iran with his response. He told reporters: "USA! USA! That's a big game, man. When I spoke to the coach and the players, I said, 'You can do this'. They went, 'Eh [maybe]'. They did it, God love them."

Politics aside, US have a decent chance of reaching the quarter-finals. Netherlands are the favourites for Saturday's game after winning Group A, although they aren't overwhelmingly fancied after battling wins against Senegal and Qatar, as well as a draw against Ecuador.

Louis van Gaal's side are also ranked only eight places higher than US. Berhalter's talisman Pulisic has promised to be fit for Saturday's game after suffering an injury while scoring the winner against Iran. He was taken to the hospital to assess the injury.

"I sent him a text and checked on him, and he said, 'Best believe I'll be ready on Saturday,'" said US international Weston McKennie. "Obviously we're very thankful that he threw his body there. At the end it was a heart-drop sinking moment, but we got it done and we're excited to still be here.''



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/usa-iran-world-cup-qatar-28616744

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Has Steven Sessegnon got a future at Fulham? Here's how he has done so far at Charlton Athletic

In the final year of his contract at boyhood club Fulham, Steven Sessegnon is enjoying a season-long loan spell at Charlton Athletic, two divisions below the Cottagers.

Sessegnon has had his injury struggles in recent years and those have persisted this season in south London.

The 22-year-old is first choice left-back for the Addicks, amongst very little competition in that position, playing a part in 13 of 19 league outings so far, starting 11 of them.

Sessegnon made 30 appearances in the Championship in 2019/20 and 2020/21, for Fulham and then on loan at Bristol City, but his development stalled in 2021/22, playing in Premier League 2 in the first half of the campaign before only managing ten third tier games for Plymouth Argyle in the second half.

The five-time England U21 international certainly has the ability to re-establish himself at a Championship club following the expiration of his deal at Craven Cottage.

However, fitness struggles and fluctuating performance levels will likely mean that Sessegnon is looking at a League One move in the summer, should Fulham decide against extending his contract.

Especially if they stay up in the Premier League this season, which they are in a great position to do, it is very unlikely that Sessegnon returns to the first team picture at Fulham, with the likes of Kenny Tete, Kevin Mbabu, Layvin Kurzawa, and Antonee Robinson stood in his way.

The Addicks would certainly entertain the possibility of making his loan move to The Valley permanent at the end of the season, although, it is unlikely they will be able to compete financially if higher up third tier clubs or lower-end second-tier sides get involved in negotiations.

That said, geographically, they do hold a trump card if Sessegnon wants to stay local, even though he has gone as far as Bristol and Devon to play his football in the recent past.

Unfortunately, the ship has sailed in terms of Sessegnon making a sustained step up to the Fulham first team, but the 22-year-old comfortably has the ability to become a Championship regular at full-back in the coming seasons, if he can conquer some of his fitness issues.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/has-steven-sessegnon-got-a-future-at-fulham-heres-how-he-has-done-so-far-at-charlton-athletic/

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The mid-season loan report (part one)

In the first of a two-part series, George Rossiter investigates how Fulham's players out on loan are getting on.

In part one, we look at nine of of our players who are out on loan, and their performances, from young hopefuls to outcasts, from Girona to Maidenhead.

Ivan Cavaleiro
One of the highest profile players left out of Marco Silva's plans for the season was Cavaleiro, who found himself in Turkey playing for mid-table side Alanyaspor. Cavaleiro has found league minutes hard to come by, making a measly five substitute appearances, equating to less than an hour on the pitch, which admittedly does include an assist in a game against Ankaragucu.

Cav also was involved in Alanyaspor's Turkish Cup win over Sakaryaspor, playing from the start and scoring in a 3-0 win. Ultimately, if the Portuguese foward is to find his way into Silva's plans – which seems unlikely for now – he first needs to force his way into this Alanyaspor side and make a real impression in the in the Super Lig.

Jay Stansfield
Of all the narratives this season, Stanno returning to Exeter City to play and score goals in front of his late father's stand, is right up there. Despite loan offers from the Championship, Stansfield made the decision to follow his heart and he's made a brilliant impression so far. After starting the season in the first team picture at Fulham, with three Premier League appearances to his name, the 20-year old forward has since scored four goals and assisted a further four times in League One for Exeter. Exeter fan Corey Baker analyses how Stanno's loan spell is going:

"Stansfield has been fantastic. While it took him time to adjust to consistent senior football, he has acclimatised to the physicality of League One brilliantly. Jay has been great not just scoring goals, but providing so many assists as well – his weight and choice of pass is fantastic.

"His great form has been rewarded with the EFL Young Player of the Month award and I'm sure no Exeter fan would be surprised if he was recalled in January and sent back out to a Championship team. The connection and passion he has for the club is amazing and it's been a pleasure to watch him in red and white so far this season."

Paulo Gazzaniga
After starting the season at Fulham second to Marek Rodak in the goalkeeping department, Gazzaniga dropped further with the arrival of Bernd Leno, before joining Girona on loan at the end of the window. While the Argentine shot-stopper found himself on the bench to start his stint in Spain, he's recently displaced Girona's hugely experienced and normal first-choice keeper Martin Juan Carlos. In his four appearances to date, Gazzaniga has helped Girona accumulate eight points from a possible 12 in La Liga, conceding four goals and contributing to impressive results against Athletic Club and Real Madrid.

Rodrigo Muniz
Signed by Chris Wilder and now under the guidance of Manchester United legend Michael Carrick, Rodrigo Muniz has had an up and down time so far at the Riverside. Scoring twice from 15 appearances, mostly playing from the start, Muniz has shown glimpses of his quality. Jonny from The Boro Breakdown Podcast had this to say:

"If I was to grade Muniz so far this season, it would be a C. Unfortunately for Rodrigo, he's lost his place in the side to Marcus Forss since Carrick became manager, with the new boss preferring a pressing forward. Muniz has quality, and for a 21-year-old he plays with a lot of maturity. His ability to bring players into the attack, hold the ball up and his movement in the box are all good qualities and he's unfortunate not to have scored more. Muniz is a good player who will be biding his time to get back into the starting XI, and when he does, he must take his chance."

Jean-Pierre Tiehi
After an uninspiring loan spell last season at Rodez in France, Tiehi turned this year to the Scottish second division and Hamilton Academicals. His goalscoring record is identical to that of Muniz, bagging two in 15 for a struggling Accies side who find themselves rock bottom of the Scottish Premiership at the time of writing. Despite his side's issues in the league, Tiehi has impressed out on loan in what is an important season for the young French striker who struggled so badly to make an impact in his two appearances in Ligue 2 last time out.

Idris Odutayo
After an impressive showing with the first team in pre-season, hopes were high for Odutayo's development. However, a Football League loan deal didn't materialise and the defender found himself at Maidenhead United. Here's what Maidenhead's media assistant and Fulhamish's very own Jack Stroudley had to say on his progress:

"When Odutayo signed for Maidenhead, I thought he would become a key member of the defence, but that hasn't happened. The current partnership of De Havilland and Massey has conceded an admirable 23 goals from 20 games and formed a partnership Odutayo is yet to break into. While he mad a positive debut in the FA Cup against Eastbourne, the league debut that followed against Barnet was less to shout about and league minutes have been hard to come by since, with small stints both at centre-back and left-back. I'm sure he'll be disappointed with how his season is going".

Terence Kongolo
Ultimately, there's not much different to report about Kongolo that we haven't seen before. The Dutch defender has been in France on the books of Le Havre in Ligue 2, but has continued to be plagued by injuries and fitness issues. However, minutes have started to arrive in dribs and drabs, with Kongolo featuring for 90 minutes in his side's Coupe De France defeat on penalties to US Alencon, as well as accumulating 10 minutes of game time in the league across three substitute appearances in Le Havre's most recent league fixtures. While minutes on the board are positive for Kongolo, there's a long way to go before he proves not only his fitness to Fulham and Marco Silva, but also re-establish his credentials as a viable Premier League option after so many setbacks on the side-lines.

Taye Ashby-Hammond
It's been an extremely impressive breakthrough season for Taye Ashby-Hammond who has established himself as one of League Two's best goalkeepers for Stevenage. As of November 25th, Taye has played 19 times for Steve Evans' side in the league, conceding just 16 goals and accumulating seven clean sheets in the process. The Stevenage FC Podcast had their say on the keeper's progress this year so far:

"Taye is having a fantastic season with ourselves at Boro. You could see from the opening couple of matches this season that with games and more experience at this level, Taye would turn out to be a cracking addition. He's saved a few penalties and overall is turning out to be a terrific keeper!"

Luca Ashby-Hammond
While Taye succeeds in League Two, his brother Luca has had somewhat of a trickier time in the National League with Aldershot. The Shots find themselves in a relegation battle in the fifth tier and have struggled at the back. While not entirely at fault for such shortcomings, Luca has seen 39 goals go past him in his 19 league appearances. The experience at this level will obviously still be of value to the young keeper, who has kept three clean sheets despite Aldershot's woes, and he will be looking to prove himself for the future, with a number of exciting talents in his position in the Fulham ranks.

Stay tuned for part two in the next few days, featuring Joe Bryan, Anthony Knockaert, and more...



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2022-11-30-the-mid-season-loan-report-part-one/

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Ex-Everton defender Antonee Robinson shows true colours with gesture after USA win over Iran

Ex-Everton defender Antonee Robinson consoled Iran players after the USA qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup

Former Everton defender Antonee Robinson showed his classy side when he consoled Iran's Ramin Rezaeian after the USA knocked them out of the World Cup.

Robinson's USA side will join England in the last 16 of the World Cup after finishing second in Group B - where they will take on the Netherlands for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The defender spent 11 years at Goodison Park after joining the academy as a child in 2008. The 25-year-old finally left for Wigan Athletic in 2019 after failing to make a first team appearance for the Blues.

Robinson, who is now playing for Fulham in the Premier League, has 32 caps for USA and has been a key figure in the defence as they progressed to the knockout rounds.

Here is the touching moment Robinson was caught consoling Ramin Rezaejan after his side won 1-0 in a winner takes all clash with Iran on Tuesday night in Qatar.



https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-antonee-robinson-usa-iran-25638419