Steven Gerrard after loss: ‘They were there for the taking ... really tough moment’

SAO PAULO // The England captain Steven Gerrard regretted his error that led to Uruguay's decisive goal in a 1-0 match on Thursday, saying inexperience had cost his team, who now need a miracle to stay in the World Cup.
Luis Suarez, back in action just four weeks after knee surgery, scored twice in the tense Group D encounter, either side of Wayne Rooney's first World Cup goal.
For the second goal, Gerrard mistimed a header in midfield and it fell to his Liverpool teammate Suarez, who smashed home the winner five minutes from time.
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The veteran 34-year-old midfielder, who said the result was a "personal low", admitted the goals conceded were "sloppy".
"We have to take responsibility for that as a team," he said. "The first one, he's peeled off onto the back post, it's a fantastic ball by (Edinson) Cavani. We'll have to look at that.
"The second one, I've tried to get good contact on the ball and I haven't got good enough contact on it."
Gerrard said perhaps the side should have settled for a point after equalising with just 15 minutes to go.
"I just thought when we got the equaliser today we needed to be a bit more clever, a bit more cute, be a bit more difficult to beat," he said.
"Maybe accept that going for a point might be the best option but they were weak at the back. They were there for the taking and once we got the equaliser we tried to take the initiative."
The result leaves England pointless in Group D, with Italy, Costa Rica and Uruguay all on three points. But if Italy beat Costa Rica and Uruguay, England could still progress with a victory over the former.
"It's a really tough moment for everyone in the dressing room but we need to be professional and keep fighting and play for that small glimmer of hope," Gerrard said.
He declined to answer questions about his own international future but insisted England deserved something from their two matches so far. In their first game, against Italy, Roy Hodgson's men impressed but lost 2-1.
"We'll analyse the game afterwards but it's simple, really," Gerrard said. "At this level you can't give world-class players chances and when you're still in the game you need to be more difficult to beat."
"Italy are a fantastic team capable of winning both games but we're clutching at straws, which is a position we didn't want to be in coming into the tournament, relying on other people."
He said the performance of club teammate Suarez did not come out of the blue.
"We knew. It's no shock, no surprise," he said. "Everyone in the dressing room knows Suarez inside out. We know what he's about. He's had two chances in the game and he's taken them really well.
"That just goes to show. He hasn't played for five weeks and he comes back and he's still as deadly as ever."
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The biog

Name: Salem Alkarbi

Age: 32

Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira

First started supporting Al Wasl: 7

Biggest rival: Al Nasr

What is Folia?

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.

Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."

Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.

In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".

There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."

Players Selected for La Liga Trials

U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian

Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco

Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French

Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian

U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

How to wear a kandura

Dos

Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts

Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying

No Shame

Lily Allen

(Parlophone)

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.