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‘United’ Iran defy boos and travel chaos to claim draw against 10-man Belgium
Belgium 0-0 Iran
As the final whistle sounded, Mehdi Taremi began to gather his Iran team-mates in a huddle before leading the players on a lap of honour around the SoFi Stadium.
Iran’s presence in the United States may be an enormous headache for the co-hosts, but it is increasingly clear Team Melli have no intention of going quietly, on or off the pitch.
A hard-fought draw against the toothless 10 men of Belgium boosted Iran’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in their history, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, the former Brighton winger, admitted the chaos surrounding the team was only strengthening their cause.
“I think that’s united us even more,” Jahanbakhsh said. “We’ve shown great team character and part of it comes from the situation we are in, obviously.”
Iran may have been furious that the US authorities did not allow them entry into the country two days before this game. But Belgium were afforded that luxury and, on this evidence, its benefits appear negligible.
It is now 1,306 days since a Belgian player last scored a goal at a World Cup and you got the impression here that they could have played long into the night and still not found the net, especially with the Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand in inspired form.
Missing their best player, Jérémy Doku, through illness, Belgium played the final 24 minutes of the game with 10 men after defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off. He could have no complaints. After under-hitting a back-pass, Taremi was about to break through on goal when the Belgium centre-back pulled back the Iran captain.
Given the travel chaos and logistical disruption Iran have had to contend with at this World Cup, it would be quite something if they made it through to the round of 32 and they have given themselves every opportunity to do so after claiming their second point of the tournament.
All eyes will now turn to their meeting with Egypt in Seattle on Friday, when Iran hope to be given permission to fly into the US two days before the game. “If we play with the same energy we’ll have every chance,” Jahanbakhsh said.
They are certainly not lacking for resilience. The mudslinging between Iran and the US had continued almost right up until kick-off after revelations just hours earlier on Fox News by Markwayne Mullin, the US homeland security secretary, caused a furious reaction from the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI).
Mullin alleged that someone operating under the guise of being the Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj, with “direct ties” to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), had tried to board a plane to Los Angeles on Saturday with the Iran national team, only to be stopped.
The FFIRI responded by accusing the US of peddling “lies” and claimed they were out to sabotage their participation in the World Cup.
The previous night, Amir Ghalenoei, the Iran coach, had said they felt “robbed” over their treatment and claimed he had been shunned by the other 47 managers at the tournament.
Ghalenoei had even suggested he had been forced to cut training sessions in half amid the travel chaos facing Iran, who also had to listen to many in the crowd booing their national anthem.
On the field, though, a siege mentality is taking hold. Ghalenoei fielded a team with the oldest average starting XI of any in World Cup history and they used every bit of their experience to frustrate a Belgium side who are developing something of a complex in front of goal.
Belgium’s best chances fell to Brighton’s Maxim De Cuyper, but he ran into a roadblock in the shape of Beiranvand, who made a stunning save five minutes after the restart to scramble across his goal-line to deny the Belgium defender.
Still, you have to go back to the opening game of the previous edition in November 2022 to find the last time a Belgium player scored at a World Cup. That was Michy Batshuayi, since when 406 minutes and more than 60 shots have elapsed without a goal by a Red Devils player. Against Egypt, it took an own goal from Mohamed Hamdy to claim a 1-1 draw.
They can still avoid the ignominy of a second successive group-stage exit at the World Cup, but they need Doku back. The Manchester City winger was missing through illness, after contracting a respiratory infection that has required antibiotics, and, against an obdurate, low block and five-man defensive line, they badly missed his pace and penetration. Romelu Lukaku started up front for his country for the first time in a year, but the striker was anonymous.
Belgium’s challenge got harder when Ngoy was dismissed but, despite carving chances, monopolising the ball and the best efforts of Kevin De Bruyne, they still disappointed. They were also indebted to Thibaut Courtois, their goalkeeper, who made good saves to deny Hossein Kanaani and later Taremi, and were grateful the latter was a fingernail offside after scoring from a well-worked free-kick routine in the first half.
The Iran squad left a letter in their dressing room after the game thanking Los Angeles for their support.
It read: “From the ancient Persia thousand of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast. We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and Leave with dignity. Thank you, Los Angeles, for your hospitality.
“And thank you to every Iranian who gave their heart, voice and soul for Iran throughout these 180 minutes. May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations.”
[Source: Daily Telegraph]
