It turns out that arriving two days early isn’t the cure to all your concerns. Iran’s World Cup campaign has been engulfed in chaos around visas and travel restrictions and chief among their complaints of ‘oppression’? The US’ refusal to allow them to jet in from Tijuana more than 24 hours before a game.
Well, Belgium were afforded that luxury here and they still can’t score – or win at the World Cup. Make that 1,305 days since they tasted victory and anyone but an opposition player scored for Rudi Garcia’s team.
That barren run, which now stretches over 400 minutes of action and dates back to their opening game in Qatar, continued here – even after Romelu Lukaku made his first start for club or country in a year. After this 0-0 draw, they have won just two of their last nine games at major tournaments.
It means that despite all the turmoil and trouble, Iran are unbeaten in Group G and still in with a shot of making the knockout rounds. Never before have they avoided defeat in their opening two games of a World Cup. As it stands, Iran sit top of the group. Their final group game is against Egypt in Seattle on Friday.
Belgium are two draws from two, too. Perhaps fortunately, given Iran had a goal disallowed and Nathan Ngoy saw red in the second half. But in the end, neither side found a winner.
Iran thought they had the lead midway through the first half when a clever freekick was slipped into Mehdi Taremi. He beat Thibaut Courtois, sparking wild celebrations around SoFi.
Belgium were held to a 0-0 draw with Iran in their World Cup clash at SoFi Stadium on Sunday
Mehdi Taremi thought he had scored the winner in the first half only for it to be ruled out
Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand made a number of important saves in Los Angeles
Before long, however, VAR had intervened – he was offside. It was mightily close. It was also a second let-off for Belgium who, a few minutes earlier, needed Courtois to get down sharply to deny Hossein Kanaani’s shot.
At the other end, Alireza Beiranvand stood firm, too, as Belgium banged at the door. The Iran goalkeeper was on the wrong end of a nasty early collision with Lukaku that left him needing lengthy treatment. But he recovered and made a number of important saves.
None more crucial than when the ball dropped to Maxim De Cuyper, a few yards out. It was Kevin De Bruyne’s low cross that caused havoc. The goal was gaping but somehow Beiranvand scrambled to deny De Cuyper. The Brighton star was foiled again late on.
By then, Courtois had kept out Taremi’s volley and this game was opening up. Ngoy saw red after botching a back pass and bringing down Taremi. Iran failed to make it count but at full-time, Taremi gathered his team in a huddle and then led them on a lap of honor.
Rarely have the hopes of a World Cup campaign rested so heavily on the decisions of an unborn baby. But on this evidence? Fans across Belgium will be praying Jeremy Doku’s first child is in no rush.
The winger has already said he plans to leave this World Cup for the birth of the baby, who is due in early July, meaning Doku could be away for the round of 32 or round of 16. Should Belgium make it that far. That is no guarantee.
Doku missed this game through illness – he has reportedly been put on antibiotics after developing symptoms of a respiratory infection. Without him, Belgium looked very one-paced and very toothless.
Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the second half after bringing down Taremi
Thibaut Courtois also made several crucial saves during this 0-0 draw at SoFi Stadium
It was barely 45 minutes before kick off when the furious statement dropped. The Iranian Football Federation accused the US government of ‘false, fabricated and entirely baseless’ allegations designed to ‘justify’ restrictions on the team, ‘cover up discriminatory behavior’ and ‘disrupt’ Iran’s World Cup campaign.
The root of the anger? Claims by Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, who said someone with ‘direct ties’ to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tried to fly with the Iran team from Tijuana to the US on Saturday.
Mullin said the man, who supposedly claimed to be the Iranian federation president, was blocked from boarding the plane. The head of Iranian football, Mehdi Taj, is among the 11 members of their delegation without visas.
He said, she said. Who to believe? What to believe? All that seems certain: Iran and the US might have signed an initial agreement to halt the war. But that won’t stop the mudslinging during this World Cup.
The build-up to Iran’s opening game here was clouded with tension and threats from anti-government protestors that ‘hell’ awaited Amir Ghalenoei’s players.
On Sunday? The mood was rather less fraught. Not that the authorities took any chances. Armed FBI agents and police dogs patrolled the stadium, while some security staff were seen trying to turf out a gaggle of Mexico fans who had set up a mobile barbershop in the parking lot – they had clippers, aprons and no shortage of customers.
At the gates, some stewards did their best to enforce FIFA’s ban on pre-revolutionary Iran flags. Many still made it in, though, including one giant flag. That was unfurled during the national anthem, which was also greeted by boos and thumbs-down gestures across SoFi Stadium.
