Iran’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad World Cup got a lot better Sunday.
By playing Belgium to a scoreless draw before another packed house at SoFi Stadium, Iran is in position to win its group with a victory over Egypt on Friday and advance to the knockout stage for the first time.
That would be a just reward for a team that is unbeaten two games into what has been a trying tournament off the field.
Before it had even left Iran, the team was forced to move its training camp from Tucson to Tijuana, Mexico, and more than a dozen members of its delegation were told they would be barred from entering the U.S. The players had their movements in the U.S. severely limited, heard their national anthem jeered twice and have generally been unwelcome as the first qualifiers to play a World Cup game in a country with which they are at war.
And if all that wasn’t bad enough, on Sunday Iran had a brilliant first-half goal, one that had seemingly given it its first lead of the tournament, erased on a video replay that confirmed the narrowest of offside violations.
The disallowed goal, one of the best any team has scored in this World Cup, came on a set piece in the 25th minute. Iranian captain Ehsan Hajsafi took the free kick from about 35 yards but instead of going to goal, he pushed the ball through the Belgium wall to Mehdi Taremi, who took a clean first touch, then put a left-footed ball between Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois and the left post.
The play caught Belgium completely by surprise and for one of the few times in this tournament, Iran had reason to cheer. But the celebration was short-lived when referee Dario Herrera took the goal away after a lengthy video review determined Taremi to be offside.
That was about the only thing that went right for Belgium in a first half it dominated, only to come up empty. It had an 11-2 edge in shots, completed six times as many passes and controlled the ball for more than 36 of the first 45 minutes. But it couldn’t get the ball past Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand.
If the World Cup has been trying for Iran, it’s been frustrating for Belgium, which needed an own goal from Egypt’s Mohamed Hany to escape with a draw in its opener. And a smothering Iranian defense that frequently packed seven players in the box added to that frustration Sunday.
That allowed Iran to get the first dangerous chance of the second half — and it also came off a set piece — with Taremi banging a clean volley on target from the center of the box. But Courtois stood his ground and made the save.
The game took a turn in the 62nd minute when Belgium’s Nathan Ngoy mishit a weak backpass, sending Taremi on a breakaway with only Courtois to beat. When Ngoy reached out and grabbed the Iranian by the shirt, pulling him to the ground, he drew a red card, leaving Belgium to play the final half hour down a man.
Iran clearly deserved a better fate after absorbing wave after wave of a withering Belgium attack without breaking. It was also quicker and far more creative on offense, though it had nothing to show for that.
For Belgium, still looking for its first goal of the tournament, the result was another stain on an aging golden generation of players. If they don’t beat New Zealand in their final group-stage game Friday, they’ll leave the World Cup after the first round for a second straight time.
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