Belgium Held to Goalless Draw by Iran in Los Angeles
Axios (Tổng hợp từ Al Jazeera English)
Belgium were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Iran, leaving the ‘Red Devils’ down to 10 men. Nathan Ngoy was sent off for a foul on Mehdi Taremi, who had a first-half goal disallowed for offside.
Belgium were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Iran, leaving the ‘Red Devils’ down to 10 men and facing the prospect of consecutive World Cup group-stage eliminations.
An aging star-studded lineup, including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, were lucky to escape with a point in Los Angeles on Sunday. Belgium enjoyed more possession but allowed Iran’s resilient defense to carve out the match’s most dangerous chances.
Iran striker Mehdi Taremi put the ball in the net from a first-half free kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Meanwhile, Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the second half for fouling Taremi after a misplaced backpass.
The result means all three matches in Group G have ended in draws. With two points, Belgium at least have an advantage heading into their final group match against the tournament’s lowest-ranked side, New Zealand.
Iran also need at least a point against Egypt next Friday. Already hampered by visa issues traveling from their base in Mexico to matches in the United States, ‘Team Melli’ hope to focus on football after travel restrictions were eased for their crucial trip to Seattle.
As in Iran’s previous match, protesters from Los Angeles’ large Iranian-American community gathered at the stadium to chant against their country’s current regime. Inside the ground, Iran’s national anthem was once again met with jeers and whistles – a stark contrast to the enthusiastic support for the players throughout the match.
Switching to a five-man defense, Iran sat deep in the first half, allowing Belgium to dominate possession and make hundreds of passes around the box without creating a clear chance. Target man Lukaku, back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw with Egypt, managed only a single header in the 36th minute, which sailed over the crossbar.
Iran had the two best chances of the first half, completely against the run of play. A low shot from Hossein Kanani after a long throw-in was brilliantly saved by Thibaut Courtois. And star Taremi put the ball in the net midway through the half from a clever free kick, but it was ruled out for offside.
After the break, Belgium continued to attack harmlessly while Taremi nearly scored at the other end. Courtois made a good save after Kanani headed the ball across to the Iran striker. Coach Rudi Garcia made three substitutions around the 60th minute, and his team nearly scored soon after, when Maxim De Cuyper’s close-range shot from De Bruyne’s cross was blocked.
However, disaster struck for Belgium when Ngoy was sent off. The center-back played a weak backpass to Courtois and put a hand on Taremi as the striker raced into the goal. The match descended into a tense stalemate, though De Cuyper again came close with a long-range effort.
