Iran and New Zealand draw in thrilling Group G match [VIDEO]

Footmob – LOS ANGELES, Elijah Just and Ramin Rezaeian shone for their respective teams as New Zealand and Iran played out an action-packed 2-2 World Cup draw in Los Angeles.  

Top spot in Group G was up for grabs following Belgium’s 1-1 draw with Egypt earlier on Monday, and New Zealand twice went ahead through tricky Motherwell forward Just, with Chris Wood the provider on both occasions.

Rezaeian scored Iran’s first equaliser then teed up Mohammad Mohebbi for their second, but Ardeshir Ghalenoei’s side could not find a winner against the lowest-ranked team at the tournament. 

Iran started at a blistering pace with Arya Yousefi working Max Crocombe, but New Zealand struck against the run of play in the seventh minute.

Wood expertly brought down a long punt forward from his goalkeeper, then, after the Nottingham Forest striker continued his run into the area, his next touch teed up Just to juggle the ball before lashing into the roof of the net. 

Mehdi Taremi was agonisingly close to equalising when he curled against the post with New Zealand’s defenders backing off him at the edge of the box, but Iran got level in the 32nd minute.

An intricate move resulted in Shahriyar Moghanlou being thwarted by a last-ditch Finn Surman challenge, but Rezaeian pounced with an outside-of-the-boot finish.

The offside flag frustrated Ali Nemati when he headed Rezaeian’s free-kick home in first-half stoppage time, but Just took centre-stage again nine minutes after the interval. Wood was involved again, as Just played a give-and-go with his captain before finding the far corner. 

However, New Zealand’s second lead only lasted 10 minutes as Rezaeian supplied a pinpoint cross from the right flank, with Mohebbi’s glancing header bouncing in off the post.

Iran looked the more likely victors from that point on, but New Zealand substitute Ryan Thomas made one vital clearance late on as the teams settled for a point apiece.

Los Angeles crowd treated to unexpected epic

Coming into Monday’s game in Inglewood, Iran had scored the fewest goals per game of any team to take part in 15+ World Cup matches (0.72), while only Honduras (nine) and Egypt (seven) had played more games in the competition without winning than New Zealand (six).

Few would have circled this one as one of the standout games of the group stage, but this World Cup has so far been defined by surprises, and the teams served up a classic.

The All Whites had as many shots on target in the first 30 minutes (three) as they had throughout the entire 2010 World Cup – their last appearance at the tournament. 

Just and Wood linked up brilliantly for both of their goals, as the former became the first New Zealand player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match, and the latter became their first player to record multiple assists in a single game at the competition.

In fact, Wood is only the third player to provide multiple assists for the same team-mate in a single match across the last three World Cups, after Ivan Perisic for Andrej Kramaric (Croatia vs Canada) and Joao Felix for Goncalo Ramos (Portugal vs Switzerland), both in 2022.

But Rezaeian’s efforts ensured Iran also started with a point, as the right-back became the first player to provide a goal and an assist in a single World Cup game for his nation.