Iran v New Zealand
Play By Play
FULL-TIME: IRAN 2-2 NEW ZEALAND
Ghayedi’s late inswinging corner is met at the far post by Ezatolahi, who keeps the ball in play by nodding it across the face of goal, but Thomas throws himself in the way to intercept!
Bazeley’s fifth and final substitution sees Stemnic make way for Bindon.
New Zealand make a change in attack two minutes into added time, taking off Singh for Randall.
The fourth official indicates five minutes will be added to the end of the match for stoppages.
Hajisafi sticks in a leg to bring Just down robustly on the halfway line, looking to prevent a counter-attack. The Iran substitute gives the referee a knowing smile before receiving his yellow card, which is met without any protest.
Ezatolahi feints intelligently after receiving Rezaeian’s pass in midfield to win a bit of room ahead of Thomas before curling a strike from distance that’s caught cleanly by the New Zealand goalkeeper.
The ball trickles out to Ezatolahi 25 yards from goal following a scramble inside the penalty area, with neither team able to get their foot on it, but the midfielder’s first-time shot fails to come back down and hit Crocombe’s target.
Taremi was directly involved in 49% of Iran’s goals in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup – scoring 10 and assisting seven of Iran’s 35 goals. He also played more minutes than any other Team Melli player. (1,331 minutes)
Iran are upset following Wood’s challenge on Khalilzadeh in midfield, as Team Melli players believe the shoulder into the face of the centre-back was deliberate. To be fair it didn’t appear as though the Nottingham Forest striker knew much about the coming-together, and VAR has cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Taremi’s off-target header is his last involvement in the match, with the captain replaced by Hosseinzadeh to partner Alipour.
Rezaeian’s first-time cross from the right is somehow met by Taremi in between Surman and Old, but the striker places his header well wide of Crocombe’s far post.
New Zealand’s latest substitution comes in defence, and sees Elliot take over from Payne with 12 minutes left to go at Los Angeles Stadium.
Ghayedi drags the ball from the right flank to the edge of the penalty area for Taremi, who lays it off with his back to goal for Hajisafi, but the substitute’s first-time strike is blocked and put out of play for a throw by Surman.
With a quarter-hour left to play, Opta’s super computer gives Iran a 31% chance to win the match outright, while New Zealand’s odds of putting themselves ahead for the third time tonight remains slim at 12%. The likeliest scenario is a draw, with 58% and the two teams sitting level at 2-2, though the chances are still flowing despite a large number of stoppages.
Ghayedi plays it forward for the overlapping Mohammadi, who gives chase and pressures Stamenic, looking to force a mistake ahead of the New Zealand byline, but the midfielder manages to work an inch of space to hit a clearance that results in a goal-kick for Crocombe.
The referee blows his whistle and gives both sides a hydration break, a half-dozen minutes after Iran put themselves level for the second time tonight. The well-timed pause in play will allow both teams to recalibrate ahead of the final frame, with either side more than capable of adding one last twist to the tale.
Old is sent into the fray just before the hydration break, with Cacace the man to come off.
New Zealand’s first substitution of the contest sees Thomas come on in McCowatt’s stead on the right wing.
Rezaeian is given the opportunity to deliver the ball into the 18-yard box once again, this time from a corner-kick, which is met and punched away by a brave Crocombe through the crowd of bodies.
Ghoddos makes way with 25 minutes remaining, giving Hajisafi a chance to get involved in the action.
Rezaeian has been influential in all phases of the game tonight, doing his duties at full-back while also scoring Iran’s opening goal. 32 minutes later and he’s involved himself once again, providing a perfect cross for Mohebbi to score - which goes down as the assist.
A TEXTBOOK HEADER RESTORES PARITY YET AGAIN! 2-2! Again showing his incredible ability to deliver a ball, Rezaeian settles Ghoddos’ switch of play with a helpful first touch before whipping a superb cross to the edge of the six-yard box for the completely unmarked Mohebbi, who guides it past the helpless Crocombe with a well-placed header!
Boxall takes a free-kick from the halfway line quickly, playing it over the top of the Iran defence for Wood, who again gets his chest to it. This time though, he lays the ball off for the late run of Singh, whose awkward half-volley is caught cleanly by Beiranvand.
Only Honduras (nine) and Egypt (seven) have played more World Cup matches than New Zealand (six) without ever recording a win.
