Wales 0-2 Iran
Iran scored twice after the eighth minute of stoppage time to snatch a stunning 2-0 win over Wales on Friday that breathed new life into their World Cup campaign and left the Welsh flat on their backs and facing a make-or-break decider against England.
After Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the 87th minute, Iran produced a remarkable finale, with Roozbeh Cheshmi driving home to give them the lead before Ramin Rezaeian added another in the 11th minute of stoppage time.
Iran, who had been facing elimination if they lost, were almost unrecognisable from the side that was thrashed 6-2 by England in their opener, and they were deserved winners even if they left it very late.
Carlos Queiroz’s side were twice denied by the woodwork in the second half at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium and made the most of the extra man after Hennessey was given his marching orders following a dreadful head-high challenge on Mehdi Taremi.
The win moves Iran to three points in Group B, two more than Wales, who were held to a 1-1 draw by the United States in their opener, with England and the U.S. facing each other later on Friday.
The group comes to a head next Tuesday, when Wales play their old rivals and Iran face the U.S.
England will be through to the next round with a win over the U.S., while Iran’s heroics have left them with all to play for.
The win was another feather in the cap for Asian sides after Saudi Arabia’s shock victory over Argentina and Japan’s triumph over Germany, as the assault on the traditional soccer powerbases of Europe and South America continues.
Once again, Iran’s buildup to the match had been dominated by speculation about how the players would respond to anti-government protests at home and whether they would give the national anthem the silent treatment as they did against England.
This time they sang along, to a backdrop of boos and jeers from the crowd with some fans pictured sobbing in the stands.
Iran’s performance also stood in stark contrast to their woeful display in their opening encounter, as they showed far more ambition, attacking adventure and enterprising passing.
“I didn’t change — absolutely nothing, it was the players that adjusted today,” said Queiroz. “They only think about playing football with no fear, they expressed themselves. And that’s why it worked well.”
