0:0 between Belgium and Iran – Red Devils stumble again and fret over group win

From the start, Belgium set up in an attacking manner. Coach Rudi Garcia had changed his starting eleven in four positions compared to the opener, bringing Romelu Lukaku into the side among others. However, the striker made a negative early impact in the third minute when he slid in with an outstretched leg into Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and was shown a yellow card by Argentine referee Dario Herrera. Lukaku, who had provided a spark after coming off the bench against Egypt, was thus booked early and could no longer commit fully to the challenges.

Lukaku booked early

Belgium's first notable chance came in the 9th minute through Maxim De Cuyper, but Beiranvand was equal to it. In the 22nd minute, captain Youri Tielemans saw another effort toward the near corner saved by the Iranian keeper, who demonstrated his quality early on. De Cuyper, too, found his match in Beiranvand again in the 44th minute from a tight angle, so that the first half ended in a goalless draw.

After the break, Belgium increased the pressure further. Alexis Saelemaekers struck only the outside of the net in the 50th minute, and in the 59th minute De Cuyper squandered the best chance of the game to that point. The Belgians increasingly looked short of ideas against the defensively set-up Iranians, with their attempts repeatedly foiled by a stretched-out leg of an Iranian defender or by the outstanding Beiranvand. In the 86th minute, another De Cuyper attempt found only the keeper.

Courtois prevents a goal

At the other end, Thibaut Courtois had to intervene at full stretch to prevent going behind. As early as the 14th minute, the Belgian keeper showed his full class, parrying a long-range effort. In the 81st minute, Courtois safely gathered a follow-up attempt from Ezatolahi. In between, Iran's goal-getter Mehdi Taremi had even appeared to make it 1:0 with a clever free-kick routine, but was narrowly flagged offside.

The 0:0 in the first ever World Cup meeting between the two nations can certainly be regarded as a success for the underdog. With this result, "Team Melli" for the first time went through their opening two World Cup matches unbeaten. The Iranians, who had fielded a starting eleven with eight players over 30 and an average age of 32, put in a defensively disciplined performance and lurked cleverly on the counter.

Tehrangeles as the venue

The match was played in front of 70,317 spectators at the Los Angeles Stadium, with Iranian supporters in the majority. Greater Los Angeles is home to over 100,000 people of Iranian descent, which is why the city also bears the nickname "Tehrangeles." As in the opening match against New Zealand, the Iranian national anthem was booed by parts of the crowd, while fans in the stadium celebrated every successful action by the Iranian team.

Even before the game there had been protests from some fans, and the political dimension of the duel was once again an issue. Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei had made three changes to his lineup compared to the 2:2 against New Zealand, bringing Ehsan Haji Safi, Saleh Hardani and Hossein Kanaani into the starting eleven. Despite the adverse circumstances and last-minute changes to the team's travel arrangements to and within the USA, which felt to the Mexico-based squad like harassment, the Iranian team delivered a strong performance.

Political dimension

For Belgium, who are now unbeaten in 15 consecutive matches, it all comes down to the final group-stage matchday against New Zealand. The "All Whites" are hoping for surprise moments from their attackers Chris Wood and Elijah Just. After three draws at the 2010 World Cup and the stalemate against Iran, New Zealand are likewise still unbeaten at this tournament, which makes the situation in Group G even more exciting.

In Group G, all four teams had one point after the first matchday, meaning maximum parity. Following the 0:0 between Belgium and Iran and the other results, the group remains wide open. For Belgium, the result means that a win against New Zealand in the final match is absolutely essential in order to advance safely to the knockout stage.

Group G remains wide open

The disappointment among Belgian fans and observers was great, as a clear win against the Iranians, rated as the weaker side, had been expected. Star player Kevin De Bruyne, as in the 1:1 against Egypt, failed to convince and turned in a disappointing display. Lukaku, too, who had entered the tournament carrying a knock and had not managed 90 minutes of playing time across the season at Napoli due to injuries, remained ineffective.

Particularly frustrating from a Belgian perspective was the fact that, despite long spells of territorial dominance and numerous chances, the team was unable to put the ball in the back of the net. The "red card for an undisputed last-man foul" in the closing stages, when Ngoy fouled as the last man and was sent off, did not make things any easier. Down to ten men, Belgium had to sweat for the point.

In the end, a disappointing 0:0 for Belgium, further deepening the Red Devils' sporting crisis at this World Cup finals. Coach Garcia is now under massive pressure, because against New Zealand on Friday a win is absolutely essential in order to still reach the minimum target of the round of 16. Otherwise, an early exit looms for the highly-rated Belgians, who had been counted among the tournament favorites.