Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The match at the Los Angeles stadium may have started with the Iranian players being booed during the national anthem, but ended with the Asian giants having their name ringing throughout the arena as they held 10-man Belgium to a 0-0 draw. Iran had their goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand to thank as he pulled off some sensational saves to keep Belgium at bay.
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This further improved Iran’s chance of making it to the knockout stages. Belgium were left to rue their poor decision-making inside the box as they had the largest number of shots and possession, but failed to make an impact with it. The Red Devils had 22 shots on goal and seven on target, but failed to get past Beiranvand and the stubborn Iranian defence.
BEIRANVAND BECOMES A WALL
Beiranvand is a cult hero in Iranian football folklore. Back in the 2018 edition of the tournament, he got himself into limelight by saving a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo. The moment was so iconic that it was recreated in two Iranian TV series and was even used as a part of the storyline.
The start to the match for the Iranian goalkeeper was nothing short of dramatic as he was caught by Romelu Lukaku early on as he tried to stop a cross from De Bruyne. In the 10th minute, he was once again alert to prevent Belgium from taking the lead as the pressure was completely on Iran.
But it wasn’t all about defending for Iran as they made Thibaut Courtois work hard in the 14th minute as Hossein Kanaanizadegan’s shot needed saving. The pressure was amped up by the Red Devils, but it was Iran who thought they had taken the lead in the 26th minute.
Mehdi Taremi finished off a smart free-kick routine to stun the fans inside the stadium, but the referee cut the celebrations short.
Belgium continued to push on by creating a lot of chances, but Iran remained resolute as the score remained 0-0.
Beiranvand’s performance came in clutch during the second half, as Iran started brightly and created a few chances. But the Belgian firepower slowly started to gain control of things and thought they had gone ahead.
Kevin De Bruyne whipped a brilliant ball across the face of goal, triggering chaos inside the Iranian penalty area. One shot, then another, followed by a third desperate block, somehow failed to beat Iran before Alireza Beiranvand finally flung himself onto the loose ball. Belgium could not believe they had been denied, and neither could anyone else inside the stadium.
In a bid to save the game, Belgium made three changes in the form of Timothy Castagne, Dodi Lukebakio and Hans Vanaken. Slowly, Belgium grew into the game but their momentum was cut-short by a red card for Nathan Ngoy.
Despite going down to 10 men, Belgium kept being on the front foot. However, Beiranvand wasn’t ready to give away his clean sheet easily. The same was the case with the Iranian defence.
Belgium was forced to take Romelu Lukaku off the field, but created most of the chances. De Bruyne had a horrible day in the office as misplaced passes became a feature of Belgium on the day. Beiranvand made one more save deep into the second half.
The Iranian defence remained compact and resolute to ensure that they were able to get a point heading into the final match day.
BELGIUM’S ATTACK LOOKED TOOTHLESS
Belgium needs to admit that their golden era maybe well past its prime and it was evident during the game. Lukaku struggled to find his first touch going and De Bruyne cut a lone figure as the rest of the stars just failed to step up.
Lukaku, in particular, didn’t make a single start in the Serie A and was put to bring in the goals. He made an instant impact in the first game but he was constantly hounded out by the Iran defence. For Belgium to go forward, they may need to slowly find players within the camp who can be more of a goal threat on a consistent basis.
The last goal that Belgium scored in the tournament was in 2022, when Batshuayi got on the scoresheet against Canada. Since then, Belgium have had 69 shots, with none of them going into the net.
With the final two matches in Group G being played on June 27, Belgium cannot afford complacency anymore.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
