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In a match that featured quality goals and plenty of emotion, New Zealand and Iran played out a highly entertaining 2-2 draw on Monday night at the Los Angeles Stadium.
New Zealand took the lead twice through a superb combination of Chris Wood and Elijah Just, but Iran were able to respond well twice with Ramin Rezaeian scoring and assisting in an inspired effort.
Here are my four takeaways from the match:
1. Wood and bare was remarkable
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Iran controlled the game early and then again after the first-half hydration break, but it was Chris Wood who gave New Zealand hope throughout the game. Wood is widely regarded as his country’s greatest ever player as he leads the national team with 45 goals and 90 appearances. His experience dates back to playing as a teenager at the 2010 World Cup.
Wood, 34, is still playing at a very high level after scoring nine goals in World Cup qualifying and is just a year away from scoring 20 goals in the 2024-25 Premier League season with Nottingham Forest.
In this game, New Zealand’s plan required Wood not just to be a goalscoring threat, but also to be very effective with his hold-up play. That’s what kept New Zealand in the game. New Zealand had to play with most of their players sitting deep to defend. The Kiwis were able to create offense by getting the ball upfield to Wood, allowing him to hold the ball up while his teammates moved from defensive positions into attack.
While Elijah Just scored both goals, it was Wood’s efforts on both plays that made it all possible.
Wood was extremely strong with his hold-up play and was the main reason New Zealand’s attack was so effective.
That shouldn’t downplay Just’s achievements. The 26-year-old right-winger is coming off a fantastic season with Motherwell in Scotland, where he was one of four finalists nominated for the PFA Scotland’s Premiership Player of the Year award.
Just was fantastic with his runs into the box and played off the hold-up passes from Wood.
2. Iran’s domestic players overcome obstacles
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
One cannot escape the reality of world events, such as the wars in Iran and in the Middle East, which clearly affect this Iranian squad significantly. The team has taken some steps to address this, moving its headquarters from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico.
One impact on the pitch of these conflicts was the suspension of Iran’s domestic league at the end of February. With 17 players on the team’s 26-man World Cup roster based on Iranian clubs, there were many questions about whether Iran would be prepared and fit for the tournament.
But Iran’s home side played inspired football, and none more so than Ramin Rezaeian, who scored the first equalizer with some superb individual play. The 36-year-old full-back played Shahriar Moghanlou into the box and kept moving into it. Moghanlou had an attempt at goal, but the ball then fell back to Rezaeian for the score.
On Iran’s second goal, Razaeian sent in a perfect pass to set up Mohammad Mohebi for the second equaliser. Rezaeian plays for Esteghlal and is among the Iran internationals who have not played much football in recent months but were likely motivated by the adversity.
Iran also got a huge boost by having this game in Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran. There are approximately 230,000 Iranians living in the Los Angeles area, and the crowd was significantly behind the team.
3. Hydration breaks changed momentum
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
There was a lot of talk about how hydration breaks would affect the flow of play at this World Cup. It’s a very different concept in sports that has effects far beyond letting the players’ drinks cool down. It allows teams to regroup, change tactics, refocus, and it also slows down momentum. Teams no longer have to play through their problems in the early parts of each half. Instead, they can play for the hydration break.
In the first half, the hydration break changed everything. After Iran started on the front foot, New Zealand then began to have the best chances until the break. So after the break, New Zealand’s momentum was gone. Iran changed their approach, were again the better team and scored the first equalizer in that momentum shift.
In the second half, New Zealand benefited from the break. In the minutes before, Iran looked to be going ahead for good as New Zealand’s defense looked to be collapsing. But the break gave New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley the opportunity to make adjustments and give his players a break. For the rest of the match, New Zealand’s defense was far more organized and was able to limit Iran’s chances.
4. Difficult way to either move forward
Before the tournament, it was expected that Belgium and Egypt would be the top-2 teams in the group, while New Zealand and Iran would push for third place. As Egypt and Belgium drew 1-1 earlier in the group stage, all four teams now have a point.
It was an exciting and well-played match, but the lack of a winner still makes it very difficult for these teams to advance. One of those teams will finish in the top three, but without a win it is unlikely that any of the eight third-placed teams will advance.
Both teams need to go back to the drawing board and find a way to pull off an upset against an even better opponent. Iran next play Belgium, while New Zealand take on Egypt. Neither Iran nor New Zealand have ever progressed to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup. It is not out of the question whether it happens in 2026, but now something special is needed.
