On the afternoon of the 25th (local time), the Group B second match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup between Wales and Iran was held at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Iran's Rouzbeh Cheshmi is celebrating after scoring the opening goal. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Iran crushed Wales and overcame the threat of elimination from the Qatar World Cup group stage. The pain of the heavy defeat suffered in the first match against England was also erased.
The Iran national football team won 2-0 against Wales in the second match of Group B at the Qatar World Cup, held on the 25th (Korean time) at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
Iran took a do-or-die stance in this match. They chose a 4-4-2 formation to operate the game normally. Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun, who play in Europe, coordinated up front. Wales fielded an attacking line featuring star player Gareth Bale and tall striker Kieffer Moore.
In the 12th minute of the first half, Moore rushed in and connected a right-footed shot from a corner kick by Roberts (Burnley), but it was stopped by goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini (Esteghlal). Three minutes later, Ali Gholizadeh (Charleroi) pushed in Azmoun’s pass in front of the goal to shake the Wales net, but the goal was canceled due to an offside call.
In the 6th minute of the second half, Azmoun connected a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area on a pass from Ehsan Hajsafi (Athens), but the ball hit the right goalpost and bounced out. In the ensuing situation, Gholizadeh’s left-footed shot in front of the goal also hit the post, and Azmoun’s rebound header went into the goalkeeper’s hands.
The balance of the match sharply tipped toward Iran in the 40th minute of the second half when Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off. During an Iranian counterattack, Hennessey came out of the goal and collided while trying to stop Taremi’s breakthrough. After reviewing the situation with VAR, the referee judged Hennessey’s charge to be threatening to the opponent and showed a red card.
With a numerical advantage, Iran did not hold back their shots and threatened the Wales goal. The long-awaited goal came in stoppage time of the second half. Substitute Rouzbeh Cheshmi scored the opening goal with a mid-range shot. Then Ramin Rezaeian added another goal, ending the match with a 2-0 victory. Iran recorded 1 win and 1 loss (3 points), while Wales recorded 1 draw and 1 loss (1 point). Both teams will play their final group stage matches on the 30th against the United States and England, respectively.
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