5 min readNew JerseyJun 16, 2026 10:15 AM IST
First published on: Jun 16, 2026 at 10:04 AM IST
Four goals, two apiece by New Zealand and Iran, 31 shots on goals, and numerous defensive blunders made for a thrilling game at the Los Angeles Stadium. Draws were perhaps the day’s theme, as all teams that played split points.
The Iran-New Zealand encounter was the most nail-biting of them all, with its rope-a-dope flow. Twice New Zealand gathered the lead, both times courtesy Chris Wood-Elijah Just alliance. Just netted a brace, and Wood a pair of assists, And twice Iran equalised. The goals, from build-up to finish, were exemplarily plotted, but not so much the game, strewn with numerous defensive lapses.
AS IT HAPPENED | Iran vs New Zealand
But after the stormy preparations and the grim war realities they had endured hours before the game; a peace treaty was signed between the US and Iran, Iran would be the more content side. The night’s man though was New Zealand winger Elijah, who plies his trade in the Scottish league but soon would summon the attention of clubs from bigger leagues. His second goal had a dancer’s silk and a sniper’s cold-eyed ruthlessness.
In front of Elijah Just, two men were on a collision course. The Iran centre back Saleh Khalilazad and goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand converged from opposite directions to block Elijah’s goal-ward vision. Elijah had a moving target. He paused for a split second and threaded the ball through the needle-eye space between them. Elijah, of Japanese-German descent, was the goal’s designer too, vaulting up-field on the flanks, exchanging passes with Sarpreet Singh and Chris Wood, before the latter selflessly laid off the ball to Elijah, who latched on.
In sync with the game’s theme, Iran equalised inside ten minutes when Mohammad Mohebi blasted a header past All Whites goalkeeper Max Crocombe. As searing as the header was, the pre-assist cross of Saman Ghoddos from the left flank to the left was powerful and precise and shook New Zealand. Ramin Rezaeian, the scorer of Iran’s first goal, played a valuable role in controlling the ball with a cushioned first touch. Another touch to gather his balance, he swung a cross for Mohebi to restore parity.
Opportunities buzzed for both teams without a decisive shot, perhaps fittingly for a game in which both teams attacked vehemently, barely bothering to shift down the gears.
Game of moments
The first half was a game of moments. Precisely two moments. First when Crocombe smote a long ball upstream, which Chris Wood collected delectably. Wood, an old-school poacher, is more reputed for headers, nudges and scraps than touch. Yet, he channeled his inner Zinedine Zidane receiving the ball. A defender badgering him, he opened his body, controlled the ball with a velvety touch off the chest, which he then juggled with his thigh. From the side of his eyes, he saw a white shirt frantically lunging to steal the ball. He did a semi-pirouette to ensure that his offender would stab the air.
He then nudged the ball to Sarpreet, who returned to Wood. He merely brushed the ball towards Elijah Just, whose half-volleyed delivery found the goal. Until the moment, New Zealand had looked forlorn, confined to repelling Iran’s advances with last-gasp blocks and interventions. New Zealand’s only ambition was to find Wood, their figurehead. Wood nearly conceived another chance, which began with a sumptuous back-heel. But Sarpreet flayed the ball bizarrely wild.
The act played out in exactly the same way. New Zealand’s intensity momentarily flagged and right back Ramin Rezaeian flung a first-time pass from the outside of the foot, ala Croatian metronome Luka Modric. Shahriyar Moghanlou sprung for the ball but Finn Surman reached first. But his clearance ricocheted off his fellow defender and fell nicely onto the Rezaeian’s path. He coolly top-poked the ball past Crocombe.
The game assumed a frantic end-to-end tempo (both teams had a combined 16 attempts), but without clear-cut chances for either team. Both marauded into each other’s half and then turned ponderous near the box. The second half was a repeat, as New Zealand and Iran retreated to the dressing room neither unhappy nor happy. New Zealand’s coach Darren Bazeley admitted that his team nursed regrets of missing out on their maiden World Cup win. “It’s going to be a little bittersweet because we had a chance to make history tonight and win a game at a World Cup. And we came really close, we didn’t lose. We kept in it and played really, really well. So proud,” he said.
The game had a chaotic start with some Iran fans waving the pre-revolutionary flag. The stewards did not interfere because the flag-bearers had delivered a court verdict allowing them to wave the flag. They also booed the national anthem and shouted that “this is not our team.” None of the tension, though, simmered onto the pitch.
Twice New Zealand gathered the lead, both times courtesy Chris Wood-Elijah Just alliance. Just netted a brace, and Wood a pair of assists, And twice Iran equalised. (AP Photo) 
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