Iran defeated Wales 2-0 in what was a dramatic conclusion to the game to catapult themselves to second place in Group B. Both goals were scored during the second-half additional time, making for a dramatic ending to the game.
Wales was put on the back foot after goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the 85th minute for a hard challenge on Taremi outside the box. Tapping into their extra man advantage, Iran broke the deadlock in the 98th minute of play when Roozbeh Cheshmi struck the ball into the net with his left foot from the edge of the box.
11 minutes in stoppage time, Ramin Rezaeian sealed the Iranians’ victory following a fast-paced counter-attack. “This is just the beginning, but we need to finish the job,” Iran coach Carlos Quieroz confirmed to the media following the victory. “Our players deserve to be supported. We want to play for the fans.”
With this victory, Iran takes itself off the bottom of the table and surge into second place, ahead of the United States and Wales. With the Welsh set to play England in their final group stage game, Iran will have it all to play for when they face the second-placed United States on Tuesday.
