Ngoy was sent off

Goalless Draw Against Iran: Belgium Still Winless

Belgium’s Nathan Ngoy was shown a red card in the 66th minute.(Bild: AP/Gregory Bull)

Belgium remained winless in its second World Cup group stage match and now faces an uncertain path to advancing to the knockout round. The “Red Devils,” who had to play with one man down for over 25 minutes, could not manage more than a 0-0 draw against Iran in Los Angeles despite dominating play for long stretches. 

Iran (“Team Melli”) thus became the first team to go undefeated in its first two World Cup matches. Both teams had previously drawn their opening group matches.

Boos During Iran’s National Anthem and Political Messages
There was already commotion before kickoff: As the Iranian national anthem played, boos rang out from the stands. It could not be determined whether they came from Americans or Iranian exiles in opposition. A political banner was also visible in the stands. Before the tournament began, Iran had reserved the right to abandon its matches if political messages appeared in the stands.

Political banner in the stands.(Bild: AFP/JAMIE SQUIRE)

Red Alert for Lukaku
The match itself saw its first major stir as early as the third minute. Belgium’s powerhouse striker Romelu Lukaku, weighing around 100 kilograms, charged into the five-meter box; Iran’s goalkeeper Alireza Beirandvand came off his line and was struck by the Belgian’s outstretched leg. Lukaku struck him in the chest with full force. The Iranian keeper sank to the ground and writhed in pain. Yet referee Dario Herrera of Argentina showed Lukaku only a yellow card. 

Romelu Lukaku(Bild: AFP/JAMIE SQUIRE)

Regardless, Belgium got off to a strong start and put pressure on Iran’s five-man back line with fluid combinations, speed, and crosses. Kevin De Bruyne, Maxim De Cuyper, and Lukaku were unlucky with their early shots. Captain Youri Tielemans (22') saw his shot at the near post saved by Beiranvand. Shortly afterward, Iran’s goal-scorer Taremi scored what appeared to be the 1-0 lead for the underdog with a free-kick trick, but he was narrowly offside.

Belgium’s efforts came to nothing
The Belgians continued to dominate possession but failed to create clear-cut chances in the danger zone in front of the goal. De Cuyper (44') also found his match in Beiranvand from a tight angle, while Alexis Saelemaekers (50') hit only the side netting. De Cuyper squandered the best chance of the match so far in the 59th minute, just in front of the goal line. Iran could barely catch their breath and fought back with increasing intensity. On their rare counterattacks, however, the No. 22 in the FIFA rankings was wide awake—as in the 53rd minute, for example, when Thibaut Courtois made a spectacular save on a Taremi volley.

Iran’s goalkeeper, Alireza Beirandvand, got under the Belgians’ skin several times with a number of strong saves.(Bild: AP/Mark J. Terrill)

Belgium Down a Man from the 66th Minute Onward
In the 66th minute, Belgium’s center back Nathan Ngoy was sent off for a professional foul on Mehdi Taremi. With a man advantage, the Iranians then held on to the lead until the final whistle.

Courtois made a diving save to stop an Ezatolahi long-range shot (81st), and De Cuyper (86th) was once again denied by Beiranvand. Finally, a curling shot by substitute Dodi Lukebakio narrowly missed the target in stoppage time.

Belgium, now unbeaten in 15 consecutive games, will face New Zealand on the final matchday of the group stage this coming Friday (Saturday, 5 a.m. CEST). At the same time, Iran must get past Egypt.

Iran’s Team Makes World Cup History
Incidentally, this match marked a first. Never before had there been an international match between the “Red Devils” and “Team Melli”—neither an official competitive match nor a friendly. Additionally, against Belgium, Iran fielded the oldest starting lineup in World Cup history since records began in 1966. Coach Amir Ghalenoei’s starting eleven had an average age of 32 years and 181 days.