4 takeaways from Iran’s thrilling World Cup draw with New Zealand

In a match marked by quality goals and plenty of emotion, New Zealand and Iran earned a very entertaining 2-2 draw on Monday evening at Los Angeles Stadium.

New Zealand twice took the lead thanks to a brilliant combination from Chris Wood and Elijah Just, but Iran managed to respond well on both occasions thanks to Ramin Rezaeian who scored and assisted in an inspired effort.

Here are my four takeaways from the match:

1. Wood and simply remarkable

Iran controlled the match from the start and again after the first half hydration break, but it was Chris Wood who gave New Zealand hope throughout the match. Wood is widely regarded as his country’s best player, as he leads the national team with 45 goals and 90 appearances. His experience dates back to his teenage years during the 2010 World Cup.

Wood, 34, is still playing at a very high level, having scored nine goals in World Cup qualifying, and he is just a year away from scoring 20 goals in the 2024-25 Premier League season with Nottingham Forest.

In this match, New Zealand’s plan required Wood to not only be a goal threat, but also be very effective in his hold-up play. This is what kept New Zealand in the race. New Zealand had to play with most of their players sitting deep to defend. The Kiwis were able to generate offense by bringing the ball up the field to Wood, making him hold the ball while his teammates moved from defensive positions to 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 he was the most important reason why the New Zealand attack was so effective.

This should not minimize Just’s accomplishments. The 26-year-old right winger is coming off an excellent season with Motherwell in Scotland, where he was one of four finalists nominated for the PFA Scotland’s Premiership Player of the Year award.

It was just brilliant with his runs into the box and playing on Wood’s hold-up passes.

2. Iranian domestic actors overcome obstacles

(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

There is no escaping the reality of world events, such as the wars in Iran and the Middle East, which obviously have a significant impact on the Iranian team. The team has taken some steps to address this issue, including moving its headquarters from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico.

One of the impacts of these conflicts on the field was the suspension of the Iranian national championship at the end of February. With 17 of the 26-man World Cup squad based at Iranian clubs, there were many questions about whether Iran would be prepared and fit for the tournament.

But the Iranian national team played inspired football, and none more so than Ramin Rezaeian, who scored the first equalizer with exceptional individual play. The 36-year-old full-back brought Shahriar Moghanlou into the box and continued to drive into it. Moghanlou had an attempt on goal, but the ball then fell to Rezaeian for the score.

On the second Iranian goal, Razaeian produced a perfect performance to allow Mohammad Mohebi to score the second equalizing goal. Rezaeian plays for Esteghlal and is among the Iranian national team players who haven’t played much football in recent months but were likely motivated by adversity.

Iran also received a huge boost by hosting this match in Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran. There are approximately 230,000 Iranians living in the greater Los Angeles area, and the crowd was clearly behind the team.

3. Hydration breaks have changed momentum

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

There has been a lot of talk about how hydration breaks will affect the flow of matches at this World Cup. This is a very different concept in sports that has effects far beyond allowing players to have a drink to cool off. This allows teams to regroup, change tactics, refocus, and it also deflates momentum. Teams no longer have to resolve their issues at the start 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 began to create the best chances until the break. Then after the break, New Zealand’s momentum was gone. Iran changed their approach, once again showed themselves to be the better team and scored the first equalizer in this change of momentum.

In the second half, New Zealand took advantage of the break. In the preceding minutes, Iran looked set to advance for good, while New Zealand’s defense looked on the verge of collapse. But the break allowed New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley to make adjustments and give his players a break. For the rest of the match, New Zealand’s defense was much more organized and managed to limit Iran’s chances.

4. A difficult path forward

Before the tournament, Belgium and Egypt were expected to be the top two teams in the group, while New Zealand and Iran would chase third place. With Egypt and Belgium drawing 1-1 earlier in the team, all four teams now have one point.

It was an exciting and well played match, but the lack of a winner still makes it very difficult for these teams to progress. One of these teams will finish in the top three, but without a win, it’s unlikely that any of the eight third-placed teams will move on.

Both teams must go back to the drawing board and find a way to pull off an upset against an even better opponent. Iran will next face Belgium while New Zealand will face Egypt. Neither Iran nor New Zealand have ever qualified for the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup. It’s not out of the question that this will happen in 2026, but now it will take something special.