Iran 2-0 Wales: Welsh Hearts Broken at the Death
Welsh hearts were broken as Iran scored two goals in stoppage time to win 2-0, effectively knocking Wales out of Qatar 2022.
Goals from Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian in the 98th and 100th minute mean that Wales’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages are all but over.
The game was as tense as a knockout game, with both sides struggling to create many clear-cut chances.
That is until goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was Red Carded 84 minutes into the game for a foul on Mehdi Taremi.
The man advantage gave Iran the boost they needed to break the deadlock and close out a result which sees Wales needing a miracle in the last round of group games.
Despite the poor result, it was a momentous occasion for Gareth Bale as he became Wales’s most-capped player of all time with 110 appearances, breaking Chris Gunter’s record of 109 appearances.
The first real chance of the game came 11 minutes in when Kieffer Moore forced a great save from Iranian keeper Hossein Hosseini after getting on the end of a Connor Roberts cross.
Iran were the first to hit the back of the net 14 minutes in Roberts sprayed a horizontal ball that was intercepted by Ali Gholizadeh who gave it to Azmoun.
The striker then squared the ball back to Gholizadeh who rolled it into the net, only for the attempt to be chalked off by VAR for an easily avoidable offside.
The First Half finished 0-0 with the best chance of the game falling to Moore early. The Welsh had more of the ball but failed to convert it into anything concrete, in a half that was as tense as a knockout game.
The second half saw the game open up though, with both teams driving for the win in an attempt to keep their world cup alive.
Iran hit the post twice in a minute and were denied by a brilliant save by Wayne Hennessy 51 minutes into the game.
Azmoun hit Hennessy near the post only for the ball to fall to Gholizadeh who struck the other post from outside the box, and off the following rebound, Azmoun could only force his diving header into the Welsh goalkeeper’s chest.
Iran continued the pressure which led Wales manager Rob Page to change his system as Roberts and Harry Wilson came off for Brennan Johnson and Daniel James.
This meant the formation changed from 3-5-2 to a 4-2-3-1 in an attempt to control the midfield and stretch Iran’s defence.
The game carried on at breakneck speed with Iran looking stronger and stronger as time went on and the tactical change from Page seemed not to be working.
Saeid Ezatolahi forced a diving save from Hennessy low to his right 71 minutes in.
Ben Davies then fired a rocket from outside the area only for Hosseini to acrobatically tip it over the bar.
Then disaster struck for Wales as Hennessy was red-carded following a VAR review after Taremi beat him to the ball and the Welsh goalkeeper took him out denying a clear goalscoring opportunity 81 minutes into the match.
This forced Page to ring Danny Ward on for Aaron Ramsey and Welsh backs were well and truly against the wall.
Mehdi Torabi then flashed the ball just wide from outside the box 88 minutes in as Iran banged on the Welsh door.
Ultimately the dam broke as Iran won it at the death via an absolute rocket into the bottom corner from Cheshmiin the 98th minute.
They then sealed the game through Rezaeian’s deft chip over Danny Ward, leaving Wales players stricken across the pitch, unable to cope with the pain of the loss.
