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2 hours ago
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Key events
68 mins: Brilliant form Marmoush to wriggle out of a tight spot on the left but his shot from the edge of the box hits an Iranian back and deflects well wide.
It is now Belgium 3-0 New Zealand, which means the Europeans replace Egypt on top of the group!
66 mins: Moghanloo comes on for Ghoddos.
64 mins: Egypt probe again down the left and Attia dinks over a lovely ball to the far post that Lasheen hooks back towards the penalty spot but Iran clear. Taremi is then unfortunate to concede a free-kick when he looked like the one being fouled, but the Iranian captain is increasingly isolated up front. It’s hard to figure out what Team Melli are doing here. Are they digging deep into the numbers and presuming three points will see them into the round of 32?
62 mins: That is especially the case while Egypt are happy to retain possession and work their attacks subtly. The latest is down the left and creeps into the box where Zizo has an effort deflected wide. The corner is claimed well by the decisive Beiranvand who then launches a massive punt downfield that Egypt accept with relish.
61 mins: Now Taremi is crowded out chasing a long ball. Iran are increasingly stretched, looking to extend the playing area, but that tactic is a low percentage one with Taremi so isolated.
60 mins: Taremi wins the ball with his physicality but Ezatolahi and Ghoddos in support can’t pick up the pieces.
58 mins: Iran work the ball out nicely from their own penalty area showing great composure, only to then hump a long ball that’s easily dealt with by the Egyptian defence. Meanwhile, Salah is shown receiving ice to his left hamstring in the dugout.
56 mins: Another change for Egypt and it’s Salah who makes way for Zizo. Does that mean the living legend is carrying an injury?
55 mins: When Iran take possession Egypt are dropping right off but Team Melli still go long from the keeper looking for crumbs from Taremi’s physicality in the air.
54 mins: Egypt are controlling possession. Iran are defending in a mid block, looking to press on halfway, but the ball isn’t breaking for them at the moment.
battle for the ball. Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
52 mins: Trezequet thinks he has a clear sight of goal from Salah’s cutback but an Iranian defender slides in to deflect the ball behind. Salah’s corner from the left is then whipped over dangerously first time and Ibrahim and Lasheen both rise to claim it in the six yard box but get in each other’s way!
It is 2-0 now to Belgium in Vancouver. The Europeans are now one goal away from topping the group.
51 mins: Taremi does well to win possession on halfway and set his side in motion but Mohebi is crowded out on the left.
49 mins: Trezeguet and Marmoush link well to drive Egypt between the lines but the cross at the end of the move is poor. Salah keeps the attack alive and his fierce ball towards Trezeguet is turned into a snapshot on the half-turn but Beiranvand is down low to meet it.
47 mins: Iran show intent from the off. Ghoddos whips in a superb cross from the right that Ezatolahi doesn’t gamble for at the far post. Play is recycled and a dart into the box is offloaded back to Ezatolahi who smashes a shot too hard and over the bar. Long distance shooting this tournament has been mostly rubbish.
46 mins: Egypt’s changes means they now have all four of their most attacking weapons on the field simultaneously. No resting on their laurels.
Both teams have made changes at the break.
For Egypt: Marmoush and Attia for Saber and Ashour
For Iran: Hardani for Kanani
While I put the various tables down and shelve the permutations for a while, enjoy this from Jonathan Wilson as the fallout from Uruguay’s disastrous ill-tempered campaign begins.
It ended disgracefully with a terrible foul by Agustín Canobbio for which he was rightly sent off. Even his wild-eyed fury, though, signalled in two altercations with the referee in the minutes immediately before his inexcusable lunge on Pau Cubarsí, could not displace Fernando Muslera’s despairing glance behind him as the ball dribbled inside his right-hand post as the image of Uruguay’s World Cup.
Christopher Hoffman has some more analysis of Iran’s third-place predicament.
From my reading of the table if Iran gets a draw then at worst they will be the 9th best 3rd place team.
If Austria-Algeria is not a draw (and Jordan don’t win by two) then Iran will be up to at least 8th
There are plenty of other ways for them to make the top 8 with a draw.
“Iran and Egypt taking a leaf out of the Australia v Paraguay mates rates playbook?” asks Chris Paraskevas. Absolutely not. This is full blooded attack v counterattack with four yellow cards (two for each team) and a couple more players fortunate to also not be in the referee’s notebook.
With Belgium leading New Zealand 1-0 in the other match, Group G currently looks like this:
Egypt 5 (top on goal difference)
Belgium 5
Iran 3
NZ 1
Iran’s three points and goal difference of zero ranks them sixth of the eight best third-placed teams as things stand.
Half-time: Egypt 1-1 Iran
Honours even at the end of an eventful half featuring two goals, one penalty, one penalty save, and four yellow cards.
45+4 mins: Egypt enjoy some concerted pressure but can’t fashion a clear opportunity. Hany has a good cross cleared then Saber lashes a long range effort miles over.
45+2 mins: Close! Five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half, and it almost begins with an Iran goal. Ali crosses brilliantly from the left, the ball arcing away from the goalkeeper in the corridor of uncertainty as he comes out and fails to connect with a fist. In the scrum of bodies leaping for the resulting header Khalilzadeh gets a nut to it but not with the requisite power or direction.
45 mins: Trezequet goes down on the edge of the box under pressure from Rezaeian and the Iranian is a little fortunate not to concede a free-kick in a very dangerous position.
44 mins: Egypt attempt the cute free-kick with the pass into the box and the offload around the corner but Iran defend it smartly. Egypt clearly don’t fancy themselves to win anything in the air so they’re going through their repertoire of training ground routines from set pieces.
43 mins: Now Ali is in the book for Iran. Textbook Salah spin in behind and his marker could do nothing but grasp for the red shirt before it disappeared into the distance.
41 mins: Ibrahim picks up a yellow card after following through into Ezatolahi after miscontrolling the ball coming out of defence. Hossam Hassam is furious on the touchline, smashing his dugout in frustration.
39 mins: The corner is headed firmly clear, as is the second ball, then the third effort is fired wide by Saber from outside the box.
38 mins: Trezeguet, who has been a constant threat down the left, wins a corner driving into the box.
37 mins: Saber does well in midfield in transition. Trezequet carries gamely on the left wing. Ziko accepts possession on the edge of the box – but he’s too slow and robbed before he can shape to shoot.
35 mins: Egypt have the numbers in defence but they don’t seem especially assured of their positioning. A few Iranian long balls have turned the back three around and allowed Taremi space to drop and accept the first pass or pick up the second ball.
33 mins: However, Iran remain dangerous on the counter. Ghoddos wins the ball in midfield, Taremi executes a canny stepover, but Mohebi can’t complete the Yorke-Cole one-two combination. Iran press strongly though and the ball breaks nicely in the box for Ezatolahi but he can’t keep his left-footed snapshot down.
32 mins: Egypt are starting to dictate terms. They are more comfortable in possession than Iran but just struggling to find space in the final third.
Belgium have taken the lead against New Zealand! As things stand, Egypt will top the group from Belgium with Iran relying on a miracle to qualify in third place.
30 mins: Trezeguet tries to discredit that assessment single-handedly, carrying the ball down the left wing, cutting inside, and curling a decent effort but it’s straight at Beirenvand.
28 mins: Now Iran try some slow buildup play after failing with a couple of hopeful punts forward. The hydration break has taken the sting out of proceedings.
26 mins: Egypt get back on the ball after the break, passing conservatively around their back four, taking no risks with the occasional pass into midfield, where the recipient returns the ball back from whence it came. Eventually the group leaders try a raid down the right but Trezeguet lacks the physicality to turn it into an opening.
24 mins: It remains 0-0 in Vancouver.
23 mins: This match has been too frantic to establish anything resembling a pattern as the two teams take a hydration break. Egypt are the keener to get on the ball and dictate tempo, while Iran are happy to counter directly and at speed. The two goalkeepers have been the decisive actors so far, Beiranvand with a clanger for Iran, Shobeir with a penalty save for Egypt.
22 mins: Much better delivery from Salah this time. Iran need a few bites of the cherry to get it clear, including some unconvincing flapping by Beiranvand.
20 mins: Egypt earn another corner, this time on the left. The training ground routine doesn’t come off but they recycle the ball nicely and earn another corner when Hany’s fierce drive from range is deflected wide.
18 mins: Salah shows skill on the ball to wriggle his way into the box from that inside-right position. He then demonstrates great strength to not go to ground under pressure, but also the departure of that explosive pace to burst free and fashion a shot.
Saber now goes into the referee’s book for leaving his foot in on a 50:50 in midfield.
17 mins: Yellow card to Kanani for sliding in studs up.
16 mins: Egypt make nothing of their first corner of the evening on the right.
15 mins: Abdelmonem cannot continue. He sits disconsolately against an advertising hoarding after being replaced by Ibrahim.
The ball is worked to the top left of the box then inside to Ezatolahi who has time and space to pick his spot. His shot is saved magnificently by Shobeir but the rebound falls to Rezaeian who smashes into the roof of the net brilliantly from the narrowest of angles.
GOAL! Egypt 1-1 Iran (Rezaeian, 14)
This game is going off! Iran are level!
12 mins: Abdelmonem, who conceded the penalty by kicking Taremi’s boot after the Iran striker had just toe-poked the ball away from the attempted clearance, is now down and doesn’t look fully fit. He continues for now.
10 mins: It’s all happening in Seattle.
