Iran forces peace with New Zealand

Iran forces a war with New Zealand. (Reuters)

[Reporter Ni Wanjun/Comprehensive Report] Although the world ranking is far behind, New Zealand relied on 26-year-old Chinese-ancestry winger Just to score goals in the first and second half, giving Iran two fatal blows. However, 36-year-old Iranian veteran Rezaian not only scored to tie the score in the first half, but also scored with a header from teammate Mohebbi in the penalty area in the second half, saving the team from a 2:2 draw twice, taking away 1 point each time. New Zealand entered the tournament for the first time in 16 years, but has yet to win its first World Cup victory.

New Zealand, ranked 85th in the world, met Iran, ranked 20th in the world, but gave the Asian power a heads-up in the 7th minute of the game. After receiving a pass from captain Wood, Juster immediately shot and scored through the net.

However, in the 32nd minute, Iran's scoring opportunity appeared. Although Mohanlu's first attempt in the penalty area was destroyed, Rezaian shot out like "white lightning" and successfully broke the net.

The two sides entered the second half at 1:1. In the 54th minute, Just once again performed a "wonderful match" with Wood. After receiving his pass, he shot into the net, making Iran fall behind again.

Juster not only became the fifth World Cup goal scorer in New Zealand team history, but also the first player to score 2 goals in a single World Cup game. He was born in New Zealand, his father is German and his mother is Chinese.

However, New Zealand did not remain happy for long. Rezayan once again scored a goal with a long pass to Mohebbi in the penalty area, tying the score again.

Rezaian is participating in the World Cup for the third time and enjoys high popularity in Iran. In the past, he had expressed support for Martha. The protest movement after the Amini incident refused to celebrate after scoring a goal in the 2022 World Cup. Earlier this year, he was summoned by the Iranian Football Association for wearing black wristbands to commemorate the victims of the protests.