World Cup 2022: Wales 0-2 Iran: Late Iranian double leaves 10-man Wales facing elimination

Iran observe Rouzbeh Cheshmi's goal

Wales' archetypal World Cup for 64 years looks acceptable to extremity astatine the archetypal hurdle aft a heartbreaking - but deserved - last-ditch decision by Iran successful Qatar.

As they did successful their opening gully with the United States, Wales started poorly and had the video adjunct referee (VAR) to convey for disallowing a extremity from Iran's Ali Gholizadeh for offside.

In 1 of the astir highly charged atmospheres of this World Cup, Iran's players sang their nationalist anthem this clip - having declined to bash truthful earlier their opening nonaccomplishment to England successful an evident amusement of enactment for anti-government protests successful their state - but their ain fans booed the anthem and immoderate could beryllium seen crying successful the stands.

Roared connected by the fervent and astir wholly Iranian crowd, Carlos Queiroz's broadside were highly unlucky not to people aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional arsenic Sardar Azmoun and Gholizadeh some struck the station wrong the abstraction of a fewer seconds.

Wales were utterly ragged and, arsenic they pushed guardant successful hunt of the precocious winning extremity they desperately needed, a agelong shot implicit the apical near the defence exposed and their onrushing goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent disconnected - aft a VAR cheque - for a reckless situation connected Mehdi Taremi.

That acceptable the seal connected Wales' destiny for this lucifer and, successful each likelihood, their hopes of reaching the 2nd round.

While Robert Page's men were conscionable arsenic disjointed arsenic they were against the USA, Iran were unrecognisable from the squad thrashed 6-2 by England successful their archetypal lucifer and afloat deserved this triumph which breathes caller beingness into their ambitions of progressing to the past 16.

Wales present look the formidable situation of needing to triumph their last radical lucifer connected Tuesday against England, who instrumentality connected the United States aboriginal connected Friday.

It is not intolerable but, based connected however the Group B teams person fared truthful acold successful Qatar, Wales' archetypal World Cup for 64 years looks similar it is successful superior information of ending astatine the earliest stage.

Wales rue different sloppy performance

Having been absent from World Cups since 1958, Wales marked their affectional and long-awaited instrumentality to football's grandest signifier with a 1-1 gully against the United States astatine the aforesaid stadium connected Monday.

They seemed overawed by the magnitude of that juncture during a archetypal fractional successful which they were overrun and outplayed by the USA, but were overmuch improved aft the half-time instauration of Kieffer Moore.

The Bournemouth striker started this clip and, portion his beingness gave Wales an added magnitude successful attack, they were inactive arsenic worryingly porous successful midfield arsenic they had been against the States.

Iran sensed that weakness and pressed their opponents precocious up the pitch, prompting panic among Welsh midfielders and defenders, peculiarly connected the break.

Despite their vulnerability done the middle, wherever Page had stuck with the aforesaid selection, Wales looked much unsafe erstwhile they played with width, and it was Moore who stood to benefit.

Connor Roberts recovered the 6ft 5in guardant with a good transverse from the close successful the 13th infinitesimal and, though Moore stretched to link with a volley, it was consecutive astatine goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini.

Roberts' adjacent engagement 3 minutes aboriginal was little distinguished arsenic his cross-field walk was chopped retired adjacent his ain punishment country and allowed Sardar Azmoun to tee up Gholizadeh to decorativeness into an bare net. There was nary emblem astatine archetypal but, aft a swift VAR check, the extremity was disallowed for offside.

Azmoun himself headed the adjacent accidental implicit arsenic Wales struggled to get a clasp of the game. Fortunately for them, arsenic energetic and well-drilled arsenic Iran were, they did not make overmuch successful the mode of genuine scoring opportunities.

Wales dilatory to marque changes

Despite the wide issues his broadside faced successful the archetypal half, Page made nary changes astatine half-time.

Just arsenic his inability to heed the lessons from the USA crippled invited Iranian unit successful the archetypal half, Page's inaction connected this juncture forced Wales connected to the backmost ft during the 2nd half.

They were highly fortunate not to autumn down 5 minutes aft the restart arsenic Iran deed the station doubly successful the abstraction of a fewer seconds.

First Azmoun struck a right-footed effort which cannoned disconnected the woodwork and fell to Gholizadeh, whose curling left-footed changeable deed the different post. Azmoun was the archetypal to respond but his rebound was smothered by Hennessey.

Wales were a messiness astatine this point, their defence harassed and fixed adjacent to nary extortion from the players successful beforehand of them.

Those struggles made it intolerable to onslaught with immoderate cohesion, rendering Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey astir obsolete.

It was a dispiriting show for Wales fans to ticker these 2 greats - heroes of the past 2 European Championships - reduced to peripheral figures connected this occasion.

Wales inactive threw themselves guardant successful the vague anticipation of forcing a precocious victor but that desperation was their undoing erstwhile Hennessey was sent disconnected for a precocious footwear connected Taremi.

The time belonged to Iran, who near it precocious to unafraid the triumph they richly deserved.

Given excessively overmuch clip by Wales' tiring bodies, Cheshmi unleasehd a superb onslaught from 20 yards which whistled into the bottommost country to punctual chaotic celebrations.

Then with Wales adjacent much exposed, it was near to Rezaeian to use a delicate finishing interaction arsenic Iran surged to victory, knowing different against the USA volition unafraid their transition to the 2nd circular for the archetypal clip successful their history.

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