California, Jun 22 (V7N) – Belgium and Iran played out a tense goalless draw in their FIFA World Cup Group G encounter at SoFi Stadium in California on Sunday, leaving the group standings finely balanced after three consecutive draws.
Belgium dominated possession and attacking play from the opening whistle, creating a number of scoring opportunities through the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. However, the European side failed to break down a resilient Iranian defense.
Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was in outstanding form, making four crucial saves in the first half to keep Belgium at bay.
Iran also threatened on the counterattack and nearly took the lead before halftime. Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced a vital save to deny the Asian side, while an Iranian goal from a well-worked free-kick was ruled out for offside.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with both goalkeepers playing key roles. Courtois denied a powerful effort from Mehdi Taremi in the 53rd minute, while Beiranvand made another impressive save to stop Maxime De Cuyper's fierce strike seven minutes later.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 66th minute when Belgian defender Nathan Ngoy was shown a straight red card for a foul on Taremi, reducing Belgium to ten men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Belgium managed to hold firm defensively and prevent Iran from capitalizing on the extra player. Iran, meanwhile, failed to convert several promising opportunities as both sides settled for a point.
The result leaves Group G delicately poised heading into the final round of group-stage fixtures.
Belgium will face New Zealand in their final group match next Saturday, while Iran will take on Egypt. Both matches are scheduled to kick off at 9:00 a.m. Bangladesh time.
END/SMA/AJ
