Elijah Just scored a brace and Chris Wood had a pair of assists to help New Zealand, ranked 85th by FIFA, garner a 2-2 draw with 20th-ranked Iran in both teams’ Group G opener Monday night in Inglewood, Calif.
Max Crocombe made two saves for the Kiwis, who took a 2-1 lead early in the second half but couldn’t hold on for what would have been the first World Cup victory in the country’s history.
Ramin Rezaeian scored a goal and had an assist and Mohammad Mohebbi added the tying goal for Iran. Alireza Beiranvand finished with six saves.
Mohebbi got the equalizer in the 64th minute with a beautiful header in the middle of the box that went inside the far post off a long cross by Rezaeian.
Just, who scored seven goals for Motherwell of the Scottish Premiership in the just-concluded season, gave New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when he finished a give-and-go with Wood. Just took a right-footed shot from the middle of the box that went over the outstretched arms of Beiranvand for his first career World Cup goal.
Iran nearly tied it 16 minutes later when striker Mehdi Taremi blasted a curling right-footed shot from just outside the box that caromed straight out off the right post.
Rezaeian leveled the match in the 32nd minute. New Zealand defender Michael Boxall, who plays for Minnesota United in Major League Soccer, knocked the ball away from Shahriyar Moghanloo over to Rezaeian on the right edge of 6-yard box, where he poked in a shot past Crocombe.
Iran had a chance to take the lead just before halftime, but an Ali Nemati goal off a Rezaeian free kick was waved off in stoppage time because Nemati was offside on the play.
Just put New Zealand back in front in the 54th minute following another give-and-go with Wood, this time with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box past a sliding Beiranvand for his 11th career international goal.
–Field Level Media
