Let’s take a look at the player ratings from the 2022 FIFA World Cup match between Group B rivals Wales and Iran at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar.
Iran claimed their first points of the 2022 FIFA World Cup by springing a late surprise on Wales to snatch a 2-0 win after goals from Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian in the dying moments of extra-time.
Iran leave it late to stun 10-man Wales
The two teams played out a tense and goalless opening 45 minutes at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. Wales had the game’s first chance when Kieffer Moore poked a cross to the goal, only for Iran keeper Hossein Hosseini to push the forward’s effort away. Iran thought they responded in kind four minutes later when Ali Gholizadeh scored after playing a one-two with Sardar Azmoun. However, upon a VAR review, the referee ruled the goal out for offside to keep the scoreline level.
In the second half, Carlos Queiroz’s side were unlucky not to take the lead after Sardar Azmoun and Gholizadeh hit the post. They were clearly the better side against a ragged-looking Welsh side. The Dragons pushed hard for a goal late on, but their efforts came to nothing when No.1 Wayne Hennessey got sent off for a careless challenge on Mehdi Taremi.
In doing so, Hennessey became only the third goalkeeper in World Cup history to get a red card after Itumeleng Khune (South Africa vs Uruguay – 2010) and Gianluca Pagliuca (Italy vs Norway – 1994).
The dismissal left Wales down to 10 men and ultimately sealed their fate. Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian then struck late in added time to snatch all three points for Iran in Qatar. The Iranians will now turn their attention to the USA next Tuesday for their final Group B match. They’re currently second in the group table, and as things stand, they are in control of their fate. Wales, meanwhile, must now beat England on the same day to stand any chance of reaching the knockout round.
How does the Group B table look now?
Wales vs Iran Player Ratings
WALES: Hennessey (3); Mepham (5), Rodon (6), B Davies (7); Roberts (6), Ampadu (5), Ramsey (4), Wilson (7), N Williams (5); Bale (6), Moore (6).
BENCH: Allen (5), Johnson (6), James (6), Ward (5).
IRAN: Hosseini (7); Rezaeian (7), Pouraliganji (6), Hosseini (6), Mohammadi (7); Gholizadeh (6), Nourollahi (8), Ezatollahi (8), Hajsafi (7); Azmoun (5), Taremi (6).
BENCH: Jahanbakhsh (4), Ansarifard (5), Cheshmi (6), Torabi (6), Karimi (6).
Feel free to pick your player ratings using the list below.