Belgium and Iran played to a 0-0 draw Sunday in Los Angeles, a result that left both teams in a precarious position heading into their final group stage matches.
According to Al Jazeera, all three matches in Group G have now ended in draws, leaving Belgium with two points and facing the possibility of group-stage elimination for the second consecutive World Cup.
Iran's Mehdi Taremi appeared to score midway through the first half. The former Inter Milan striker spun away from Belgium's defensive wall, swiveled, and buried the ball into the net from a well-worked free kick. VAR overturned the goal for offside, drawing visible frustration from pro-Iran supporters in the crowd.
Belgium's Nathan Ngoy was sent off after halftime for hauling down Taremi following a badly mishit back-pass. Playing with 10 men, Belgium's star-studded lineup, which includes Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, held on for the point. Lukaku's best effort of the match was a headed attempt in the 36th minute that sailed over the bar.
Iran's goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand made a string of saves to preserve the draw, according to BBC Sport.
Belgium controlled possession throughout but failed to create clear-cut chances. Iran sat deep behind a back five in the first half, allowing Belgium to cycle passes around the penalty area without breaking through. Iran's Hossein Kanani had the match's other strong chance, a low shot that was saved by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Outside the stadium, protesters from Los Angeles's large Iranian-American community gathered to demonstrate against the current Iranian government. Inside, Iran's national anthem was met with boos and whistles. The players themselves were loudly cheered throughout.
Belgium's final group match is against New Zealand, the tournament's lowest-ranked team. Iran will face Egypt in Seattle next Friday and needs at least a point to keep its chances of reaching the knockout stage alive. Iranian players had dealt with visa complications while traveling from their base camp in Mexico to games in the United States, though travel restrictions were reportedly easing ahead of the Seattle trip.
