Report by Paz Hasdai, messenger of Walla!
Sports for Qatar, after Iran's victory over Wales (photo: Paz Hasdai, video editing: Assaf Drori)
Watch the recap of Iran's victory over Wales: courtesy of Kaan 11 - the official broadcaster of the 2022 World Cup. Live broadcasts, recaps, statistics and more await you on Kaan's World Cup page
Today (Friday), Iran came close to qualifying for the first round of the World Cup for the first time in history, with a dramatic 0:2 victory over Wales in Group B.
Carlos Queiroz's players dominated the field, but only in the 98th minute were they able to take the lead at the feet of Rozva Cheshmi.
Ramin Rezaian doubled in the 101st minute, and thus the Iranians scored the late winning goals in the history of the World Cup.
The focus of attention before the opening whistle was again captured by the storm of the Iranian national anthem, when the players did sing it this time after the protest in the first round, while the fans again booed and some even burst into tears.
The legendary Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, reinforced in a tweet: "You will be remembered for your courage. This victory is a sign of hope and strength for those who fight for freedom in your country. You are heroes in the eyes of many people, including me."
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Iran national team players (Photo: GettyImages, Richard Heathcote)
The one who appeared in the World Cup as a player and as a coach, the German Jurgen Klinsmann, who previously coached the United States team and currently serves as a commentator on the "BBC", pointed out Iran's dubious tactics: "They sat on the referee, on the linesman and on the fourth referee. They are constantly in their ears It's not by chance, it's part of their culture and style of play. There were a lot of incidents that we didn't see. They take you out of the game, five players around the referee. With another referee, it would have looked different."
Kiiros celebrated the victory: "It was a wonderful day for us, we returned to football and I have no words to thank the players. They deserve all the respect and attention, they made the adjustments - not me."
The Portuguese, who after the defeat at the hands of England criticized his team's fans with a controversial statement, changed his direction this time: "We did it for them. That's the only reason we're here, to play for the fans."
A painful loss.
Gareth Bale (Photo: Reuters)
On the other side, Wales captain Gareth Bale admitted: "It hurts, there's no other way to describe it. We fought until the last second, it's hard to digest, but we'll have to recover and try again," said the 33-year-old player about the chance that his team still has to advance, although not independent of itself.
Bale also referred to the dismissal of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey in the 87th minute, adding: "Obviously it will be difficult and it depends on the corresponding match, but we'll see. Red cards change the game completely."
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