And Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand becoming center of attention after match against Belgium is not surprising at all.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Alireza Beiranvand for his performance in this tense 0-0 draw at Los Angeles Stadium . For Iran,this was not just any group game also,because Group G is already looking tight and every single point matters.
Beiranvand,aged 33,ended match with total of seven saves . That included four diving stops and three high claims,which is not small thing ah when Belgium is pushing and creating chances again and again.
And honestly,goalkeepers sometimes get praise only when match becomes extreme . Here Beiranvand was standing between Belgium and goal for almost whole night,especially during high-pressure moments.
Few things clearly changed direction of match:
- Beiranvand's seven saves became big reason Iran stayed level.
- VAR intervention disallowed Iran's potential goal,keeping match scoreless .
- Red card for Belgium,Nathan Ngoy's dismissal,shifted match's dynamics .
Ghalibaf,the Parliament Speaker,also shared post on X celebrating Beiranvand's work and wrote,'This is how we protect our land.' That line connected with many fans because for them,this was not just one clean sheet,it felt like national pride moment.
Belgium had started strongly,kept more possession and created several openings . One big moment came when Maxim De Cuyper hit powerful long-range effort,but Beiranvand managed to deflect it and keep Iran alive in game.
Iran also had their own heartbreak moment when Mehdi Taremi's goal was ruled out for marginal offside after VAR . That is where football feels brutal,tbh,because one small line can change whole mood of country.
Then Nathan Ngoy got straight red card for foul on Taremi,and after that Belgium had to adjust quickly . Iran pushed forward with man advantage,but even then match stayed 0-0 till end .
Now Iran leads Group G,with Belgium close behind,and New Zealand and Egypt still trying for chance to advance . Final round of group-stage matches is suddenly wide open,and this one save-heavy night may end up meaning much more than people think…
