Bazeley hails ‘best performance’ despite late Iranian comeback denying historic win
New Zealand may have left SoFi Stadium with only a point, but the All Whites departed with renewed belief after producing one of the finest performances in their World Cup history during a pulsating 2-2 draw against Iran.
Twice New Zealand led through the brilliance of Elijah Just, and twice Iran found a response, leaving Darren Bazeley’s men agonisingly close to securing what would have been the nation’s first-ever World Cup victory.
The All Whites made a dream start when Just opened the scoring after only seven minutes. Chris Wood’s intelligent hold-up play created the opportunity and the winger finished with confidence to silence much of the heavily pro-Iranian crowd in Los Angeles.
Iran equalised through Rezaeian before halftime, but New Zealand remained fearless and continued to threaten on the counterattack. Their courage was rewarded shortly after the restart when Just struck again, becoming one of the breakout stars of the tournament’s opening week with a composed finish for his second goal of the night.
For a brief period, New Zealand appeared destined to record one of the greatest results in the country’s football history. However, Mohebi’s 64th-minute header restored parity for Iran and ultimately ensured the points were shared.
While visibly disappointed by the outcome, head coach Darren Bazeley refused to dwell on the missed opportunity. Instead, he described the display as one of the strongest of his tenure and evidence that New Zealand belong on football’s biggest stage.
Bazeley praised his team’s courage, quality and discipline, noting that they had gone toe-to-toe with one of Asia’s strongest sides and repeatedly created problems through their attacking transitions. He admitted there was frustration at conceding the equaliser but insisted the performance should give the squad enormous confidence.
The coach’s assessment was supported by the statistics. New Zealand registered more shots on target than Iran and consistently looked dangerous whenever Wood and Just combined in attack. Their ability to remain compact defensively while threatening on the break turned the contest into one of the tournament’s most entertaining spectacles.
Just’s brace also represented a landmark moment for New Zealand football. The winger became only the second player in the nation’s history to score two goals in a World Cup match, further enhancing his growing reputation on the international stage.
With Egypt next on the schedule, New Zealand know they must quickly move on from what might have been. Yet after pushing Iran to the limit and coming within minutes of a historic victory, the All Whites have shown they are capable of much more than merely making up the numbers in Group
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