Iran's entertaining draw with New Zealand offers brief respite - ESPN

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Albeit for incredibly different reasons, Iran and New Zealand have had two of the most unusual buildups to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But on Monday evening, all of that was put aside for a soccer game at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) that just might have been the best game of the tournament so far, ending in a pulsating 2-2 draw.

And then, alas, reality descended once more.

But first, the contest. Some games can be best described as a chess match. Others are a slog, or perhaps a grind, and others are one-way traffic. This one felt like a sprint, with both sides going pedal to the metal straight from the opening kickoff, alternating who had the wind at their backs multiple times, and not letting up until they shared the spoils at full time.

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Twice it was the combination of Chris Wood and Elijah Just that saw New Zealand move ahead, with Just's brace making him the first Kiwi to sit atop the Golden Boot race at a World Cup. And even though they ended up being forced to settle for a point, the Oceania Football Confederation champions are now undefeated in four World Cup games, without a loss since 1982.

In the seventh minute, Just pinched the ball off Wood after he'd chested it down in the penalty area — which takes significant gumption, given the latter's status as New Zealand's all-time leading goal scorer — and smashed a volley into the net. Then, after Iran's first equalizer and 10 minutes into the second half, Just played a brilliant one-two with Wood, restoring the lead and becoming the