Iran's Football Match Against Syria Ends in Draw; Iranian Women Denied Entry to Azadi Stadium

The Iranian national football team was held to a draw against Syria in their last World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday, September 5, at Azadi Stadium. Under the management of Carlos Queiroz, the team displayed a criticized performance with numerous defensive errors, conceding an equalizer in the 93rd minute. The Syrian team failed to secure direct qualification for the World Cup but advanced to the knockout stage as the third team in Group A, still holding a chance for qualification. In a simultaneous match, South Korea and Uzbekistan drew 0-0, allowing South Korea to qualify for the World Cup after Iran. Uzbekistan finished fourth in the group due to Iran's draw against Syria. China also defeated Qatar 2-1. In the match between Iran and Syria, players Karimi and Ansari were substituted due to poor performance and multiple mistakes, wasting two of Iran's substitutions. Queiroz had a two-week training camp but brought on Pourghaz, who had only been called up to the national team a day before. The Iranian team appeared fatigued in the last half-hour. Although Syria was also tired, the empty spaces between Iran's midfielders and defenders allowed the visiting team to earn a valuable point. In the 13th minute, a free-kick from Syria was sent towards Iran's goal by Omar Al-Soma. A poor clearance from Beiranvand led to Syria scoring their first goal on the rebound. In the 45th minute, a corner taken by Dejagah hit the post from a header by Iranian players, and on the rebound, Sardar Azmoun managed to score with a well-placed chest touch, sending both teams into halftime with a draw. In the 64th minute, a ball landed on Taremi's head, and Azmoun's final strike allowed Iran to score their second goal. In stoppage time, it was unclear why Beiranvand rushed the restart. Iran was waiting for the final whistle, but Beiranvand's strange and hasty restart led to a collapse of Iran's defense. The Iranian national team played with Alireza Beiranvand, Morteza Pouraliganji, Mohammad Ansari (Ezzat Pourghaz), Milad Mohammadi, Ramin Rezaeian, Ehsan Haj Safi, Ali Karimi (Rouzbeh Cheshmi), Ashkan Dejagah, Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Vahid Amiri), Mehdi Taremi, and Sardar Azmoun. In this match, a group of Syrian women were present in the stadium, but once again, Iranian girls were prevented from entering. Some spectators held papers that read: 'Masoud Shojaei is not alone,' and his image was reflected on social media. In Group B, the Australian national team defeated Thailand 2-1, waiting for the outcome of the Saudi Arabia and Japan match in Jeddah to determine their fate. Iraq, despite having no chance, managed to defeat the UAE with a single goal in Tehran.