It has been a difficult journey for the Iran national team to get to the World Cup, with United States restrictions due to the war in Iran forcing them to move their base camp to Tijuana ahead of the tournament. And while they’ve been able to enter the country for the tournament, restrictions limit how much time they can spend in the United States, but head coach Amir Ghalenoei is hoping that soccer can unite all.
“I hope that football will bring about joy and enjoyment, and it will bring closer the cultures and countries, and once again, I hope it will go well despite the travel problems we’ve had. I hope it will not affect the quality of our play,” Ghalenoei said in his pre-match press conference. “I am very happy to be here on behalf of the very powerful and proud Iranian nation.”
When a team comes to the World Cup and already has a tough enough road to preparing for a tournament, especially when being placed in a group alongside Belgium and Egypt, getting off to a good start is important because anything can happen. Ghalenoei won’t let the setbacks in their preparation be something that holds his squad back, though.
“Football has its own planning and strategies, and we need to have good planning in order to take part in this,” Ghalenoei said. “Yes, of course, our camp was changed twice – first it was in the United States, and then we were transferred to Mexico, and of course, that impacts us, and first, I would like to thank the good people of Mexico. Us Iranians, we are accustomed to making good situations out of hardships”
New Zealand may have also come a long way to get to the United States, but defender Tim Payne has already found stardom before kicking a ball. After being shouted out by Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini for being the “least known” player at the World Cup, Payne has amassed more than five million followers on Instagram before even kicking a ball at the World Cup.
The 32-year-old defender plays his club soccer for Wellington Phoenix and can feature anywhere that he’s needed on the pitch. Scarsini and the world will be watching Payne’s performance in the match, as while this has come as a surprise for the defender, he has taken it all in stride, but now it’s time to focus on the tournament at hand and spring an upset with that newfound popularity.
How to watch Iran vs. New Zealand
Date: Monday, June 15 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Stadium — Los Angeles, Calif.
TV: FS1 (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: Iran -133; Draw +250; New Zealand +375
Iran vs. New Zealand predicted starting lineups
Iran: Alireza Beiranvand, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati. Shoja Khalilzadeh, Saleh Hardani, Arya Yousefi, Saeid Ezatikahi, Saman Ghoddos, Mehdi Ghayedi, Mehdi Taremi, Ali Alipour
New Zealand: Max Crocombe, Liberato Cacace, Michael Boxtall, Finn Surman, Tim Payne, Marko Stamenic, Joe Bell, Elijah Just, Sarpreet Singh, Matthew Garbett, Chris Wood
Iran vs. New Zealand pick, prediction
Despite the road to get to the World Cup, this is still an organized Iran side who are a strong contender to get out of the group thanks to Mehdi Taremi leading the line. There are valid concerns about who their secondary scorer will be at this tournament, but that’s not something expected to pose issues against New Zealand. Pick: Iran 2, New Zealand 0
Golazo 48 Nations: Follow the World Cup all summer long
Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament.
Each day begins with Morning Footy, setting the stage with the latest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, Golazo Matchday and Golazo Matchnight deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of USMNT matches with the Call It What You Want team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups.
The day wraps with Scoreline, a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of live programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel
