Iran Gets Moroccan Help on a Last-Minute Goal

Here's the good news about the World Cup's Group B being located in St Petersburg:

There are lotsa international flights in and outta that town.

This convenience should give both Iran and Morocco more time to stock up on lovely parting gifts.

Because if their opening match is any indication, no one's gonna look to them as potential bracket invaders.

 

Both Iran and Morocco spent the match doing all they could to prove the prognosticators correct.

Destiny was kinder to the Princes of Persia, as they backed into a 95th-minute own goal without having a single shot on target during the entire second half.

Ironically, from the start it totally seemed like Morocco would be the most likely to twine something.

The Lions de l'Atlas carried most of the action, drawing support from most of the crowd at Krestovsky Stadium. They saw Medhi Benatia, Nordin Amrabat and Hakim Ziyech getting close to the net but being denied by the capable Iranian 'keeper Alireza Beiranvand.

On the other hand, Iran was constantly defending, lying in wait for that golden moment to appear outta nowhere.

 

Six minutes of injury time in this yawner taught us that nothing's impossible.

A free-kick from the left side led to the 95th-minute Aziz Bouhaddouz own-goal and Iranian euphoria!

Dudes shamelessly collected a 1-0 result and at least a statistical chance of making it to the next phase.

 

Nothing to say but happy souvenir hunting on the off-days. Balalaikas are always in season.

Success might come easier with that quest.