Iran kept their World Cup campaign alive with a dramatic late victory over ten-man Wales.
A magnificent 25-yard strike from Rouzbeh Cheshmi finally broke the Welsh resistance in the 98th minute, before Ramin Rezaeian added a second on the break against a totally open back line.
Though the manner of the ending felt cruel on Wales, it was no more than Iran deserved after a dominant display. Carlos Quieroz's men were unrecognizable from the rabble that had been blown away by England on Monday, looking more threatening throughout and limiting Wales to a handful of half-chances.
For Robert Page's men, qualification hopes now hang by a thread. They will have to beat England in their final group game and hope other results go their way.
Story of the match
Wales lined up with a single change from their opening game draw, with Kieffer Moore - so impressive in helping to turn the tide against the US - coming in up front to replace Dan James.
Iran, meanwhile, made several changes from the side lost 6-2 to England. Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, concussed early on in that opener, missed out, with Hossein Hosseini starting in his place. Sadegh Moharrami and Sardar Azmoun were also recalled to a more offensive looking side with two forwards.
Pre-match, there were emotional scenes among Iranian fans as once again their national anthem was booed. Unlike their opening game, the players did choose to sing the words this time, though looked visibly uncomfortable and many fans were pictured in tears in the stands. Truly, Iran is a nation in crisis. But there a few things that can bring people together like football.
If both of these teams had approached their opening games cautiously, the opening stages here were anything but cagey. Both sides, knowing that a draw would do little for them, attacked with intent, giving the game an edginess and a real cup-tie feel.
The first decent opening fell to the Welsh as Kieffer Moore's flying volley went straight at Hosseini from close range from Conor Roberts' cross.
15 minutes in, and a huge reprieve for Wales. Roberts' loose ball across the pitch was pounced on and Iran suddenly found themselves with a 3 vs 1. Ali Gholizadeh's one-two with Azmoun tore Wales open, but he went too early for the return ball and his back post tap-in was correctly - eventually - ruled out for offside.
Once the game did settle in to a pattern, it was Wales doing more of the probing, and Iran looking threatening in transition. Before half time, this didn't translate into any clear chances for either side, with a deflected Harry Wilson effort that looped just over the bar the closest either side came to an opener.
That edginess at times felt more like desperation, and as the game wore on, Iran harnessed it better. Where the first half was relatively even, the second was mostly one-way traffic as Iran began to turn the screw.
In the 51st minute, a huge let off for Wales. A crazy passage of play saw Bayer Leverkusen star Azmoun stride through on goal after another of those quick transitions, only to see his effort smash back off the post. From the rebound, the ball found its' way to Gholizadeh whose brilliant curling effort from 25 yards came back off the other post, before Wayne Hennessey brilliantly denied Azmoun again on the rebound.
It led to Iran's best spell of the game, with Mehdi Taremi twice denied by last-ditch Joe Rodon blocks, and a brilliant Wayne Hennessey fingertip denying Saeed Ezatolahi as the Dragons clung on.
In the space of about 10 minutes, the pattern of the match had totally flipped on its' head: Wales had the better of the territory in the first half, but threw on speedsters Dan James and Brennan Johnson and looked to play on the break as the increasingly dominant Iranians remained camped in the Welsh half.
However, if you don't take your chances, the game is always in the balance and Ben Davies nearly punished Iran with less than 10 minutes to play, his thunderous drive turned over by Hosseini. At this point, the tension in the stadium was almost unbearable.
Then, moments later, Hennessey - who had been very solid - woefully misjudged a long bouncing ball, and took out Mehdi Taremi. Inexplicably, as Taremi would have been clean through, the referee brandished only a yellow card, but a swift VAR intervention left him with no choice but to send the veteran 'keeper off.
On came Danny Ward for the ineffective Aaron Ramsey and Wales had to face the final 4 minutes, plus nine of stoppage time, with 10 men.
Wales had resisted a barrage of crosses into the box and those 9 minutes were agonisingly close to being up when Cheshmi struck, curling a magnificent effort into the bottom corner after Joe Allen's poor clearance.
The goal sparked mad celebrations, as all the substitutes bundled on to the pitch to mob their hero. The jubilation in the stands, the outpouring of emotion from a nation currently searching for its' soul, went beyond what you might expect from any normal late winner. This goal meant an awful lot.
Such joy, and the scenes of ecstatic fans with the red white and green flags on their faces, was mirrored by the despondency amongst the Welsh fans. It barely seemed to matter that Rezaeian added a second with a neat finish, with almost every Welsh player at the other end of the pitch - though of course, it may, if goal difference proves to be important.
Both sides will now keenly await the outcome of England's clash with the USA tonight to find out exactly what they will need to do to get out of group B. That prospect seems a lot more likely for Iran right now than it does for Wales.
Player of the match - Sardar Azmoun
The golden boy of Iranian football only lasted 68 minutes before being subbed off as he continues to build fitness following an injury, but he was a constant menace to the Welsh defence.
Azmoun was unlucky not to grab an early assist that was ruled out for offside, before coming agonisingly close to the opener twice in quick succession.
Should Iran make it out f the group, a fully-fit Azmoun is a worrying prospect for any side to face.
