Despite finding the net twice, Elijah Just expressed feeling “a little disappointed” after New Zealand commenced their World Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against Iran. BBC pundit Chris Sutton remarked that the performance “added a couple of zeros” to the Motherwell midfielder’s market value.
The 26-year-old became the first player from Motherwell to score at a World Cup, also setting the record as his country’s all-time top scorer at finals, thanks to two outstanding goals at the Los Angeles Stadium.
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“This is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Just said, while praising captain Chris Wood, the 34-year-old Nottingham Forest striker, who assisted both of his goals.
“It’s truly incredible. I never even dreamed of this. I’m just so thrilled. One goal was great, but two is simply amazing.”
Just, who joined Motherwell from Danish club Horsens on a two-year deal last summer, has now netted 11 times in 45 appearances for the All Whites. However, he had mixed feelings about the result, considering they had dominated the match and led twice.
“It’s a really special moment,” he stated. “We came into this tournament with specific goals, and getting on the scoreboard was one of them. A point is okay.”
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“There are many positives to build on from here. Missing out on the last World Cup was heartbreaking, so being here today felt fantastic. While a point is good, our goal coming in was to advance past the group stage, so there’s a bit of disappointment since we could have secured all three points.”
When asked if New Zealand surprised some with their opening performance in their first World Cup in 16 years, Just replied, “If people were surprised, perhaps they haven’t been following us closely. We have a talented group and we put in a lot of hard work.”
All four teams in Group G currently have one point after Belgium and Egypt ended in a 1-1 draw earlier.
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“We know our opponents will be tough,” Just continued. “We all watched the Egypt-Belgium match and know how strong they are, so there’s a lot of work ahead for us.”
“A point in the World Cup is always a tough achievement, so this gives us a huge boost in confidence. It was nearly a perfect game, except for the result.
“I believe we showed that we are a formidable team, capable of being dangerous with or without the ball.”