Iran claims pole position in the battle of Baghdad. 

By: Majeed Panahi.

 From whatever aspects one looked at this match, sport , politics or rivalry , it was anticipated to be a hot battle between two teams with contrasting fortunes. Iran, the critics choice for automatic qualifications to the World Cup and full of promise but slightly wounded from Bangkok, where the guests team facing a bleeding Iraqi team following two defeats by minnows Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

 The fact that the Iranian team traveled to Baghdad by air, after being granted an approval by United nations , was a good omen for otherwise a long and tiring journey from Kermanshah in Iran by road to Baghdad would have certainly taken its toll. This luxury was not granted to the Thai team who had to travel even a longer road trip from Amman in Jordan to Baghdad.

 To hype the fans, and ensure maximum support for their team, the Iraqi authorities declared that the admission to the stadium is free. That step ensured that the stadium would be packed quite early and as expected it was full to the capacity hours before the game. Many news agencies were interested in this event beyond the sporting interest. The long sporting rivalry between the two nations and the long war of the eighties guaranteed an interest amongst variety of media personnel, of whom many were looking for events beyond the pitch!.

It was certainly an exciting one, but the players of both teams never acted in any manner to suggest any bitterness or animosity between the two nations. In fact both sides played in gentlemanly manner with hardly any intimidating fouls or brute. Fair play was dominant and the 60,000 Iraqi spectators were well behaved by restricting their chants on football slogans well away from any political statements. The fouls committed and the yellow cards produced by the competent Mexican referee were much less than expected in such a hyped up and important encounter.

Iraq was playing with several new players after the upheaval initiated by their newly appointed Croatian Coach, Rudolf Belean, an old acquaintance and friend of Iran's coach Balzevic. The young team played a sensible game with emphasis on pressurizing the Iranians in the first quarter of an hour for a quick strike. They got what they wanted, but through a freak accident, rather than tactical shrewdness, when Ebrahim Mirzapour, the tall young Iranian goalkeeper, miskicked a goal kick to gift Emad Mohammed an easy ball. 20 minutes gone and Iraq was in the lead, sounded like a perfect scenario for Belean and his men. 

Iran, under the cunning Croatian coach, Miroslav Blazevic had other ideas, though. The Iraqi's only had a few minutes to celebrate the lead. A long ball in the 30^th minute from just outside the Iranian box by Afshin Peyrovani to the right flank, reached the dazzling Nikbakht-Vahedi, who dribbled his way to the touch line of Iraqi goal line before sending a perfect pass to Ali Karimi couple of meters in front of the Iraqi goal. Karimi easily escaped his marker to be faced with a wide open goal. Karimi, for some odd reason, would not shoot from few meters but instead he ran the ball into the net, a process which must have stopped the hearts of million Iranian fans. Regardless, Karimi scored the equalizer and Iran breathed a sigh of relief.

Ali Karimi missed a real opportunity, created yet again by Vahedi Nikbakht, when he blasted the ball wide, instead of slotting the ball or passing to Daei who was unmarked in a perfect position. At no stage of this half, Iraq managed to dominate the match the way their coach intended, and instead they were pushing back and treading carefully against the dangerous Iranian offensives. Their concentration on Daei, who was always marked by at least two and sometimes three players , worked quite well for them.

Vahedi Nikbakht was still the main threat on Iraq as he went on to create several chances for the forwards, while Mahdavi-kia was slowly running out of breathe.

But it took a moment of sheer magic by the legendary Ali Daei to gain the full points for Iran after he received a long ball from Ali Karimi. Daei had two defenders ahead of him of which one was marking him like a shadow, when he received the ball on the left of Iraq's goal just outside the box. Daei with a very clever turn, easily and professionally dribbled his marker leaving him ample time to aim at the goal. The goalkeeper covered his line very well, but the low curving shot by Daei, reminiscent of snooker players, slotted the ball away from the stretching hands of Iraq's goalkeeper and in the right hand corner of the goal.

A great goal, with class written all over it. This goal on the 85th minute broke the already tired Iraq's into pieces. It was nothing short of what the Iran deserved for their enterprising football and skills. The few minutes that was left of the match after Daei's strike was in total control of Iran, while Minavand could have increased the tally when his powerful shot was deflected to a corner by Iraq's goalkeeper.

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