Category: AFC Asian Cup 2015

21/01/2015

Team Melli players ratings.

Team Melli has completed the group round with a perfect record of 9 points with 3 wins out of 3. This is the same achievement of the last Asian Cup participation in Qatar 2011 when Iran beat , Iraq, North Korea and UAE to top the group.

The performance of the players is always under scrutiny and while some players have been hyped in exaggeration and given titles such as “Iran’s Messi” , the reality is nowhere near the fairytale stories that many fans fantasize about.

Despite the 3 wins, it was far from easy matches or walkovers for Iran, however , there was no surprises there as most experts expected this group to be a tough and tight one with all the teams so familiar to each other’s style. There were some excellent performances in Team Melli and with it some disappointments. Overall, the hard work, the experience and perseverance of Team Melli made the difference. Whether this success is sustainable is another question that is not so simple to predict.

Poor team preparation

The sharp eyes of the critics noticed how the poor preparation has affected Team Melli. If we take the last match against the UAE as an example, the difference in the preparation between the two teams was sticking like a sore thumb.

While the UAE players could telepathically find each other when passing or crossing the long balls, Iranian players pass completion rates were not so brilliant and made a poor reading. There were many easy passes missed because of short time that this group has worked together.

In the front line, many opportunities were missed because of the timing of the passes, either too early or late. Heavy touches on the ball and lack of communication between players marred Iran games. Overall, there were more rough edges than the rest of the teams. This is result of a team that has not been ideally prepared.

Another sign of poor preparation is the number of unnecessary fouls committed by Iranian players. Players in haste, were making some totally unnecessarily fouls. Sardar Azmoun’s silly, and that is being respectful, yellow card was a typical proof of the rough preparation.

One can only wonder what this bunch of talented Iranian players would have given us if there was a decent preparation.

Dip of forms of several players is an alarm bell for the team. Shojaei (31 years) , Hosseini (33 years) , Nekounam (35 Years) and Teymourian (32 years) have all performed below par. On the other hand , there are a few promising , if not outstanding performances from the likes of Pouraliganji (22 years) and Azamoun (20 Years)

When Omar Abdulrahman dribbled his way so easily passed in the penalty box going past the two most experienced Iran players Nekounam and Teymourian inside the penalty, it was a sign of vulnerability of the two. Omar Abdulrahman is one of the most talented players in Asia and a quality player and that is a fact, but regardless of that. When any player can easily pass the tight defense including the two best holding midfielder, then that is a problem for the coach.

PLAYERS’ RATING

Alireza Haghighi (GK) : Hardly put a foot wrong despite the fact that he was not really tested in all the 3 matches. When he was required to react, he was confident and made it look east. Very solid performance so far. 8/10

Mehrdad Pooladi: Rock-hard, no nonsense defender whose performance was slightly affected by several issues including late preparation for the season while seeking a club. Despite his rustiness, Pooladi was still as reliable as ever, perhaps not at his peak yet. 7/10

Jalal Hosseini: Not put to test in anger, however his lack of pace, heavy touches and nerves made him shaky at times. Still a vital defender with his vast experience but also a liability against more skillful forwards. 6.5/10

Morteza Pouraliganji: The surprising star performer. The rookie has displayed remarkable defensive ability in his role as central defender partnering Hosseini. On top of his fine defensive work, he was a threat on the other end during corners and free kicks. Could have well scored a goal with a header. 9/10

Vahid Amiri: Played one game only but he was impressive, nevertheless. His failing was the last touch; however he certainly has the ability and clearly he can replace some of the older members in the midfield anytime now. 7.5/10

Khosrow Heydari: given less playing time than the usual. The right back was far from impressive. Still has his quality on the flank, but his delivery been disappointing. Did not assist any goals and his famous inch perfect crosses where nowhere to be seen. 5/10

Andranik Teymourian: Hard worker and dedicated player who is clearly short of his true form. Had two assists from dead ball and played a major role in the overall defensive game plan, but Ando is way short of his best. Queiroz has no replacement for him in the current squad. 7/10

Javad Nekounam: His leadership is still valuable on the field , not so his contribution to the game. His form is going downward. Disappointing tournament so far and could be easily exposed in the midfield. Short of pace and breath. 5/10

Alireza Jahanbakhsah: The young man with so much promise, disappointed when he was given a starting role. He seemed lost in the match against UAE and was substituted without showing any sign of his promise. 4/10.

Soroush Rafiei: Another of the new faces that had a disappointing debut in the tournament. 4/10

Sardar Azmoun: Superb, especially when given the right service. He can be exceptional forward with surprisingly excellent heading ability. There are rough edges in his game but with experience and more games, he would be a star player . 9/10

Vouriya Ghafoori: Very solid defender with calm and mature attitude. His work rate is remarkable. Not much can go through him while defending although his attacking role on the flank was rather inadequate. 7.5/10

Ashkan Dejagah: One of the best Team Melli players with skill and ability to beat the best. The Qatar match showed his weaker side, when tight man-to-man marking neutralized him. His value to the team was quite evident in the UAE match. When he substituted in, the team’s offensive capabilities improved significantly. Still not at his best in this tournament, perhaps his transfer from a top league to a lower quality one had affected him. 8.5/10

Reza Ghoochannejhad: Apart from the valuable winning goal he scored against UAE, his contribution was minimal. Lacks vision at crucial stages and needs more support to show his best side. 7/10

Masood Shojaei: No change from the Shojae of the last few years. Slow, unable to beat his markers and in general ineffective player. Can go a whole match without being noticed. On the poorest performer in the team considering his experience and reputation. 4/10.

Ehsan Hajsafy: Started the tournament really well against Bahrain with a master class goal, but gradually dipped in form.. Did not play the last match, He does have several qualities though and still a vital member of the team. 7/10

Amir Hossein Sadeghi : Did not play enough minutes to be rated fairly.

20/01/2015

Iran vs. Emirates Reports

QUEIROZ JOY AS IRAN GATHER MOMENTUM

Brisbane: Iran coach Carlos Queiroz has said the AFC Asian Cup Group C winners will head into the quarter-finals with a full squad ready to make a run at the title.
Queiroz tweaked his line-up for Iran’s 1-0 injury-time win over the United Arab Emirates on Monday and came away satisfied with how the entire team stepped up to unseat Mahdi Ali’s side from the top spot.

After making it a perfect three-from-three in the group phase, Iran will likely avoid defending champions and Group D leaders Japan at the first hurdle of the knockout stage on Friday.

“The changes reflected two yellow cards in the squad and one injury, as well as the chance to use some players with fresh legs especially in the front line,” Queiroz said.

“Now we have a full squad ready to play, both tactically and mentally, as the young boys gained some experience and did very well. My plan was also to use some aces later on if it was necessary, and the experience of the players that came on played a big role in the match.

“It was a good win against the UAE as in my opinion they are the best football team in West Asia – they have beautiful players and good combinations and have played together for a long time. It is difficult to play against them as they play like a club team.

“(We) showed good concentration and played with a fantastic attitude and were willing to sacrifice for the team. We played a passing game and were better than UAE in terms of penetration and movement. It was a great football game, very emotional and skilful.”

Samsung Player of the Match Reza Ghoochannejhad was one of those aces Queiroz referred to, winning the game in the 91st minute off the bench. Iran’s last-eight opponents will likely be Iraq in what could be a highly-charged affair in Canberra.

“Congratulations to both teams but I think Iran was more efficient today,” said the Kuwait-based Ghoochannejhad. “Luckily we scored in the dying seconds. Our team showed amazing spirit and chemistry. Right now everyone is happy but we have to focus on the upcoming days.

“There is still a chance we play Japan, but it’ll probably be Iraq. If we play Iraq it’s up to the coach. We trust the coach that tactically, he’ll come up with very strong organisation, with a good plan and we just have to do what he asks from us on the pitch.”

Carlos Queiroz interview

[divider]

Mehdi Ali : We didn’t deserve to lose

Brisbane: United Arab Emirates coach Mahdi Ali said his team deserved points from their heart-breaking 1-0 defeat to Iran in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup on Monday.

UAE did not have a single shot on target against a very determined Iranian side who won the group after an intense affair at Brisbane Stadium where substitute Reza Ghoochannejhad ended the stalemate in stoppage time.

UAE only needed a draw to move on to the quarter-finals as the group’s first-place team but Ghoochannejhad’s 91st-minute header now have them facing a potentially very difficult opponent.

Carlos Queiroz’s Iran will face the runners-up of Group D which will likely be either Iraq or Jordan. UAE, on the other hand, are set to play the Group D winners, expected to be holders Japan.

“This is football,” Ali said. “Sometimes, you see the side of football you don’t want to see. We didn’t deserve to lose the game but we lost. Now we have to focus on our game against Japan.

“We were not playing this game to try to avoid Japan. We wanted to win the group because it would have given us more motivation for the second round. We don’t have a problem playing Japan or any other team.”

Ali did not make any substitutions and defended his decision to stick with the first team, saying he felt they were playing well enough to win the match.

“We didn’t make any substitutions because we were doing well,” he said. “We were playing good football and had many chances. That’s why we made no changes.

“The players knew they played well and I think that will help them relax a little bit. I thanked them for their effort and the game they played.”

The manager also defended his young playmaker, Omar Abdulrahman of Al Ain, who showed flashes of his brilliance but was neutralised by the Iranian defence for large patches of the game.

“Sometimes you play well and you lose,” Ali said of his playmaker. “I think Omar is talented and has a great future. He is one of the best players of the tournament and we are happy with his performance here.”

19/01/2015

Iran shows players red card after selfies with female fans

PUBLISHED: JANUARY 19, 2015 05:39 PM

Iran fans pose for pictures before the start of their Asian Cup Group C match against UAE at the Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane January 19, 2015.

BRISBANE, Jan 19 — Iran’s footballers have been warned they could face punishment if they take “selfie” pictures with female fans who have turned out in large numbers at the Asian Cup.

The head of the Iranian Football Federation’s moral committee said players risked being used as a “political tool” if snapped with women fans.

Women are banned from attending men’s sports events in the Islamic republic but they have flocked to see Iran’s games at the Asian Cup in Australia.

Ali Akbar Mohamedzade, head of the moral committee of the Iranian Football Federation, issued the warning last week as photos of players with women fans circulated on social media.

“National team players should be aware that they won’t be used as a political tool so that those who take pictures with them don’t use these photos against the players,” Iran’s Shahrvand newspaper quoted him as saying.

“So according to this they should not take photos with everyone. If the players don’t respect this, we will be obliged to take action.”

No detail was given on what punishment the players might face. Enthusiastic male and female fans of Iran, many wearing the team shirt, have been a feature of the Asian Cup.

The scenes contrast with the situation in Iran, where women are banned from men’s sports events on moral grounds.

Iran’s Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz has carefully steered clear of any controversy, giving a firm “no comment” when asked about the presence of women fans.

One female fan Tweeted pictures of goalkeeper Ali Reza Haghighi and midfielder Karim Ansari Fard posing with women, while another photo shows a woman holding an Iranian flag inscribed with a marriage proposal to Haghighi.

Three-time champions Iran are already through to the quarter-finals. Their games have been noisily supported with thousands of fans, some banging drums and blowing trumpets.

“We are monitoring what is happening in Australia, we haven’t sent any representative to Australia,” Mohamedzade was quoted as saying. — AFP

19/01/2015

The daring senhor Carlos.

He has been labeled as predictable, conservative and cautious in his game plan and style of play, but no one can accuse Carlos Queiroz of being spineless after 3 matches of Asian Cup competition. His ill-prepared team has managed to beat all of its opponents without conceding a single goal, and with a relative ease without going into top gear. As such, it is truly difficult to suppress one’s admiration for the Portuguese cunning master and the way he approaches and reads the game..

Those results speak volumes for the man management of coach Querioz. Never mind the excellence and progressive style of the UAE team, the organization and efficiency of Qatar’s or the solid and tough style of Bahrain, Queiroz and his men , beat them all without too much difficulty.

The results must have something to do with efficiency of Team Melli , the excellent resource management of the coach and the winning mentality and the fighting spirit of the players.

Queiroz in his fourth year with Iran, obviously knows the strength of his team and the weaknesses. This team of his lacks the firepower and the offensive capability to turn it into a free-flowing scoring machine. Instead, he has the ingredient of a solid, tight and aggressive defense which he feels much comfortable with and closer to his ideology. He feels at ease with a defense line that can stand pressure and then build upon that to start counter attacks.

Sure , Queiroz team game style is not exactly pleasing , neither it can be considered as entertaining. For the purist amongst Team Melli fans, it could even be considered as dull. There is little margin for bragging or scream the “oohhs & Aahhs” when the likes of Karimi used to run at defenders and dribble past them , or Ali Daei and Karim Bagheri score plenty of goals. This Team Melli’s football is rugged, industrial and efficient. The most important issue is that this style has delivered the goods and the points. There could be no argument against that.

One more significant aspect of Senhor Queiroz success is his player selection and his courage in giving playing time to new players at the premiere competition of Asia. Pouraliganji , Azmoun , Ghafoori, Rafei , Amiri and Jahanbaksh have played in the competition with some admirable results. The first two have been excellent while the others have not disappointed at all. Such vision and bravery has not been applied in Team Melli for decades. Queiroz himself has been regularly accused for sticking to the old guards in Team Melli. His preference to focus on a small group of players that he feels comfortable with and can control, his inclination to use expatriate Iranians has been rather than being proactive and seek local talents across Iran , has been vastly publicized. Carlos Queiroz has finally responded to his critic and to a certain degree, silenced most of them by his clever and systematic use of new players.

Not since, Haji Mohammd Mayeli-Kohan back in Asian Cup 1996, has any Team Melli head coach dared to introduced so many young and promising players into the team. Mayeli-Kohan , despite his low experience and lack of exposure as a coach , had the guts and the instincts , now Queiroz has proven that he has the same attributes but with the added bonus of holding the experience , the knowledge and the pedigree of a high quality coach.

The possibilities could be amazing.

19/01/2015

Queiroz is fined by AFC

Two of the AFC Cup more prominent names have managed to make a few waves outside the big white rectangle — waves that got the Asian confederation’s attention.

Japanese star Keisuke Honda and Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz have each been fined for criticizing officials. Honda’s wallet is $5,000 lighter after claiming Japan’s opening match victory over Palestine was so rough, it was “like playing basketball.” To the extent that’s rough.

Queiroz’s fine comes after he complained officials during last Sunday’s Iran-Qatar match were unwilling to communicate.

“After 32 years of my work in football I was never told I cannot give an opinion about the game,” Queiroz explained. “Maybe it’s only because of the sponsors.”

Critiques of the officiating continued on Sunday, with many focusing on Australian official Ben Williams. The Australian referee , has infuriated many fans, player and TV commentators by his shoddy calls and inconsistent decisions. Though Williams gave out six yellow cards (three to each team) in Uzbekistan’s win over Saudi Arabia, Qosimov derided Williams’ reluctance to curtail diving. Williams whistle for the penalty for Saudi Arabia looked more than suspicious. If there was any foul on the slight contact , it was in fact the Saudi forward who clipped Denisov’s legs and the call should have been in favor of the Uzbek defender.

The fine on Carlos Queiroz was a flagrant declaration of obsession by the AFC that fears the slightest of criticism, not very different from the political systems that is prominent in Asia, especially the western parts.

19/01/201519/01/2015

Iran take on UAE for top spot in Group C

Sydney (AFP) – Three-time Asian Cup winners Iran will go for a win against surprise package the United Arab Emirates on Monday as they try to avoid a likely quarter-final against holders Japan.

A draw would be good enough for the UAE to top Group C, owing to their goal difference, but Team Melli need all the points to move up from second spot.

While Iran are favourites in Brisbane, UAE’s attack inspired by star playmaker Omar Abdulrahman has netted six goals in two games and attracted admiring glances.

“In my opinion we will be playing the best team in West Asia,” said Iran’s coach Carlos Queiroz, formerly of Real Madrid, Portugal and Manchester United.

“They have played together for many years, been together since 17 (years old). They are a beautiful team to see,” he added.

Whichever team finishes second is likely to play either Jordan or Iraq in the quarter-finals. The game starts at 7:00 pm (0900 GMT).

“It’s good to finish first (top) because it gives motivation to the players for the second round,” said UAE coach Mahdi Ali. “(But) it doesn’t matter which team we have to play.

“We have no problem with Japan.”

The statistics aren’t in UAE’s favour — in 15 full internationals, the Emiratis have beaten the Iranians just once and there have been three draws.

In Sydney, Qatar and Bahrain are playing only for pride and their world ranking at 8:00 pm (0900 GMT), with both teams already out after two defeats.

16/01/2015

Team Melli prospects.

What have we learned from the 2 victories?

Team Melli has completed its initial task with full mark. Qualification to the quarter finals of the AFC Asian Cup, the 6^th in a row since 1996, was achieved with the 1-0 win against Qatar in a match that will always be remembered for the wonder goal scored by young Sardar Azmoun.

With the place in quarter finals assured, Queiroz must be re-thinking some of his plans to prepare for the next round. His solid defenses are intact and the least of his worries despite the new look line up with Pouraliganji and Ghafoori replacing the old hands and doing a very admirable job so far. Haghighi at goal, despite one or two scares was not really tested in the two matches, however in the few occasions that he had to act; he was well positioned to protect his goal. Haghighi’s agility and prowess on aerial balls gives the defense so much confidence that it lacked in the last few years. So, with the back line as is, Queiroz needs to shift his focus elsewhere. The predicaments start after passing the back line.

The midfield is still the most worrying of the 3 lines and found wanting time and again. It has no quality playmaker and more often than not, it lacked leadership. For Teymourian and Nekounam despite their gallant attempts to put up a decent performance, both are clearly lacking match fitness and suffering from a dip in forms. On the flanks, much was expected from Dejagah on the right and Hajsafy on the left , but the Qatar match , showed their limitations when the opposition’s coach decides to deploy a tight man to man marking at them. Both performed well below expectations. Dejagah who was one of the stars of the match against Bahrain tormenting their left back, was a different man altogether with young Qatari Defender AbdulKarim leaving him helpless while breathing down his neck all the time. Hajsafy , seems to be still under the influence of his wonder goal against Bahrain and has not shown much industry on the left hand side. Shojae, remains the biggest liability for the team. His contribution is marginal. He is a player who is Short of breath, easily beaten on the ball, unable to dribble or run when it is really required and lacks stamina. Such act cannot be of the big matches standard and quality.

With such a midfield, Sardar Azmoun was isolated up front and really lacked quality service to show his worth. On the one occasion that he was served well, ironically from Dejagah, the whole world saw what this young man is capable of. Smart, swift and clever striker who finished in style. Unfortunately, that was the only occasion he was provided well, then got himself injured.

What options is left for Queiroz? To start with, give Shojaei a much needed rest and introduce some fresh legs and quality player in the shape of Alireza Jahanbakhsh. We dared Queiroz to do it in the forward line and use Azamoun, and he did it successfully. Now, Jahanbakhsh is ready for his turn and rearing to go. In fact, he has more advantage over Azmoun in the form of more playing time in the Dutch league. Khosrow Heydari is another option to replace Shojaei.

Apart from that, there is not too much riches available to Queiroz.

One thing that clearly disturbed the Portuguese coach of Team Melli in Qatar match and the TV cameras caught his frustration quite well, was the failure of the team to keep the possession of ball in the last part of the match. The Team Melli players kept losing the ball. The haste at which the players were clearing the ball, the aimless passes with Ghoochannejad and Dejgah being the main culprits, and failure to play short passes resulted in Qatar taking advantage and the full control of the match in the dying minutes. This is a very risky situation with a one goal margin.

Queiroz was so frustrated and nervous that he had to introduce a fifth defender to kill the game in the final minutes and protect his slim lead. This is one shortcoming of Iranians that have marred their play for several generations now. Keep the ball and protect a tight result.

The final match against UAE would be yet another interesting test for Queiroz. In reality, it does not make any difference if they end up playing Japan, the defending champions or Iraq. Both are difficult opponents and at some stage, Iran has to beat these teams if they have any aspiration to lift the trophy after 40 years.

So far, none of the contenders has shown to be a class above the rest. Australia, South Korea, China, Japan and Iran are quite close and matches between them can go anywhere.

One advantage that Team Melli has, is the outstanding and the superb crowds that have been adding so much color, and life to this tournament. Team Melli fans might even outnumber the host if Iran makes it to the final match with Australia. Simply a great act by the Australian Iranians and a symphony in motion.

16/01/2015

“Iran’s Messi” a class above Qatar in the AFC Asian Cup

by Luke Costin

MELBOURNE, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) — Any scout in the world not aware of Sardar Azmoun should be now after “Iran‘s Messi” delicately scored the winner over Qatar in Sydney on Thursday.

Sardar cleverly drew a defender before dragging a low cross under himself and sealing Iran’s 1-0 win and qualification for the knockout stage.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran’s next opponent, scored a goal within 15 seconds on their way to sealing their quarter-final berth over Bahrain in Canberra.

Sardar, having run just past the low cross from the right field, stuck out his right leg to flick the ball under himself. He made no mistake with his second touch sending the mostly-Iranian crowd wild.

The 20-year-old has been linked with English powerhouses Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham in the current January transfer window, and based on this form, his Russian club, Rubin Kazan, may get another few pounds from a transfer of their young star.

Three minutes in, Sardar had already shown Asia why he has been compared to the three-time World Player of the Year with a delightful header that narrowly missed its target.

The only blemish in Sardar’s performance was something partially out of his control.

Acute cramp struck Sardar down on the hour and forced an early substitution.

It showed that, perhaps, playing in Russia had left him under- conditioned for the Australian warmth.

Qatar’s goalkeeper Qasem Burhan, coming off a 4-1 loss to UAE, was clearly low on confidence and often found himself lucky not to concede earlier than the 52nd minute.

Not 60 seconds after the break, an Irani corner drew Qasem into “no-man’s land,” but resulting strike missing an open goal.

Desperate defending from the Maroons was necessary throughout as Iran peppered the goal with plenty of near chances.

Morteza Pouraliganji flew in over the top to meet a corner kick sweetly in the first half, only to beat the unguarded right post.

Minutes later, Ashkan Dejagah had a speculative crack from wide in the area that zipped past the goal, barely missing the far post.

Those in the stadium commended Iran’s frenetic fans for making the 22,672 crowd feel closer to 100,000.

Earlier in nation’s capital, the Emirates took just 14 seconds to puncture the Bahraini defenses and kick-start their 2-1 win.

A shocking defensive error from the kick-off led to Omar Abdulrahman delivering a pinpoint ball to Ali Mabkhout, who put away his third goal of the tournament.

Jaycee John Okwunwanne equalized in the 26th minute but it was his captain Mohamed Hussain’s own-goal header that was the decider.

UAE produced their best chances from free kicks including the pieces and, through some luck, scored in the 73rd.

From a free kick in left field, Hussain rose highest, only for his errant clearance to find the top corner of his own net.

Straight after the kick-off, right back Abdulla Omar took on the Emirati midfielders only to give the ball up to his Emirati namesake.

A sublime lofted through ball from Omar to Mabkhout allowed the tournament’s leading goal scorer the time to run around the goalkeeper.

Nigerian-born Okwunwanne’s one goal, from a perfect corner kick by Faouzi Aaish, so easily could have been a brace just three minutes later.

But it was not to be, his powerful header denied by an aware keeper.

Bahraini center-back Mohamed Duraj may miss the dead rubber against Qatar after painfully pulling a groin and being stretchered off midway through the second half.

UAE’s superior goal difference means Iran needs a win in Brisbane on Monday to steal top spot and potentially avoid the reigning champions, Japan, in the quarter-finals.

15/01/201515/01/2015

Javad Nekounam breaks the record of Team Melli all time appearnces

Finally , the current Captain of Team Melli, Javad Nekounam , broke Ali Daei’s record for the most number of matches while playing his 150th match against Qatar in Sydney.

Javad Nekounam , who started his international career in 2000 while a midfield player at Pas Tehran , has been consistently playing for Team Melli in the last 14 years in which he played in 2 World Cups (2006 , 2014) and 5 AFC Asian Cup ( 2000, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2015).

Nekounam is also the 4th highest scorer in Team Melli history , behind Ali Daei, Karim Bagheri and Ali Karimi , the 3 legendary stars of Iranian football. Nekounam has accumulated 37 goals , one less than Ali Karimi who is the third on the list.

Our sincere congratulation to Nekounam on this achievement.

Season	Openin.	Subst.	Goals	Yellows	Reds
2000	1	5	0	0	0
2001	6	4	0	1	0
2002	11	1	0	1	0
2003	13	0	1	2	0
2004	18	0	7	3	0
2005	11	0	4	2	0
2006	11	0	2	2	0
2007	8	0	4	3	0
2008	8	0	4	1	0
2009	8	0	2	3	0
2010	6	0	1	1	1
2011	10	0	5	0	0
2012	8	1	1	1	0
2013	8	0	6	0	0
2014	8	1	0	3	0
2015	2	1	0	0	0
Total	137	13	37	23	1
By season \| In opening squad \| Substituted in \| Goals \| Yellow cards \| Red cards

15/01/201515/01/2015

Iran 1 -0 Qatar : Match reports

Goal.com

A solitary goal eight minutes into the second half was enough to send Iran and United Arab Emirates through to the second phase with one game left to play in the group stage

Sardar Azmoun demonstrated why he is reportedly attracting the interest of top Premier League clubs with a sublime individual goal as Iran beat Qatar 1-0 in Sydney to reach the Asian Cup quarter-finals and knock the Gulf champions out.

Rubin Kazan striker Azmoun has been linked with Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool and it was easy to see why on the evidence of his stunning second-half strike at the ANZ Stadium on Thursday

Azmoun produced a fine turn and finish to ensure Carlos Queiroz’s side will progress from Group C with the United Arab Emirates, both nations having won their first two games.

Iran beat Bahrain 2-0 in their opening game of the tournament last weekend and did just enough to see off Qatar, who produced a much-improved showing following their 4-1 hammering at the hands of the UAE but crash out with a game remaining.

Iran and UAE, 2-1 winners over Bahrain on Thursday, lock horns in Brisbane on Monday to determine who will finish top of the group.

Both sides looked short of ideas going forward in a frantic start, but it was Iran – backed by an impressive contingent of vociferous supporters – who looked more dangerous as the first half progressed.

Midfielder Karim Boudiaf came to Qatar’s rescue with a crucial intervention when Masoud Shojaei looked poised to get on the end of Ashkan Dejagah’s cross from the right 23 minutes in.

Iran were happy to let Qatar see plenty of the ball, before trying to pick them off on the break, although an initial lack of quality in the final third made it hard to see where the opening goal would come from.

Morteza Pouraliganji had a header cleared off the line by Ahmed El Sayed and Dejagah let fly with a right-footed strike that flashed wide of the far post as Iran ended the half on the front foot.

Queiroz’s side then moved in front seven minutes into the second period, and it was a moment of quality that was worth the wait as Azmoun sent the Iran fans into raptures with a sublime goal.

The 20-year-old took a pass from the lively Dejagah with his back to goal, spun Almahdi Ali with a sharp turn and kept his composure to apply a right-footed finish.

Azmoun’s night was cut short 10 minutes later when he was carried off with an injury, which did not appear to be serious, soon after Qatar had lost Ismaeel Mohammad to injury.

Mohammed Muntari had half a chance to draw Qatar level, but Ali Reza Haghighi comfortably saved the striker’s header.

Qatar pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but were unable to fashion one and crash out in disappointing fashion as Iran march on.

[divider]

Iran beats Qatar to make Asian Cup quarter

Adrian Warren, AAP January 15, 2015, 10:12 pm

A sublime piece of skill from Sardar Azmoun booked Iran’s passage into the Asian Cup football quarter finals and condemned Gulf Cup champions Qatar to an early exit.

Sardar’s slick turn and clinical shot in the 52nd minute at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Thursday earned Iran a 1-0 win, their second victory from as many games.

It leaves them second in their group on goal difference behind the United Arab Emirates, who earlier in the day defeated Bahrain 2-1 in Canberra, and will now meet Iran in Brisbane next Monday.

Qatar, who were coming off a 4-1 opening game loss to the UAE, had a decent share of possession, but struggled to create good chances.

Russian-based Sardar’s goal delighted the vast majority of the 22,672 fans in attendance in Sydney, with Iran’s passionate and colourful fans ramping up the noise level of support to the max each time their team got close to Qatar’s penalty area.

Iran one of the pre-tournament favourites, were more consistently dangerous than Qatar and were good value for the win, which they achieved with a second straight clean sheet.

Qatar, who entered the tournament on a long unbeaten run, lacked penetration and didn’t get a single shot on target in the first half.

Just before halftime, Morteza Pouraliganji’s flying header from an Iran corner was headed off the line by Ahmed Elsayed, while Sardar had a firm fourth minute header saved by Qatar goalkeeper Qasem Burhan.

It was a similar story in the second half, even after an apparently injured Sardar came off just after the hour.

His substitute Reza Ghoochannejhad had four shots at goal, three of them saved, as Iran sought the cushion of a second goal.

The Qatar goalkeeper also had to push away a shot from Ehsan Haji Safi.

Qatar Substitute Meshaal Abdullah hit a post with a header in stoppage time, but he was judged offside.

Iran midfielder Andranik Teymourian was named man of the match.

[divider]