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Tehran: Uzbekistan booked their place

in the final of the 2012 AFC U-16 Championship after coming from a goal down to defea

t tournament hosts Iran 3-2 in a pulsating semi-final encounter at the PAS Stadium on Wednesday.

Iran started the game briskly and took the lead after just four minutes through a deflected free-kick from Seyed majid Hosseini but goals from Doctonbek Khamadov (13th), Izzatilla Abdullaev (35th) and Otabek Shukurov (42nd) gave Uzbekistan a 3-1 lead at the interval.

Uzbekistan defended stoutly in the second-half and although Amirmohammad Mazloum gave Iran a glimmer of hope with two minutes remaining it was too little too late for the hosts.

After putting in arguably the finest performance of the competition so far in the 5-1 annihilation of Australia that booked Iran’s place in the final four, head coach Ali Doustimehr kept faith with the majority of the starting 11 that put the Joeys to the sword in the quarter-finals.

The only change for Doustimehr was an enforced one with Erfan Vejdani being replaced by Komeil Haghzadeh, who came on for Vejdani when he was taken off injured 26 minutes into the Australia victory.

Doustimehr’s counterpart Dilshod Nuraliyev also made just one alteration to his line-up from that one that started the penalty shootout win over Korea Republic, with Mukhiddin Odilov dropping to the bench to make way for Ravshanbek Khursanov, who missed the quarter-final through suspension.

Iran made the perfect start with the hosts taking the lead with just four minutes at the PAS Stadium played.

Saeid Ezatolahi was sandwiched between two Uzbek players and bundled to the ground in shooting range for Iran skipper Seyedmajid Hosseini, who had displayed his power and accuracy from distance with his stunning free-kick in the 2-1 victory over Kuwait.

And while Hosseini’s low drive lacked his usual power it took a telling deflection off of Khursanov, wrong-footing Uzbek keeper Sarvar Karimov for the strapping central defender’s third goal of the campaign.

Iran’s lead lasted barely ten minutes with Doctonbek Khamadov slotting the ball through the legs of Iran keeper Danial Kazemnia after latching onto a precise pass from Akobir Turaev, scorer of Uzbekistan’s opener in their quarter-final with the Koreans.

With ten minutes of the first-half still to play, the Uzbeks took the lead courtesy of a superb right-foot volley from the apex of the Iranian penalty box from Izzatilla Abdullaev.

But the Uzbeks hadn’t finished there with Otabek Shukurov surging forward from midfield before coolly sweeping the ball past Kazemnia in the 42nd minute with the Iranian keeper and backtracking defenders expecting the Uzbek skipper to pass to a supporting team-mate.

The hosts had no choice to press forward in the second half and after Karimov had made a couple of routine catches from Iran’s early forays into opposition territory Amirmohammad Mazloum was just too high with his 51st minute lob over the Uzbek keeper.

Five minutes after the hour Karimov was called into action again with a fine fingertip save from Hosseini’s blistering long range drive and while Iran continued to dominate possession they struggled to find the key that would unlock the Uzbek defence.

With a quarter-of-an-hour left on the clock Hosseini went down in the Uzbek penalty box but all the Iran skipper earned was a yellow card from Kuwaiti referee Yousef Al Marzouq as the hosts desperately tried to find a way back into the semi-final.

Karimov had to be on his guard to prevent Ali Hazmi’s 80th minute cross from creeping in under the crossbar as Iran’s pressure continued and their efforts paid off with two minutes remaining when Mazloum reduced the deficit.

It was too little too late for the Iranians however, as the Uzbeks held firm in the remainder of the match to claim their place in Saturday’s final.

Iran’s U-16 Team suffered a heart break after they went down 3-2 against Uzbekistan’s U-16 team in the first of the two semi-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship.

Iran had a dream start when Seyed Majied Hosseini’s free kick was deflected into the Uzbek goal in the 4th minute. However  the Uzbek quickly equalized before they stunned the host with another two goals from quick counter attacks to finish the first half 3-1 ahead of the hosts and the favorites.

In the second half , a determined and resolute Iran was in control of the field for most of the time, he Uzbek however always looked dangerous on the counter and their numeric advantage and pace on the counters made life very difficult for Iranian defenders. Despite all the Iranian attacks, the defense and some brilliant saves by Uzbek goalkeeper, kept Iran at bay, until a late strike by Amir Mazloum a nice curling ball just inside the box, made for an exciting finish.  Uzbekistan, however ,  withstood the pressure and managed to win this match and make it to the final.

It was a very disappointing result for Ali Doustimehr players , whose occasional brilliant display of football was marred by pathetic and vulnerable defense , which at the end , cost them the championship.

Iran U16 already qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held in the UAE in 2013.

Hosts staying grounded after Aussie annihilation

Tuesday, 02 October 2012 17:07
the-afc.com

Tehran: Iran coach Ali Doustimehr is warning his side not to become complacent in Wednesday’s AFC U-16 Championship semi-final against Uzbekistan after putting in the most impressive display in the tournament so far when they defeated Australia 5-1 in the last-eight.

The tournament hosts were in emphatic form in Sunday’s one-side quarter-final with the prolific Persians’ high-pressure strategy paying dividends against an out-of-sorts Australia, as a Reza Karmollachaab double (35th and 90+3) and goals from Saeid Ezatolahi (31st pen), Mohhadreza Bazaj (61st) and Ali Rigi (81st) outlined Iran’s status as the clear favourites in Wednesday’s semi-final with the Uzbeks.

But Doustimehr, who led Iran to glory at the 2008 AFC U-16 Championship, is far too an experienced campaigner to let complacency creep into his side.

“We played very well against Australia but we must not get too proud of ourselves and we will prepare ourselves well for the game against Uzbekistan,” said the 47-year-old, who is coaching at this tournament for the fourth time following campaigns in 2010, 2008 and 2004 when the competition was at under 17 level.

“We will prepare well and we will do what it takes to win this championship in our own country.

Victory on home soil will be a great source of pride for Doustimehr and his young charges, who, the coach explained, are focussing firmly on achieving something for the country rather than the potential individual benefits success would bring.

“We have spoken many times with the players and we said that there might be the possibility of some reward or some money from the Federation if we win. But like all Iranians the players are passionate about their country and they said they are not playing for money but for Iran.”

Iran’s semi-final against Uzbekistan kicks-off at 1700 Tehran time at the PAS Stadium on Wednesday.

Uzbeks undaunted by imperious Iran

3×2 IRN UZB gfxTehran: Uzbekistan coach Dilshod Nuraliyev has said that it doesn’t matter who they meet in the semi-finals as their opponent is it out of their hands, with a tough encounter against tournament hosts Iran standing between them and a place in the 2012 AFC U-16 Championship final.

“At this stage of the competition you can’t have a preference of who you get to play,” said Nuraliyev ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final against an Iran side that is in ominous form, having annihilated Australia 5-1 to book their place in semis and take their scoring tally for the tournament to 14 goals from four matches.

“Iran is playing very well and I am certain will get strong support from the home crowd but I am sure my team’s performance in the semi-final will be much better than our performance in the quarter-final with Korea.”

Uzbekistan, runners-up to DPR Korea at the last AFC U-16 Championship, have rode their luck in the 15th edition of the continental youth tournament with Nuraliyev’s side needing a stoppage-time equaliser from India to advance to the last eight as Group D runners-up at the expense of China before booking their semi-final ticket (and place in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup) via the lottery of the penalty shootout against the Koreans.

Akobir Turaev’s 64th minute strike in Sunday’s quarter-final at the Rah Ahan Stadium looked to have been enough to take the Uzbek’s through but an equaliser from Hwang Hee-chan four minutes into stoppage time sent the tie into a penalty shootout.

Ironically it was Hwang, the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals, whose penalty miss proved decisive as the Uzbeks scraped through in a match that Nuraliyev believed the Central Asians should have won more comfortably.

“We wanted to win it in regulation time and we could have buried the match if we had converted the string of chances we had in the second half but in the end we won the match.

“I am very happy that we have qualified for the World Cup but now we must focus on our next target which is to win this tournament.”

Ravshanbek Khursanov is now eligible to take part in Wednesday semi-final at the PAS Stadium after the Uzbek midfielder was suspended for the game against Korea Republic following yellow cards in the group stage matches against India and Syria.