Team Melli is edging Japan by one win in this closely fought competition between the two teams.
|
Year: 2015
Iran vs. Japan, clash of the titans.
Team Melli will meet Japan in a friendly international match in what is considered to be the clash of the titans of Asian football. The teams will play in Azadi on Tuesday 13th October 2015.
Both teams will be looking for a moral win , Japan to prove that they are the best team in Asia, While Iran to confirm their FIFA Ranking as the top team of the continent.
Iran and Japan will have an off day in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers which will be played across Asia this week. The two rivals had similar difficulties in navigating the qualifiers in their respective groups. Both had disappointing openers with Iran drawing away against lowly Turkmenistan, while Japan could not do much better than a goalless draw at home against Singapore.
However both teams recovered well as Japan registered three straight wins, Iran with two wins then stumbled again against Oman in Muscat in the last round.
Iran is still leading the table on goal difference , but the worrying part for the Iranian fans is the vulnerability of the team to have two different standard in short span of time. The display against Oman was at best, a one point gained away from home, in an otherwise a forgettable match for the fans. The team played without spirit, lacked the punch, and the worst attribute could be the tendency to revert to emotional performance when the team is behind.
Technically speaking, Japan is the better team in organization and discipline. Individually, Japan has quite a number of stars playing at the highest level of European football, while there is a lone Iranian player doing his business in the Dutch league.
There is very little weakness in Japan team and at their best they can be formidable. The defense is solid and they have yet to concede a goal in the World Cup qualifiers after 4 matches. Iran’s defense, on the other hand is probably the most vulnerable of all its lines.
In the midfield, Iran has a slight advantage, but as seen in the match against Oman, when Dejagah was easily neutralized, the midfield can be disjointed and in tatters. Combination of Dejagah and Teymourian control the midfield well , but separate them and the team feels under the pressure.
Japan has so many option in the midfield and forward lines with household names like Honda and Kazawa giving the Japanese a powerful offensive capability. Iran could also match the Japanese strength up front with Sardar Azmoun who could inflict the damage especially if he is properly fed from the midfield players or from flanks. Azmoun’s aerial prowess will certainly inflict damage and will be testing for Japan’s defenders.
The Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodžić reign with Japan has not been long, however he has not made any substantial changes to a well built and balance team which still has many highly experienced players such as Hasebe, Okazaki and Nagatomo in the line up. While the much longer serving Queiroz has boldly made major changes for Team Melli in his selection building a youthful teams that can deliver the goods given the opportunity.
It will be an interesting battle between the two powerhouses of Asian football. Two teams that have lots of respect for each other. Iran and Japan have always played very tightly against each other and the margins of wins have been minimal. Team Melli has yet to fully convince the fans of its quality and form thus it is unlikely that Azadi will fill with capacity despite the respect the Iranian fans have for Japan.
Omid team to meet Syria in the finals of WAFF U23 championship.
Iran U23 team (Omid) defeated Yemen 2-1 in the semi-finals of the first WAFF U23 Championship in Doha today. Iran goals were scored by Mehrdad Mohammadi in the 10th minute and Mohammad Daneshgar in th 48th.
Yemen pulled a goal back in the 52nd minute and missed a penalty kick on the 88th minute.
The match in the hot and humid conditions of Doha was a lively affair as both teams looked for an early lead to put pressure on the opponent. Iran was more organized in the middle of the field and played at a reasonable controlled pace to save energy. Yemen on the other hand , were more active and determined to use their pace to beat the less agile Iranian defenders. The Yemeni offensive continued through the half winning 5 corner but all to no avail. Iran goal came after the Yemeni keeper fumbled a ball for Mohammadi to slot in an easy goal. The first half finished 1-0
The second half was a repeat of the first with Iran controlling the preceding and managing to score early through Mohammad Daneshgar’s powerful header, however that goal was quickly answered by Yemen left back who found himself in acres of space following a free kick slotting the ball easily past Akhbari in Iran’s goal.
With Yemen desperate to score the equalizer, the Iranian found lots of space round the pitch. Some fine work and exchanges between the Iranian players soon turned into a supremacy by Omid team. The match was virtually played in one half of the field in the second half, with Iranian players displaying their skills and fine individual control. But as the case with most of the Omid team matches, their finishing was poor, inacurate and the shoots at goal all ending easily in the hands of Yemen Keeper who was hardly troubled by the Iranian shooters.
The profligacy of Omid players nearly cost the team dearly, as the players witnessed to their horror, how the referee called a penalty that never was. Not only the ball never hit Danshgar anywhere near his hand, it was clear from all angles of replay that the Iranian defender cleverly intercepted the ball by his leg just around the knee area well off his arm and hand. nevertheless , the referee called it a penalty despite the vehement protest of the Iranian players.
Justice was done when the spot kick ended up hitting the underside of the bar then bouncing out of Akhbari’s goal line.
Iran will meet Syria in the final.
Iran and Oman draw in Muscat.
Iran maintained its top of the table position after grinding out a hard-fought 1-1 draw against its main rival Oman in 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifying clash on Thursday. The match was played in difficult weather condition with high humidity restricting the players of both teams from giving their best.
The host created a host of chances at Sultan Qaboos stadium in the first half but the closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Qasim Saeed shot wide from close range.
Team Melli also had opportunities of their own but none to seriously bother Ali Al Habsi who had a comfortable half commanding his area quite well.
Signs of defensive vulnerability in Team Melli came in the first half as Omani forwards outpaced their opponents. Jalal Hosseini and Pejman Montazeri were both caught out in several situations by the fast attacks and especially in transitions.
In the 52nd minute, this vulnerability soon translated into a goal for Oman as a blunder by Hosseini, Alireza Haghighi in the middle and a complete absence of covering by left back Ehsan Hajsafy, for Saad Suhaill to score an easy goal.
However , both the guilty parties in this goal conceded by Iran combined a few minutes later for Team Melli’s goal.
Hajsafy on the left flank ran with the ball all the way into the Oman box before sending a diagonal ball which Al Habsi could only fumble into Hosseini’s legs. The Center back had the easiest of the chances to slot it in for Iran’s equalizer.
.
Both teams exchanged control of the match through the midfield. Iran suffered badly due to the weak performance of the trio Ebrahimi, Teymourian and Dejagah. The latter has one of his worst performances since he played for Team Melli. Teymourian defensive duties prevented him from being a force while Iran was on attack.
Up front Taremi and Azmoun did not click and found wanting in front of a strong and compact Omani defense.
However, the middle of the defense was perhaps the most worrying of all the three lines in which Queiroz needs to do some serious patching work.
Team Melli will have a chance to keep the lead when they meet Turkmenistan next. Before that, the Japan friendly will give Queiroz a perfect opportunity to try to solve some urgent issues with the tactics and personnel.
Tribute to Fereshteh Karimi , the star of Iranian woman Futsal.
Fereshteh Karimi , the girl from Nazi Abad of Tehran is a unique sample of Iranian woman who have excelled under the most awkward of conditions. Born on 6 Feb 1989 , Karimi has just lifted the Inaugral AFC Women’s Futsal Championship 2015 and also picked up the tournament’s Most Valuable Player
Fereshteh Karimi attributed her accolade to the teamwork that Iran displayed while beating Japan in the competition’s final on Saturday. The 26-year-old scored six goals in the campaign but undoubtedly her most important was the one she notched in the final, a strike which proved enough to hand Forouzan Soleimani’s side the title.
[pullquote align=”right”]“I’m very happy that we have become champions and I’d like to dedicate this win to the whole of Iran back home.” [/pullquote]
“I and my teammates played from the depths of our hearts in this game and there was a great challenge from our opponents Japan, so this win is even the more meaningful for us.
“But this award and win are not just because of me, but it was the great team effort that the other players consistently showed that made it possible and I’m thankful for them also for this recognition.”
Fereshteh who plays for Persepolis has played 15 times for Team Melli Women futsal team scoring 9 goals in the process. No doubt that final goal against Japan in the final was her most valuable and memorable. She has been selected as one of the 11 best women futsal players by the famous futsalplanet website.
Her undeniable skill has attracted interest from Polish and Russian futsal teams. Fereshteh had to turn down such offer for social reasons, the hijab being the Achilles heel of her possible career in Europe.
Speaking of Hijab, Fereshteh Karimi was playing football with Iran Women National team. She and her teammates were ready to play against Jordan in the 2014 Olympics games qualifiers. However, the team were denied from competing because hijab was deemed unacceptable. Fereshteh and her teammates were so shocked by this act of injustice , she broke down crying while the rest of the team followed. Their plight was so touching , the opponents, the Jordanian women , broke down joined the iranian girls crying.
Fereshteh need not worry much about her hijab anymore as FIFA has permitted the competition with the head covers and the road is open for her and her teammates to bring glory to Iran.
Javanan (Iran U19) qualify with a perfect record
Mashad: Iran scored either side of half-time to defeat Kuwait 2-0 in Tuesday’s top-of-the-table clash and take their place at the AFC U-19 Championship as Group E winners, with the Gulf side finishing second in the standings above Jordan, who ended their qualifying campaign in third following a 3-0 defeat of Nepal in the earlier game.
Imperious Iran had stormed into pole position ahead of the final round of matches having defeated Nepal (10-0) and Jordan (3-0), while Kuwait had kept themselves in contention for a guaranteed place in next year’s finals in Bahrain by going into the decisive fixture with four points from a possible six following a defeat of Jordan (2-1) and a surprise 1-1 draw with the Nepalese.
Kuwait looked to have kept Iran at bay in the first half until skipper Reza Chaab put the home side 1-0 up four minutes into stoppage-time with his fifth of the qualifiers before a 62nd minute Omid Noor-Afkan effort sealed Iran’s place at the AFC U-19 Championship with a perfect record after a campaign that saw them score 15 times and concede none over their three matches at the Samen Al Aemeh Stadium.
Iran will join the nine other group winners and five best second-placed teams (which will be confirmed in due course) at the AFC U-19 Championship, with hosts Bahrain receiving automatic entry to next year’s 16-team tournament.
Oman vs. Iran – The group leadership battle
On Thursday, Team Melli will be meeting Oman in Muscat for the leadership of Group D of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers.
Carlos Queiroz is leading the team into this top of the table clash while leading the group on goals difference. Oman has been a stubborn opponent for Team Melli in the last few years. The Omanis had a tremendous progress in their standard and form in last few decades. From the punching box of the region into title contenders , Oman has won the prestigious Gulf Cup in 2009 while they were the loosing finalist two years before in 2007.
Coached by the Frenchman Paul Le Guen, Oman had a mixed bag of results lately. Their most disappointing being the draw against Guam , a match that the Omanis thought they have won before even the kick off! The team is a mix of experienced players headed by Captain Ali Al Habsi , the goalkeeper who played in the Top Flight of the English league and Emad Al Hosani, the player who scored a brace against Team Melli in Asian Cup 2004 in China, in addition to a group of younger players.
Abdulaziz Al-Muqbali, the 26 years old forward is a prolific scorer in the local league , but since his selection for the national team and his good start of his international career , he has been firing blank lately. Despite of disappointing misses against Guam , Oman has proven that it has many solutions in the offensive game despite the finishing being a shortcoming of the team.
Team Melli , will continue with the same game plan and it is not expected that Queiroz will largely touch the winning formula that won him 2 games out of 2 and scoring 9 goals in the process. The unfortunate recent demise of Ex-Team Melli forward and Persepolis Captain Hadi Nourozi might cast a shadow over the players, however that sad event has hyped some of the players to play for a win in memory of Nourozi.
The younger look of Queiroz team has won him much praise after his futile trust in the older players. Senior Players in the current squad have to work much harder now to win a place in the starting line up as Queiroz has created a good competition atmosphere between the players.
Most observers would expect a close game with a draw being the most popular predicted result. Team Melli however, is well capable of taking all the 3 points from Oman provided the finishing is of a high quality .
|
Omid team qualification in doubt after a draw with the Saudis
Omid Team (U23) missed a chance to qualify for the semi final of the inaugural WAFF U23 championship in Doha Qatar after a disappointing draw with their nemesis Saudi Arabia. Iran U23 were leading 2-0 from two fine goals by Amir Arsalan Motahari in the 9th and 15th minutes. The Saudis pulled one goal back through a penalty kick before the half time.
In the second half, Saudi Arabia was the better team and the equalizer came on the 80th minute by a goal from Abdullah Al Suwayyed.
Iran has finished its matches in the group rounds and awaiting the result of the Bahrain-Saudi Arabia game. Iran leads the group with 4 points and plus 2 goals difference. Saudi Arabia needs to beat Bahrain by more than two goals to qualify.
Iran has also a second chance even if Saudi Arabia qualifies by the virtue of being the best second teams in the 3 groups.
Mohammad Khakpour claimed that his team should have beaten Saudi Arabia by more than 6 goals!
Iran U19 continues its victory trail defeating Jordan 3-0
Mashad: Iran took a step closer to the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship with a 3-0 defeat of Jordan that saw the Group E hosts open up a two-point lead at the top of the table over Kuwait, who came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Nepal in Sunday’s earlier qualifier.
After a demoralising 10-0 humbling at the hands of hosts Iran, Nepal gave a better account of themselves in their second Group E fixture and took the lead a minute after the hour mark through skipper Bimal Gharti Magar only for Khaled Al Enezi to rescue a point for the Kuwaitis with the equaliser ten minutes later.
Kuwait’s draw allowed Iran to go two points clear at the top of the Group E standings after the hosts handed Jordan their second successive defeat as Amirhossein Peirivani’s side enjoyed a 3-0 victory as the qualifying campaign reached its penultimate round of fixtures.
Jordan, who lost 2-1 to Kuwait in Monday’s Group E opener, and Iran looked to be heading into the interval at the Samen Al Aemeh Stadium with the game locked at 0-0 until Nima Daghestani struck on the stroke of half-time to give the home side the lead.
Reza Shekari took his personal tally to three in two games when he followed up his two goals against Nepal with Iran’s second in Sunday’s crucial clash with the Jordanians before Nima Mokhtari repeated Shekari’s achievement when he scored his third of the campaign in the 63rd minute as Iran ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals while hosts Bahrain received an automatic qualification (total 16 teams).
If Bahrain finish top of their qualifying group or one of the five second best-placed teams, the next (6th) second-placed team will qualify for the final competition.
Group E
| Teams | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRAN | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 6 |
| KUWAIT | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| NEPAL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | -10 | 1 |
| JORDAN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
Iran U19 rout Nepal U19 in AFC qualifiers.
Iran U19 team defeated Nepal U19 in the first match of Group E of AFC U 19 Championship qualifiers currently being played in Mashad.
Iran scored 5 goals in each half to finish the one way traffic with a 10-0 score margin against the hapless Nepalese. The star of the team was the Captain Reza Chaab who scored 4 goals , the first one of which was within a minute f the match kick off. while he ended up scoring his fourth in injury time of the second half.
Mokhtari and Shekari both scored a brace each while Shojaei and Khoram contributed with a goal each.
In the other group match held earlier on n the Samen al Aemeh stadium , Kuwait defeated Jordan 2-1
Iran U19 will be playing against Jordan next on the 4th October.
[divider]
IRAN U19 vs. NEPAL U19
10 – 0
Samen Al Aemeh Stadium, Mashad, IRAN
Attendence: 653
Referee: DMITRII MASHENTSEV (KYRGYZSTAN)
Scorers: REZA CHAAB 1′, NIMA MOKHTARI 2′, REZA CHAAB 13′,ALI SHOJAEI 32′, NIMA MOKHTARI 44′, REZA SHEKARI 57′, MOHAMMAD KHORAM 79′, REZA CHAAB 84′, REZA SHEKARI 87′, REZA CHAAB 90+1′,
Iran : 1 NIMA MIRZAZAD;2 AMIRHOSSEIN TAHERI, 3 ALI SHOJAEI, 4 AREF AGHASI, 5 AREF GHOLAMI , 6 NIMA MOKHTARI (23 MOHAMMAD KHORAM [76′]), 7 REZA SHEKARI, 8 NIMA DAGHESTANI (28 MOHAMMADREZA KAVE [46′]), 10 REZA CHAAB (C),11 MOHAMMAD GHOLAMREZA (18 SHAHIN ABBASIAN [63′]) ,13 OMID NOOR-AFKAN
Head Coach: AMIRHOSSEIN PEIRAVANI