Iran will look to defend their AFC Futsal Championship title as they go on to meet Japan in the final, after beating Uzbekistan 7-1 on Friday.
Iran piled on the pressure from the beginning, keeping Uzbekistan in their half, and it paid off early with Mahdi Javid finding the back of the net with his strike to the bottom left corner in the third minute.A minute later, Uzbekistan crossed to the attacking third without their full force and were punished when Ahmad Esmaeilpour regained possession and surged down the flank before passing it off to skipper Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh for a fine finish to double their lead.The 11-time champions showed their prowess once again with their quick ability to move down the pitch, and in the 11th minute, Hassanzadeh turned provider as his blind pass into the box found Hossein Tayebi for a close range strike.Hassanzadeh and Javid formed Iran’s dynamic duo, as the captain earned two more assists to his name in the 16th minute with Javid completing his hat-trick with back-to-back goals in similar fashion.
In the second half, Uzbekistan returned with aggression and were more synergised in their movements and passes, which limited Iran’s opportunities on target.Mohammad Nazemasharieh’s side showed that they were formidable in set-pieces as well, and Hassanzadeh earned his second with a simple tap in to make it 6-0 in the 31st minute, before Tayebi also scored his second of the match four minutes later.Anaskhon Rakhmatov scored a consolation goal in the last 20 seconds of the game, courtesy of Farkod Adbdumavlyanov’s pass, but it was too little too late as Iran sealed a 13th final appearance.Iran will meet Japan in the final on Sunday, while Uzbekistan will play Iraq in the third place play-off.Mohammad Nazemasharieh: Islamic Republic of Iran Head Coach"Our main target was the final, and just after this game, our work has now begun. Because that it what everyone in Asia is expecting us to reach the final. We are third in the world, and we have to live up to that expectation."Bakhodir Akhmedov: Uzbekistan Head Coach“Iran played really strongly today. Our first half performance was really bad, but in the second half we improved. I’m devastated by the loss but we will try to improve as we start our preparations for the match against Iraq.”Photos: AFC
Defending champions Iran underlined their title credentials with a comprehensive 14-0 victory over Myanmar in their Group C opener at the 2018 AFC Futsal Championships on Friday.
Iran wasted little time asserting their authority with two goals inside the first minute to immediately take control of the match.
The first came within seconds of kick off when Iran forced a turnover and AFC Futsal Player of the Year Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh slid the ball across for a simple tap in for Mahdi Javid.
No less than 30 seconds later and they had their second of the evening courtesy of Hassanzadeh, who added Iran’s third and his second a further three minutes later.
Iran then proceeded to go on a scoring spree, adding five goals in the space of three minutes, which included a run of three goals in a minute, to more than put the match beyond doubt half way through the first half.
Myanmar’s defence solidified in the final 10 minutes of the first half, with Yan Paing Hein making some wonderful saves, to restrict Iran to just one further goal for the half, which saw them head in at half time with a commanding 9-0 lead.
In the opening 10 minutes of the second half Myanmar’s defence held firm again, with Iran scoring only once in the 22nd minute when Javid scored his third for the evening.
But a flurry of late goals – a further four in the final 10 minutes – added some extra icing on top of the cake for Iran.
In the end, Hassanzadeh and Javid ended with four goals apiece, while Hossein Tayebi tallied a hat-trick highlighting their dominance across the evening.
Iran will next play China on Sunday, while Myanmar will play Iraq, who enjoyed a confidence-boosting win over China in the earlier Group C match on Friday.
Group C
FULL TIME
Finals
IRAN 14 - 0 MYANMAR
Mahdi Javid 4 Goals
Ali Asghar hassan zadeh 4 Goals
Hossein Tayebi 3 Goals
Mehran Alighadr 1 Goal
Saeid Abbasi 1 Goal
Moslem Oladghobad 1 Goal
Htay Myint: Myanmar Head Coach
"Iran are a world class team, so we told our players to take this match as an experience. We will try to fix our defensive tactics, and that's what we will improve on for our next match. We already have a plan for Iraq, and that's a final game for us if we want to go to the next round.
Mohammmad Nazem Alsharie: IR Iran Head Coach
"This was a game that we expected. Myanmar are a good team who were fast. The only problem they had was experience, and I can foresee that they will be one of the best teams in Asia."
Photos: AFC
Abolghasem Orouji
Ahmad Esmaeilpour
Ali Asghar hassan zadeh
Ali Reza Samimi
Alireza Rafieipour
Farhad Tavakoli
Hossein Tayebi
Mahdi Javid
Mehran Alighadr
Mohammad Shajari
Mohammadreza Sangsefidi
Moslem Oladghobad
Saeid ahmad Abbasi
Sepehr Mohammadi Kamalabadi
The match in Dubai , was between two semi-finals losers as Iran narrowly lost the match to the World Champions Brazil , while the same story was repeated when Portugal surprised Russia in the other semi-final 3-2.
Brazil were given stern examination of their credentials by Iran in the Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup in the semi final yesterday before eventually progressing to Saturday’s final with a 6-4 win. The world champions will take on Portugal on the final day, having been given a real scare by Marco Octavio’s Iran who recovered from 5-2 down to get within a goal of the holders thanks to the impressive Mostafa Kiani.
In the third place playoff, the Iranian men took revenge for the group match loss which ended 4-3 for the Russian in extra time. The winning Russian goal was scored by Iran's own player for a bitter & disappointing end.
IN this match Russia started the scoring in the 2nd period after an eventless first period. However, Iran's reserve goalkeeper Hamid Behzadpour equalized from a long-range shot into the Russian net. Soon Iran went ahead 2-1 when Mohammad Ahmadzadeh scored his 29th goal in this tournament.
Mohammad Moradi made it 3-1 and Iran was sailing , Romanov scored Russia's second goal to make it 3-2 and a nervous few minutes for the Persians.
Russia goalkeeper then committed a grave error b handling just outside the zone as he was sent off. The subsequent free kick was blasted into the roof of the net by Mostafa Kiani to secure a valuable 4-2 win for Iran and a 3rd place position.
Iran Beach Soccer Matches
Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai 2017
KOCHI: European champions Spain produced a quality exhibition of tiki-taka as they decimated Iran 3-1 to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 on Sunday.Spain, one of the pre-tournament favourites, completely dominated the quarter-final match as their one-touch passing game proved to be too good for the Asian giants, who were completely outplayed on the day.Captain Abel Ruiz gave Spain the lead in the 13th minute before Sergio Gomez(60th) and Ferran Torres (67th) added a goal each.For Iran, Saeid Karimi pulled one back in the 69th minute at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium. Spain, seeking their maiden title, now meet African champions Mali in Navi Mumbai in the second semi-finals on October 25.This will be Spain's sixth appearance in the semi-finals in ninth attempt. The La Rojita were runners-up in 1991, 2003 and 2007 and finished third in 1997 and 2009.Spain were the overwhelmingly dominant side with nearly 70 percent possession. They had seven shots on target while Iran barely had any clear chance except for one in the closing stages of the match.But for some fine saves by their goalkeeper Ali Gholam Zadeh, Iran would have lost by a bigger margin. Zadeh was busy all day as Spain made waves of attacks through their fast-paced passing football.Valencia youth team winger Ferran Torres, who has been on the radar of Barcelona and Real Madrid, created a lot of problems for Iran throughout the match with his speedy runs and crosses from the right flank.It was a completely different and unusually defensive Iran today as they did not look like a side, who had not lost any match before Sunday.They sorely missed suspended striker Younes Delfi who had scored twice in Iran shock upset of formidable Germany in the group stage.Spain, who had several players from the world famous academies of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, would build their attacks through their flowing passing and the Iranians could not even touch the ball for long spells.One such spell resulted to the first goal, which came after 26 uninterrupted touches by the Spaniards from which captain Ruiz scored.The first Spain chance came in the 11th minute but Mateu Morey's right footed shot from outside the box just missed the near post.Two minutes later, Spain took the lead through Ruiz who scored his fourth goal of the tournament. The goal came after 26 passes were completed by Spanish players before Ferran Torres got the possession of the ball.Torres got the better of his marker in the right flank and sent a long cross for Sergio Gomez who, in turn, gave a square pass to Ruiz at the center of the Iran box.Barcelona youth team striker Ruiz's first shot hit a defender built from the rebound he made no mistake with his right footer finding the left side of the Iran net with a diving goalkeeper unable to reach the ball.This was Ruiz's 24th goal in 28th appearances for the Spain U-17 side. He is currently on the radar of top English Premier League sides.Spain had two fine chances to increase the lead but Iran goalkeeper Ali Gholam Zadeh kept the scoreline 1-0 with two fine saves, one in the 19th minute and then in the 34th.
A flowing start to the second half saw Spain push for a second goal. At the hour mark, another Barcelona youth team player Sergio Gomez took the game out of Iran's reach with a spectacular strike from well outside the box that hit the underside of the crossbar and went into the net.
Iran pressed forward in search of a goal and that left spaces behind for Spain to make further inroads. In one such flowing move, Mohamad Moukhliss delivered an inch-perfect low cross from the right which Torres simply tapped in to make it 3-0 in the 67th minute.
Iran did get their goal two minutes later when a long ball from defence met the head of Allahyar Sayyad whose diagonal flick found Saeid Karimi who nodded home.
The game was attended by a capacity 29,000 spectators - highest at the venue for any match.
A contest of the Asians’ resilience versus the Europeans’ languid attacking style
After waylaying Germany in Goa, Iran aims to do the improbable again against European champions Spain as the two sides meet in the quarterfinals of the Under-17 World Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday.
Iran, which has qualified for the quarterfinals for the first time, will be playing an opponent which has steadily improved as the tournament progressed.
Spain’s languid attacking style will challenge Iran’s resilience. The team allowed rivals to dominate possession, but backed its defensive strategy and won all its four matches.
But, Iran’s lightning switch from defence to offence has also caught its rivals napping.
“We have reached this stage by playing hard. Spain is a tough opponent but they will also be under pressure. Our objective is to keep a clean slate and then score. Once we score we try our best to defend it,” said coach Abbas Chamanian.
The coach also downplayed the absence of Delfi through suspension, saying his team was loaded with enough talent.
Captain Allahyar Sayyed, who has struck thrice in the tournament, was also confident his team had the ability to come up trumps.
Spain has won three matches on the bounce after its opening defeat to Brazil. Abel Ruiz’s last-minute penalty gave it a narrow win over France in the pre-quarterfinals, a morale booster for Santiago Deni’s side.
“We are aware of Iran’s strength. Iran is a dangerous side on counterattacks and they defend pretty well. We are pretty flexible with our gameplan. Our aim is to win and enter the semifinals,” Deni said.
It has been raining pretty hard in Kochi for the last two days and the humidity, which has been a deterrent for Spain, will no longer be a factor if it rains on match day.
Kochi: Spain coach Santiago Denia is wary of the threat a resolute Iran could pose in their FIFA U-17 World Cup quarterfinal on Sunday and called their next opponent the team of the tournament.
Iran exceeded expectations in the ongoing world event as they stormed into the quarterfinals with four wins, which includes a 4-0 drubbing of pre-tournament favourites Germany.
"It is not going to be easy. Iran is here because of the good things they have done. They won all the four matches. It is one of the best teams — from defence to attack," Denia said on the eve of the tournament.
Iran's Mohammad Sharifi celebrates scoring the opening goal against Mexico.
Asked how much focus is given to the opposition in a knockout match, he said, "We have been improving and we are trying to improve after the match against France. We play with our own identity but we also make sure that we adapt with the situation. We also make sure that we adapt how the other team plays.
"It is the job of the technical staff to find the problem, or the challenges they will face and to adapt it to make sure that tomorrow the team plays well."
Spain are brimming with confidence after prevailing over another European heavyweight France, and the dazzling array of talents give Denia plenty of options.
"After the Brazil game, there were changes but that doesn't mean that the same line-up will play tomorrow.
When asked about his defence plan, Denia said, "Defence is one of our concerns and there is always room for improvement in the defence. Well, the match against Iran has nothing to do with the matches we have already played.
Asked what sort of match he expects against Iran, he said, "The players you talked about are very speedy and if they get chances they can be dangerous for Spain. Yes, they have done a good job. That's why they are here. They are working as a team."
Iran, the 2016 AFC U-16 Championships runners-up, grabbed eyeballs with their stunning 4-0 drubbing of Germany, and they have not looked back since.
"We are very relaxed. We know that we have a tough match but there is no doubt that Spain, too, are facing the same situation and have a tough match. We are very prepared and fully ready for the match. Our players are so devoted and looking forward to make the semifinals," Iran coach Abbas Chamanian said.
"We analyse Spain as the next opponent. We hope to have a good performance against an opponent like Spain and emerge successful."
Asked about his team's victory over France last time, he said, "We have faced Germany and other teams, it seems, are not as tough as Germany. I am sure the lessons we have learnt in the last four games will help us in this match."
This is the first time Iran have progressed this far, and they will be eager to continue this journey.
With four wins from four matches, scoring 12 goals while conceding just two, Iran have marched in style to the quarter-finals, defeating Mexico 2-1 in their Round of 16 encounter in Goa.
Iran reach first FIFA U-17 World Cup quarter-final
Team Melli have scored more goals than in their previous three tournaments
We look at four reasons for Iran’s formidable performances at India 2017
With four wins from four matches, scoring 12 goals while conceding just two, Iran continued their unstoppable march through the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 by defeating Mexico 2-1 in their Round of 16 encounter in Goa. Reaching the last eight marks Team Melli’s best result in the history of the competition and continues a remarkable few months of success.Coach Abbas Chamanian’s charges were one of five Iranian national teams to qualify for five different FIFA tournaments in 2016/2017 – an outstanding achievement unparalleled even by nations such as Brazil, Germany and France.Iran before India 2017:3 appearancesBest result: Round of 163 wins, 3 draws, 5 defeats10 goals scored14 goals concededIran at India 2017:Quarter-finals4 wins12 goals scored2 goals concededWhat are the reasons behind Iran’s success? In the search for answers, FIFA.com has discovered four particularly marked trends from their opening four matches.1. Super-fast switching
One thing that has been clear in every game is that Iran play out from a foundation of discipline. If their opponents have the ball, all of the players often stay in their own half and close down the space. “Our first objective is to keep a clean sheet,” defensive maestro Taha Shariati told FIFA.com. “Our second objective is to score a goal, and our third objective is to defend our advantage and win the match.”The Asian side wait for a mistake and, once they win the ball, move it forward at lightning speed with just a few passes. While pacy strikers Younes Delfi and Allahyar Sayyad come into their own as the target comes into view, the entire team can track back just as quickly if they lose possession.2. Solidarity and team spirit
Iran’s selfless and passionate playing style is evident long before kick-off. During the warm-up, substitutes applaud the starting 11 as they complete their final exercise. A few minutes later, a loud cheer of encouragement goes up from inside the changing room before the players make their way towards the pitch.“We are one team, and we can only succeed with solidarity and team spirit!” said suspended captain Mohammad Ghobeishavi in the mixed zone of the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium after watching the game from the stands.3. Control without possession
Team Melli have enjoyed less possession than their opponents in all four of their matches so far:Iran 40 per cent– 60 per cent Guinea
Iran 43 per cent – 57 per cent Germany
Iran 48 per cent – 52 per cent Costa Rica
Iran 35 per cent – 65 per cent MexicoDespite this, they have remained in control of every game. "Although spending so much time behind the ball definitely saps your energy, we give our all for the team’s success, and winning the match means we’ve achieved our goal,” said Mohammad Sharifi, who dictates play in midfield alongside Ghobeishavi and has already scored two penalties in India.4. Strong players in key positions
While Sharifi shone in central midfield in Iran’s first game, strike pair Sayyad and Delfi were the standout performers against Germany. Ghobeishavi was the team’s lynchpin in the encounter with Costa Rica before goalkeeper Ali Gholam Zadeh kept Mexico at bay with a series of impressive saves.Despite their overarching focus on teamwork, the Iranians have a heady mix of genuinely strong individuals in several key positions that could yet allow them to go all the way in India. “We have our sights set on the big goal of reaching the final and winning the World Cup,” said Shariati. One thing is certain – Iran are determined to continue making history.
Togo internationals Emmanuel Adebayor and Floyd Ayité are set to miss the Sparrow Hawks’ encounter against Iran.The two sides will lock horns in an international friendly match at the Azadi Stadium in Tehrān, Iran on 5 October 2017.The Togolese Football Federation (FTF) has since announced that Adebayor and Ayite have both been withdrawn from the squad due to injuries.“Injured in their respective clubs, Emmanuel Adebayor (Basaksehir) and Floyd Ayité (Fulham) have declared forfeit,” a statement read.Adebayor, the Togo captain and striker, who is playing for İstanbul Başakşehir in the Turkish Super Lig, has been out nursing an injury.Togo midfielder Ayite plies his trade in the English Championship for Fulham and he was substituted in the 42nd minute against Middlesbrough last weekend due to injury.It remains to be seen whether the FTF will call up replacements before the match.
Masoud Soltanifar was spot on when he issued instructions to Mehdi Taj and ordered FFIRI to investigate the management calamity that has led to a heavy fine and sanctions by FIFA imposed on Persepolis club that might approach the 800,000 Euro including legal cost.
The Minister of youth and sports was even more judicious and decisive when he demanded, in no uncertain terms, that the football administrators get their act together and start learning the skills of the trade by attending courses or workshop in order to improve their knowledge in international law and football management.
On the surface of things, the reaction of the minister is praiseworthy. Mr. Soltanifar, is more than concerned about the repeated failures of Iranian football management and poor decision making leading to wastage of public funds. Virtually all clubs, but most significantly the two top popular ones, Esteghlal and Persepolis, are run by the government in some form or another. As such this control has cost the public coffers tens of millions of dollars in expenditure and wastage. There is another motive for issuing the order by Mr. Soltanifar. He is, no doubt bracing himself for questioning in the Majlis (the Parliament) by members who will question his authority and criticize his role in this humiliation.
Indeed, humiliation is the right phrase used by no other than Carlos Queiroz to describe this whole affair.
However, on close scrutiny of this event and the subsequent reaction by the Minister, it seems that this is a clear case of self-incrimination.
The individuals who are running Persepolis are appointees of the Ministry in the first place. The Youth & Sports Minister approves the Chief Executive, board member and major posts in the club, and hence he is directly accountable for the actions by the club. It is him that has failed to appoint a competent team of administrators and it is appropriate that he is questioned and held accountable for this fiasco.
Those who run football in Iran, particularly Esteghlal and Persepolis clubs, from directors to key administration personnel, are mostly political appointees. Rather than competency or merit based appointments, the candidates for the posts are either ex revolutionary guards’ commanders, military, police or government employees who have served the regime and in returned are rewarded for their loyalties. This might work if those people are competent and experienced in this field. There is no place for entrepreneurs, businessmen or professionally trained and experienced executives in the boards of Persepolis and Esteghlal. It is more important to be a pious man who does not miss his prayer rather than being a capable manager with knowledge in marketing, financing, legal affairs and public relations talents. There is a distinct lack of personnel who can run clubs as corporate entities.
It is not surprising that fiascos such as this can be committed by the likes of Mehdi Taj, Ali Kaffashian and Ali Akbar Taheri. A person such as Mohammad Rouyanian, led Persepolis to the verge of bankruptcy while at the helm of the club a few years back. The affairs in the other popular club , Esteghlal, is not much better. The Minster and the government must shoulder the responsibility especially since the concern is wastage of public funds that can be used in much needed areas of football development (such as having a decent training ground for Team Melli)
The lack of accountability is quite rife in Iran’s football. It is indeed rare for a coach, Chairman or an accountable manager to accept responsibility for a failure and resign his post. All those aforementioned have one undeniable skill and that is bargaining! The word Chaneh, meaning bargaining or lack of a better term, maneuvering, dodging and evading an issue by the use of justification, excuses and pleas. This is instilled in the Iranian culture and accepted in the bazzar when buying a commodity but it is also widely used in business and administration process. It is a trait that takes those who excel in it to great heights in the hierarchy. With maneuvering and use of words and terms, these people get away with murder. Fortunately, in international law, there is no place for such maneuvering and that is where Iran football gets caught. The suspension of Iran by FIFA post Word Cup 2006 is still fresh in the memory.
It is not that Iran lacks managerial and administration skills to run a successful football club or football federation.
When the country has the likes of Mohammad Javad Zarif and his team of negotiators on the nuclear deal who have done the nation pride by their skills, professionalism, knowledge and proficiency that has gained the respect of the whole world, it is pity that such skills are nowhere to be seen in football administration which is now a global multibillion dollar business and not just purely a sport.
The government has no business running football in Iran, not in any other country for that matter. By owning and running sports clubs, there is a great responsibility that has to be accomplished in a successful manner. The reality is that the government has a vivid lack of vision, tools and competency in doing so. Their priorities are focused on security and fear of expression of discontent leading to mass revolt. It might be a legitimate right for the regime to protect itself, but by controlling football clubs and federation, it is exposing itself too . The government should have much more important functions and priorities other than running Esteghlal and Persepolis.
Yes Minister. You are correct in your demands for answers. But it is a step too late. In corporate terms, this is a reactive measure rather than proactive. Even if there is partial success in reducing the penalties, it only serves as a cover for the real perennial problem in Iran’s football…incompetent management.
In a letter to the head of the Football Federation, the Minister of Youth and Sports, called for a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the FIFA sanction & fine against Persepolis Club.
According to Mehr News Agency, in the letter that the Minister Masoud Soltanifar sent to the Head of FFIRI Mehdi Taj, he said: "Following the discussions, in spite of the significant successes of recent months by the national teams of different age groups of the country and qualification of teams to the World Cups , In particular the Team Melli's progress and qualification to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, in addition to the achievements and titles of the Futsal, Beach Soccer and Women's Futsal events, unfortunately over the past year we witnessed punitive actions and penalties from the International Football Federation (FIFA) against some of the biggest and most popular clubs in the country. Such sanctions are detrimental to and harmful to the reputation of the country, the authorities and the vast basis Football fans. “
“In the context of FIFA's recent ruling on Persepolis resulting in significant financial penalties and fines for this team, it is necessary to analyzed and investigate these failures and find the precise root causes of such violations that lead to FIFA ruling. It is vital to find out the factors, events and reasons behind the clubs management poor decisions and the conduct of players, managers or coaches that lead to the issuance of sanctions and penalties against these clubs. You must submit a detailed and comprehensive review of the decision making processes of these clubs and various sections of the federation, and submit it to the Ministry for review.”
“In addition, and in coordination with the executives and managers of Persepolis Club, it is necessary to use all legal and lawful capacities of the Federation and the Club to turn and abolish the sanctions issued utilizing expertise of International Sporting Lawyers, in order to prevent these problems and possible future offenses. The Football Federation shall conduct comprehensive reviews by using the knowledge and experiences of skilled personnel and subject matter experts to redefine the mechanism of international football transfer system of Iran and, if necessary, conduct courses in various fields including legal, organizational, financial, and ... for managers and officials of these clubs and related department heads to explain the required international regulations and compliance with international laws.”
