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The pride of the nation - Iran futsal team wins 3rd place.

History was made today Futsal Team Melli defeated Portugal on penalty shoot out after the teams were locked at 2-2 at the end of the game. Kazemi and Javid scored Iran goals after being 2-0 behind at the start of the second half. There was no extra time as the match went into directly penalty kicks. The victory gave Iran the third place in the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 . This is the highest ever rank by a team sport in the history of Iran. The best ever world ranking was achieved by the 1989 futsal team in Hong Kong when they were placed fourth in their first ever appearance in the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

بچها متشکریم 

 
Coliseo el PuebloCali (COL)
01 Oct 2016 - 12:00 Local time
Match for third place

Iran     IRAN     v     PORTUGAL      Portugal

FULL-TIME

2-2

Iran win on penalties (4 - 3)

SCORERS

SCORERS

IRAN QUALIFY FOR AFC U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Goa: Goalkeeper Ali Gholam Zadeh was the hero as Islamic Republic of Iran booked a date with Iraq in Sunday’s AFC U-16 Championship India 2016 final after claiming a 6-5 penalty shootout win over defending champions DPR Korea following a 1-1 draw in Thursday’s semi-final.

Iran dominated the first half at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and took a one-goal lead into the break thanks to captain Mohammad Sharifi before Kye Tam levelled the scores from the spot to take the semi-final to penalties.

With the shootout at 5-5 Gholam Zadeh scored his spot kick before returning to his line to save from Kim Kyong-sok as the 2008 champions advanced to the final for only the second time.

After starting the stronger, Abbas Chamanian’s team came close on 16 minutes as Allahyar Sayyad's cross-goal shot evaded an outstretched Sin Tae-song in the Korean goal only to come back off the right post.

 

As one-way traffic ensued Iran took a deserved lead on three minutes later after Sin was penalised for picking up a back pass on the edge of the six-yard box.

Mohammad Ghaderi rolled the ensuing free-kick to Sharifi and the skipper fired in low and hard at the near post.

Iran showed no sign of letting up as Sayyad headed Amirhossein Esmaeilzadeh’s corner from the right just wide midway through the half before the frontman was again off target with a header.

The holders remained a threat, though, and substitute Kim Hwi-hwang forced Gholam Zadeh to tip round the right post after the ball broke kindly for him in the box two minutes before the interval.

DPR Korea came out with renewed purpose after the restart and captain Kim Pom-hyok drilled in a free-kick from fully 35 yards that was well dealt with by the Iran custodian before Cha Kwang was narrowly off target from the right side of the Iranian penalty area.

With the tie firmly in the balance Iran sought to give themselves breathing space and substitute Alireza Asadabadi saw his powerfully struck effort from distance on 55 minutes tipped over the crossbar.

As the half wore on, though, Yun Jong-su’s team took firm control of proceedings. Kim Hwi-hwang should have done better than head into Gholam Zadeh’s arms from seven yards after being teed up by Paek Kwang-min.

Chamanian praises Iran's undying fighting spirit

The Koreans’ superiority paid off with 11 minutes remaining when Yun Min’s free-kick was handled by Amir Khodamoradi in the Iranian wall and, after the referee pointed to the spot, Kye made no mistake in dispatching beyond the reach of Gholam Zadeh.

But substitute Younes Delfi should have won for Iran with three minutes remaining only to side-foot inches wide when one-on-one with Sin and Asadabadi did likewise in stoppage time.

With no extra time at the AFC U-16 competition the game went to penalties and Sharifi opened the scoring before Kye evened things up. Esmaeilzadeh netted but Yun Min again levelled, before both Saeid Ahani and Kim Chung-jin scored.

Sin then saved from Khodamoradi only for Gholam Zadeh to tip Cha’s effort onto the upright. Asadabadi coolly slotted home and, after the Iranian ‘keeper was adjudged to have come off his line to save from Kim Pom-hyok, the Korean captain scored the retake.

Taha Shariati and Paek scored before Gholam Zadeh side-footed home and returned to his line to save from Kim Kyong-sok and send his side through to Sunday's finale.

 

 

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CHAMANIAN PRAISES IRAN'S UNDYING FIGHTING SPIRIT

Goa: Coach Abbas Chamanian hailed Islamic Republic of Iran’s fighting spirit after his side ousted AFC U-16 Championship holders DPR Korea 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Thursday’s semi-final to set up a date with Iraq in Sunday’s final.

Captain Mohammad Sharifi’s goal put Iran one up at the interval at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, but the defending champions came back strongly after the restart and levelled through Kye Tam's spot kick to take the tie to penalties.

A tense shootout saw goalkeeper Ali Gholam Zadeh net Iran’s seventh penalty in sudden death before the custodian saved from Kim Kyong-sok to set up a clash with neighbours Iraq, after the West Asians saw off Japan 4-2 in Thursday’s earlier semi-final.

“DPR Korea are a very strong team and our players had to fight hard to win this match,” said Chamanian.

“We played very well in the first half but they began to control the midfield in the second half and we lost our confidence.

“Then DPR Korea scored the equaliser so we had to try and fight back again and at the end we had two great chances that the players didn’t take.” 

Iran had earlier topped Group A ahead of United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and hosts India after two wins and a draw were enough to see them advance to the last eight above the Emiratis on goal difference.

Then with a place at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup at stake, the Iranians produced a dominant performance to defeat Vietnam 5-0.

“We have been practising penalties for three months, but it is also very important at this age to take first as it allowed us to control the shootout,” added Chamanian.

“We are very, very happy to win this game and now we can look forward to the final.”

REPORT: IR Iran 1-1 (6-5 pens) DPR Korea

DPR Korea, meanwhile, had been looking to become the first side to claim back-to-back titles as well as win an unprecedented third AFC U-16 Championship.

But the East Asians endured an indifferent tournament and, despite booking their return ticket to India for next year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup, needed a penalty shootout to edge past Oman in the last eight.

“After we conceded early it became very tough for us as it affected the players psychologically,” said coach Yun Jong-su.

“They tried their best to get back into the game in the first half but they were not playing well.

“At half-time I told them to calm down, not to worry about the first goal and play with confidence. We played much better after that.

“We were confident before the penalties because we won the last one but in the end you need some luck and we didn’t get it like in the last game

Proud Iranian miss the final by a whisker.

Russia booked their place in the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 final after outlasting Iran 4-3 in Tuesday’s semi-final in Medellin.

The European side led from the start at the Coliseo Ivan de Bedout to reach their first-ever Futsal World Cup final, though they were made to work hard for it by the Asian champions, who had shown their pedigree in making it to the last four after victories over reigning world champions Brazil in the Round of 16 and Paraguay in the quarter-finals.

A scrappy first half saw both sides find the scoresheet before half-time. It was Russia that took the lead through Dmitry Lyskov, who made the most of some patient build-up to create a foot of space from his marker and shoot across Iran goalkeeper Alireza Samimi into the top left corner for 1-0.

Iran’s response came through a stunning free-kick from Ahmad Esmaeilpour. His effort curled around the Russian wall and into the top right corner, leaving Gustavo frozen in the Russian goal.

iran-futsal-semi-final-2

Russia restored their lead shortly after the break through Sergey Abramov’s sumptuous volley for his second of the tournament. Then came arguably the turning point of the match, as both sides exchanged goals midway through the second half.

Iran felt they had turned the momentum back in their favour when Ali Hassan Zadeh showed great composure to make it 2-2. Yet, seconds later, Russia responded through their captain Vladislav Shayakhmetov to leave the Iranians chasing the match once more.

iran-futsal-semi-final-1

With time winding down, Iran used the flying goalkeeper in a bid to draw level for a third time. Yet, with an empty Iranian net to aim for, Russia scored their match winner through Ivan Chishkala from his own half.

“It was a really hard match,” said Russia coach Sergey Skorovich. “We had not been able to go ahead with two goals, but this was exactly how we expected the match to be. We did not move ourselves how we wanted, but this is normal after a long tournament like this.”

Though the task looked insurmountable, Iran’s never-say-die spirit that has been at the foundation of their Colombia 2016 campaign made the final seconds of this semi-final interesting, as Mahdi Javid converted on the rebound to make the scoreline a more accurate reflection of this hard-fought contest.

“It is not easy to say something after we lost,” said Iran coach Seyed Nazemalsharieh. “But I am really happy that we could give pleasure to the spectators. We always play with our hearts and we also proved that today. Big congratulations to Russia for reaching the final."

Russia’s triumph sees them advance to the final in Cali on Saturday 1 October, where they will face the winner of Wednesday’s semi-final between Argentina and Portugal. Iran will play in Saturday’s third-place match against the loser of Wednesday’s semi-final, also in Cali.

FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 Colombia
Coliseo Ivan de BedoutMedellin (COL)
27 Sep 2016 - 19:00 Local time
Semi-finals
Iran     IRAN     v   RUSSIA       Russia
FULL-TIME
3-4

IRAN SCORERS

RUSSIA SCORERS

Iran U16 storm past Vietnam into the semi-finals

The Glory days of Iranian football and Futsal is continuing with the U16 booking its berth in next year's FIFA U17 Championship  and the AFC U16 Championship 2016 semi-finals currently held in Goa, India.

Goa: Allahyar Sayyad bagged a brace as Islamic Republic of Iran advanced to the semi-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship India 2016 after a resounding 5-0 quarter-final victory over Vietnam at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium On Sunday.

Sayyad opened the scoring after 29 minutes before Mohammad Ghaderi doubled their advantage early in the second half and Alireza Asadabadi gave Vietnam a mountain to climb just after the hour.

A dominant Iran then put their opponents to the sword as Amir Khodamoradi and Sayyad’s double wrapped up a comfortable win as Abbas Chamanian’s side progressed to the last four and also ensured a return to India for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup as one of the tournament’s top four teams.

Vietnam began confidently and had their first chance of note on eight minutes when Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong’s powerfully struck left-foot effort from 20 yards was tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Ali Gholam Zadeh.

The custodian was again on hand in the 16th minute to save Vu Quang Do’s volley from 10 yards after Nguyen Trong Long picked out the defender with a deep corner from the left.

Without their injured skipper Aref Alipour for a second game in succession, Iran came back into the tie and broke the deadlock in the shortly before the half hour.

Ahmad Jalali picked up the ball on the left and delivered an inch-perfect delivery towards Sayyad, who got in between two defenders to head home his second goal of the tournament from six yards out.

Iran then opened up a two-goal lead a minute after the restart as Ghaderi controlled stand-in captain Mohammad Sharifi’s ball over the top with his chest before firing low into the bottom right corner from 15 yards.

And the game was all but over as a contest by the 61st minute when Iran added another through Asadabadi’s third of the campaign.

Sayyad robbed a hesitant Nguyen Thanh Binh of possession 25 yards from goal before racing into the box and, after Vietnam 'keeper Huynh Huu Tuan got down to block the forward’s low drive, Asadabadi was on hand to tap into an empty net.

The Iranians were threatening to run riot as Ghaderi broke in from the left and crossed for Khodamoradi to side-foot home from 10 yards on 68 minutes.

Substitute Alireza Savari then had an instant impact when he found Sayyad four minutes later and the lively forward confidently dispatched into the bottom right corner from 12 yards.

The Southeast Asians almost grabbed a consolation with five minutes remaining but Nguyen Khac Khiem was narrowly off target from inside the penalty area as Iran claimed their biggest win of the campaign.

Coach Abbas Chamanian boys will be facing the winners of North Korea vs Oman match next Thursday.

 

Political interference in football is unfavorable, says IRIFF

Hamid Reza A'sefi , the international spokesperson of the Football Federation has stated that his organization does not approve of political decision making in football affairs. A'sefi was speaking to ISNA on the possibilities of Iran withdrawing from the  2016 AFC U-19 Championship . The 39th edition will be held in Bahrain between 13–30 October 2016. Iran has qualified for the finals.

"The federation is not in favor of politicians making decision in football affairs. It is against our wishes and is not acceptable by international standards. However, if there are strong objections from the government on security ground, then of course we have to oblige."  A'sefi said. "We know that playing in Bahrain is akin to playing in Saudi Arabia , as the country is a satellite state of Saudis and run under their supervision. By withdrawing from this tournament we give the Saudi the best of excuses. It is exactly the what they seek for not playing in Iran. Their propaganda machine has been active for sometime now but we should not be deceived."

"We have no issues playing in Bahrain. of course we will demand security precaution and assurances, else there is no other concerns." 

"As for postponing or delaying the match against South Korea because of Ta'sooa , I think it will be extremely difficult. It is a holly day in the Iranian calendar , but FIFA does not entertain such demands and with the tight schedule already , I doubt that FIFA will even respond to such request. It is unfortunate, but we have to oblige and go along with the rules of FIFA" A'sefi responded on the question if Iran will demand a change of date for the South Korea match in Azadi on October 11th.

Iran is in Group C of the  2016 AFC U-19 Championship along with Japan , Qatart and Yemen.

The matches:

14 October 2016    19:30     Qatar v Iran 17 October 2016    16:30     Iran v Japan 20 October 2016    16:30     Yemen v Iran

Drama as Iran clinch win at the death.

Iran clinched a FIFA Futsal World Cup semi-final place for the first time since 1992 as Ahmed Esmailpour struck deep into extra time to see off Paraguay 4-3 in an incredible climax during Bucaramanga’s final game of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016.

With plenty of space to operate in, both sides moved the ball around fluidly in the opening minutes, but the final pass was lacking as neither was able to craft solid openings. While it was Iran who were applying most of the pressure early on, it was Paraguay who took the lead, with Francisco Martinez turning in Juan Salas’ drive across goal.

This spurred the South Americans into life, threatening a second as space opened up at the back as Iran pushed for a quick equaliser. But it was in fact a well-tried route to goal that brought the leveller, as an Esmaeilpour thunderbolt proved that persistence pays off.

With half-time almost upon them, Paraguay nipped ahead again, this time it was Juan Salas himself bundling in at the back post. And if there was any similarity between Paraguay’s goals, that was entirely superseded as Iran drew level again, this time it was Mahdi Javid unleashing a hammer blow.

Rene Villalba would have trumped them all if his volley from inside his own half hadn’t struck the frame of the goal, while Mohammed Keshavarzand and Farhad Tavakoli did likewise, albeit from a great deal closer as the game opened up.

The game swung Iran’s way on the tug of a shirt, though, as Gabriel Ayala saw red for pulling down Tavakoli, and Javid made it 3-2 with Iran a man to the good. But with time ticking down, Villalba, sporting the flying keeper’s shirt, fired a low free-kick to take it to extra time.

It looked all set for both sides to face penalties for the second time in successive games, but Esmaeilpour was on hand to hammer home from close range with 23 seconds to go. Even then, Villalba still had time to hit the post, but now Iran will face one of Spain or Russia in the semi-finals.

The gallant Futsal Team Melli qualifies to the semi-Finals.

Another excellent and convincing display by the gallant Persian team ensured the qualification of Team Melli futsal team to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2016. In the first quarter final match of the tournament , Team Melli beat Paraguay 4-3 in extra time , Ahmad Esmaeilpour  scoring in the dying seconds of the dramatic match in Coliseo Bicentenario in the city of Bucaramanga , Colombia.

In a thrilling game, F. MARTINEZ started the goals for Paraguay (1 - 0) , but Iran soon equalized by Ahmad Esmaeilpour  thunderous shout into the roof of the net (1 -1) . Paraguay took the lead again through G. Salas (2 -1) , Javid equalizing for Iran this time (2 - 2)

Team Melli took the lead through Mehdi Javid 3 -2 but a last-minute power game goal from R. VILLALBA ensured the match in regulation time in a draw 3-3.

The first period of extra time was tense and all the pressure was on Paraguay , but ended goal-less. In the second extra time period , the match was heading towards a Penalty Shoot out when Ahmad Esmaeilpour  blasted home after the Paraguay keeper parried a shot.

It was a grand finale for Team Melli which was the better team and technically superior. Iran missed many scoring chances including three shots hitting the post. Paraguay were content to defend and counter.

Team Melli will meet the winner of Russia-Spain match in the other quarter-final.

 

Team Melli to play Thailand in Friendly International.

Team Melli will play a friendly international match in Bangkok prior to the group's last round match in the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers Group A. The match against Thailand will be played on November 9th and is so far the only friendly game in Team Melli program. Thailand is in group B of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers alongside Australia , Japan , UAE, Iraq and Saudi Arabia   Iran and Thailand have met 14 times in various competition with Team Melli recording 11 and 3 draws. Thailand has never beaten Team Melli since the first meeting in the Asian Cup 1972 in the Thai Capital. Team Melli has scored 32 goals while receiving 5 goals back. The venue for the away match against Syria on the 15th November is yet to be decided.

A touch of class by Team Melli futsal squad

The great Falcao finally hang his boots and played his last international match in the FIFA World Cup 2016 Colombia. It was a sweet bitter end to one of the greatest players that Brazilian futsal has ever produced. The 39 years old forward was counting on yet another world title but it was not to be against a stubborn , classy and skillful Iranian side. Despite Falcao efforts and yet another top class performance , he was on the loosing end in one of the shock defeats of Brazil Futsal.  A teary-eyed Falcao, who scored a hat-trick against the Asian champions on Wednesday, said: "I remain very happy having finished my career with a hat-trick but unfortunately they are worth nothing. “These goals are of no real value; they are just helping me to improve my record. "If I was able to change everything I did in this tournament, including the goals, and be able to trade it to become world champion, I would in an instant.” Falcao was named Best Futsal Player in the World a record four times and won the Golden Ball twice in the 2004 and 2008 World Cups. The Iranians, however , as a show of respect and admiration consoled the great Falcao at the end of the game as he was even given a hero's sendoff by Iran, who's team threw him up in the air at full-time . 
Brazil's Falcao reacts during their Colombia 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup match against Iran in Bucaramanga, Colombia on September 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / GUILLERMO LEGARIAGUILLERMO LEGARIA/AFP/Getty Images
Brazil's Falcao reacts during their Colombia 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup match against Iran in Bucaramanga, Colombia on September 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / GUILLERMO LEGARIAGUILLERMO LEGARIA/AFP/Getty Images
Despite failing to help Brazil win a sixth World Cup, Falcao admitted he was proud of what he had achieved in his career. He added: "Even with this result, I remain hugely proud because as I end my career I know I will be remembered as a very important player in the history of futsal. Falco was emotional at the end of the game as much as he was when he completed his hat trick. The classy touch by the Iranians players and squad left him in awe. “I was world champion twice, I am so honoured to see how the fans view me and what I have done, as this is what is most important to me.” Falcao, full name Alessandro Rosa Viera, played for 15 different teams in his 26-year career, including Sao Paulo football club. He is regarded as the greatest futsal player of all time and is known as the 'Pele' of the sport.
Iran's team players throw in the air Brazilian player Falcao as they celebrate their victory over Brazil in their Colombia 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup match in Bucaramanga, Colombia on September 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / GUILLERMO LEGARIAGUILLERMO LEGARIA/AFP/Getty Images
Iran's team players throw in the air Brazilian player Falcao as they celebrate their victory over Brazil in their Colombia 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup match in Bucaramanga, Colombia on September 21, 2016. / 

Knowing Paraguay Futsal team.

Iran can reach the semi-finals of the 2016 FIFA World Cup if they manage to beat Paraguay on Saturday. After the heroic and stylish performance against World Champions and main title contender Brazil, Team Melli is oozing with confidence. Paraguay is the hurdle between Iran and the first appearance in semi final since 1992.  Futsal Team Melli played the south American team of Paraguay 5 times. All of the matches, bar the first one in Hong Kong during the first participation of Iran in the World Cup , were in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Team Melli is a regular invitee for the tournament.  

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS:

Team Melli started the tournament with a very tough match against Spain. Despite the 5-1 loss to the European champions, the match was far from one-sided and definitely did not reflect the reality in terms of possession and goal attempts. The shock defeat was a catalyst in Iran's revival in the next match where they comfortably defeated the African champions Morocco 5-3. In that match, some individual errors cost Iran dearly. Similar errors were repeated in the match against Azerbaijan where Team Melli needed to win to ensure a second place in the table and avoiding Brazil in the next round. It was not to be as Azerbaijan proved a tough nut to crack and the match ended in a draw 3-3 allowing the Azeri national team to clinch the second place in the group. There are many individual winners in Team Melli with skills to match the best in the world. Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh , Alireza Samimi and Hossein Tayebi are amongst the best in the world, however the team really shines when it gets into gear as a unit. Quick passes, excellent runs and individual skills to dribble past opponents have been the hallmark of Team Melli. The shortcoming is in the occasional lapse of concentration by defenders that nearly cost Iran elimination from the World Cup. It is this area that concerns  Nazemalsharieh the most as evident from the time-out talks he gave his players in the last match. Defenders must not lose focus in front of their own goal, Against , Paraguay, Iran will find it tough. Strong offensive force and an excellent goalkeeper is the main strength of the South American team.  Pace and quick counter is one way of upsetting Paraguay , and Iran has a plenty of that. 4 wins out of 5 is a proud record against this ever improving team which has just knocked out the host Colombia in the last round in a penalty shoot-out.

Past records

No. Date competition
Team
Team 2 Goals Goals Venue
1 7-Sep-15 Grand Prix 2015 Iran Paraguay 2 0 Uberaba / Minas Gerais (BRA)
2 27-Oct-13 Grand Prix 2013 Paraguay Iran 2 6 Maringá (BRA)
3 23-Oct-10 Grand Prix 2010 Paraguay Iran 3 3 Lages (BRA)
4 20-Oct-07 Grand Prix 2007 Iran Paraguay 6 4 Anápolis (BRA)
5 20-Nov-92 World Cup Iran Paraguay 10 6 Hong Kong
 

Statistics

P W D L GF GA
5 4 1 0 27 15
    Team PARAGUAY   Strengths and styles Paraguay coach and two-time world finalist Carlos Chilavert has created a side in his own image: organised, balanced and combative but attack-minded with it. Led by the experienced Fabio Alcaraz and Rene Villalba, both of whom have three world finals competitions under their belts, La Albirroja have significant firepower up front in the shape of Thailand 2012 veteran Juan Salas and Richard Rejala, one of the new men to figure in a revamped squad. One of Paraguay’s strongest suits is their steely character, which saw them through some awkward moments in the qualifiers. FIFA Futsal World Cup record Colombia 2016 will be Paraguay’s fourth consecutive world finals appearance and their sixth in all, a record that is the third best in South America behind ever-presents Brazil and Argentina. Their only absences to date came at Spain 1996 and Guatemala 2000, while their best performance was sixth at Netherlands 1989, the inaugural Futsal World Cup. The Paraguayans reached the last 16 at Thailand 2012, where they lost to Portugal and finished 12th.  Star Performer : Substitute goalkeeper Carlos Espinola

Matches

11 SEP 2016
GROUP C
Coliseo el Pueblo
Cali

Paraguay     PARAGUAY     v       ITALY       Italy

FULL-TIME

2-4

14 SEP 2016
GROUP C
Coliseo el Pueblo
Cali

Paraguay     PARAGUAY     v     VIETNAM     Vietnam

FULL-TIME

7-1

17 SEP 2016
GROUP C
Coliseo el Pueblo
Cali

Guatemala     GUATEMALA     v    PARAGUAY       Paraguay

FULL-TIME

4-8

20 SEP 2016
ROUND OF 16
Coliseo el Pueblo
Cali

Colombia     COLOMBIA     v   PARAGUAY       Paraguay

FULL-TIME

0-0

Paraguay win on penalties (2 - 3)
24 SEP 2016 - 15:30 Local time
QUARTER-FINALS
Coliseo Bicentenario
Bucaramanga
Paraguay     PARAGUAY     v     IRAN     Iran
23:30