Match report :Thailand 0-3 Iran

Asian Cup 2015 (Qs) MD4: Thailand 0-3 Iran

Published on Friday, 15 November 2013 22:50

Bangkok: Three-time AFC Asian Cup winners Iran took a big step towards qualification for the 2015 finals in Australia with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Thailand on Friday.

The Asian powerhouses, who have already booked their passage to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, outclassed the home side at a steamy Rajamangala Stadium with goals from Ashkan Dejagah, Reza Ghoochannejhad and Alireza Jahanbakhsh

And the victory took unbeaten Iran to 10 points two games remaining in Group B, with Thailand still without a point and facing almost certain elimination.

“We go to Lebanon next week with 10 points which was our goal. I think it will be enough to qualify for the Asian Cup finals,” said Iran coach Carlos Queiroz.

“It was a good game for us tonight, especially in the first half. We were 2-0 up and had control of the game after 45 minutes.

“We slowed down a bit in the second half and played with less energy and speed. My players know there is a long trip to Lebanon.

“We came here with the right attitude, very professional. I am very happy with the attitude of my players.”

Thailand had a huge let off after just seven minutes with Iran defender Pejman Montazeri – up for a free-kick – scooping the ball into the grateful arms of Thai goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool from just six yards.

Iran looked by far the more potent force and Sinthaweechai did well to parry a good effort from midfielder Mojtaba Jabari in the 27th minute.

But the opener was delayed by just a minute with Fulham’s Dejagah, who had been a constant menace down the right wing, finding the target with a well-struck shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Iran continued to press and added a second in the 43rd minute with striker Ghoochannejhad taking advantage of poor defending by Thailand to lift the ball past Sinthaweechai.

Thailand battled for every ball but had no answer to the guile and pace of Iran and failed to create a single clear-cut chance in the first half.

Iran lacked the same intensity in the second half allowing the Thais to be more adventurous and substitute Datsakorn Thonglao – surprisingly left out of the starting line-up – forced goalkeeper Mohammad Davari into his first real save in the 73rd minute.

But after Thailand substitute Phawadon Suwanchart was sent-off in injury time, Iran rubbed salt into the host’s wounds with Jahanbakhsh scoring his side’s third goal.

“My players were not so fresh tonight and faced a lot of stress. Physically and tactically they were way ahead of us. We must develop and improve our tactics and technique,” said Thailand coach Surachai Jaturapattarapong.

“The next generation of players must develop these skills otherwise we will not get better.

“We will play for pride in the final two games and we will be looking to win them both.”

Photo: AFP

Iran defeats Thailand 3-0 in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier.

Bangkok.

Team Melli scored an easy win away in Bangkok against Thailand in matchday four of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifiers. Ashakan Dejagah , Reza Ghoochannejad and Alireza Jahanbaksh scored Iran goals in the 3-0 win which cemented Iran’s lead of group “B” with 10 points.

Despite the dire need for a positive result at home, the Thai team hardly showed any initiative or urgency allowing Iran to comfortably control the game’s rhythm. However, despite this control Team Melli first shot in anger against the Thai goalkeeper did not come until the 26th minute when Ghoochannejad shot was parried by the goalkeeper.

Two minutes later, Ashakan Dejgah scored the opener after the Thai defense failed to clear a ball , allowing Dejagah all the time in the world to slot the ball and scored Iran’s first.

Reza Ghoochannejad continued his prolific scoring record with Team Melli when he scored his team 2nd goal on the 42nd minute of the half. This was the 7th goal for Ghoochannejad in 9 matches for Team Melli.

The first half ended 2-0 leaving the Thai team a mountain to climb.

As expected, in the second half all that Iran did was to consolidate the result with an eye on the next match in Beirut in 5 days. Again, Iran had more of the ball and fully controlled the midfield. Despite the substitutions by Thailand coach to energize his midfield which was well marshaled by Nekounam and Teymourian, those changes failed to change the outcome of the match which was always progressing towards Iran.

Late substitutions by Queiroz saw Khalatbary , Ansarifard and Jahanbakhsh  replacing Jabbari , Ghoochannejad and Shojaei. It was the substitutes Khaltabary and Jahanbaskh who combined late into injury time for Iran’s 3rd goal. Khalatbary fine work on the flank saw him dribble past his marker right on the line before squaring to Jahanbakhsh who slotted the ball past the helpless Thai goalkeeper. It was Jahanbakhsh first goal in his only the 2nd match as a substitute.

The match saw the debut of the German based Goalkeeper Daniel Davari and also the first full match for Mehrdad “Steven”Beitashour.  Despite a few hiccups in the first half , nothing of a serious kind, Davari was quite solid in the second and easily dealt with everything the Thai threw at him. Beitashour also played a solid match and managed a few crosses from the flank.

The trigger happy Australian referee, Ben Willimas, showed multiple cards for both teams including a late straight red card for the Thailand forward who tackled Ehsan Hajysafy just outside the box. .

The result of the match between Lebanon and Kuwait will determine if Iran has qualified for the finals of FC Asian Cup 2015.

Iran now leads the table with 10 points ahead of Kuwait’s 5 and Lebanon 4. Thailand is out of the competition.

Teams
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
PTS
IRAN 4 3 1 0 11 2 9 10
KUWAIT 3 1 2 0 5 3 2 5
LEBANON 3 1 1 1 6 8 -2 4
THAILAND 4 0 0 4 4 13 -9 0

Team Melli leading Thailand 2-0

Bangkok.

Two goals from the Iranian legionnaires Ashkan Dejagah and Reza Ghoochannejad sealed a comfortable first half lead for Iran in the match against Thailand in bangkok.

The match was poorly attended by the Thai fans whose team has failed to win any points in its last three matches. Team Melli Broke no sweat in this half with a virtual control of the match. Thailand manged rare attempts on Iran goal which was occupied for the first time by Daniel Davari. On the right back , Steven Beitashour made his first full appearnce replacing the injured Khosraow Heydari.

Nekounam shortlisted for AFC Player of the year 2013

 

AFC Annual Awards 2013: nominees announced

Published on Friday, 15 November 2013 17:34

Kuala Lumpur: AFC has announced the list of nominees for the 2013 AFC Player of the Year award on Friday.

Iran and Esteghlal ace Javad Nekonam, AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande captain Zheng Zhi (China) and Ha Dae Sung (Korea Republic; FC Seoul) are in contention for the topmost AFC Player of the Year accolade.

Guangzhou Evergrande’s Brazilian import Luiz Guilherme Da Conceicao (Muriqui), who won the AFC Champions League’s Most Valuable Player and Top Goalscorer awards, will be vying with his teammate Dario Leonardo Conca (Argentina) and FC Seoul’s Motenegro ace Dejan Damjanovic for the AFC Foreign Player of the Year award.

Yuto Nagatomo (Japan; Inter Milan), Son Heung-min (Korea Republic; Bayer Leverkusen) and Keisuke Honda (Japan; CSKA Moscow) are in the fray for the Asian International Player of the Year honour.

The awards will be presented at a grand ceremony on November 26, 2013, at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

AFC Player of the Year 2013
(in alphabetical order)

Ha Dae Sung (Korea Republic and FC Seoul)
Javad Nekonam (Iran and Esteghlal)
Zheng Zhi (China and Guangzhou Evergrande)

Asian International Player of the Year 2013
(in alphabetical order)

Keisuke Honda (Japan; CSKA Moscow)
Son Heung-min (Korea Republic; Bayer Leverkusen)
Yuto Nagatomo (Japan; Inter Milan)

AFC Foreign Player of the Year 2013
(in alphabetical order)

Dario Leonardo Conca (Guangzhou Evergrande; Argentina)
Dejan Damjanovic (FC Seoul; Montenegro)
Luiz Guilherme Da Conceicao Silva (Guangzhou Evergrande; Brazil)

Queiroz Believes Asian Nations Need to “Wake Up”

Bangkok

Iran’s Football head coach , Carlos Queiroz believes that the Asian Nations need to “Wake Up” in the aftermath of the humiliating defeat of Jordan against Uruguay in Amman, in the inter-continental play-off for the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Speaking in the pre-game press conference, Queiroz said that “Iran has qualified for the World Cup . We have a major responsibility to represent Asia, because we do not represent Iran only but also represent Asia.”

commenting on the match , the Portuguese coach said  “will try to use this match against Thailand to improve our skills and our football to be able to play in the World Cup”. He also indicated that his team will be missing 3 major players, however in the short time available, there was no major selection changes possible .

Carlos Queiroz in Bangkok press conference.

Queiroz declined to answer a question about how Iran will perform in the World Cup and said that he prefers to focus on the match against Thailand.

Queiroz diplomatically declined to comment on the complaint letter by FFIRI against the Thai hosting and said that this is not part of his duties.  On his views of Thailand national team , Queiroz said ” I watched several matches of Thailand with China and Lebanon and of course the last match that we played with them in Tehran. I believe they are a good team and offensive minded. We all saw how they never gave up ion Tehran and managed to score a goal against us late in that game. I know that we will have a tough match tomorrow. The records also show that we have not been successful in Thailand, which will increase the burden on us.”

Iran is currently leading the table of Group B of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifiers with 7 points followed by Kuwait and Lebanon. Thailand is pointless after 3 games and this match is a must win for them if they want to keep their hopes alive in the group. Thailand will be depending on  Teerasil Dangda , the ex-Muang Thong United player who has joined Atletico Madrid on a year long loan , to provide the goals.

Thailand’s daunting task against powerful Iranians.

Bangkok

If statistics are anything to go by, struggling Thailand have little chance of pulling off a much-needed victory over group leaders Iran in the Asian Cup qualifier at home to keep their faint hopes of qualification alive.

The Thai team are languishing at the bottom of Group B without a single point from three matches. Anything less than a win in tomorrow’s fixture at Rajamangala National Stadium means would all but end their hopes of clinching one of two automatic qualifying spots from a group that also includes Kuwait and Lebanon.

The outcome of the last 11 encounters between the two sides makes unpleasant reading for the Thais, who have yet to win a match against their Middle East opponents, managing to claim only three draws. In the most recent meeting in October, the Thai team were beaten 2-1 in Tehran, with Teerasil Dangda becoming the first Thai player to score on Iranian turf.

National coach Surachai Jaturapattarapong has no illusions as to the size of the task against an Iran side coached by former Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz. Thailand will then visit second placed Kuwait in the penultimate group match on Tuesday.

“We need to be cautious and play with maximum concentration. Even though we’re at home, the Iranians are a world class team. Nevertheless, if we’re clinical up front, there’s still a chance we can win the match,” said Surachai, who took over the post following the departure of veteran German trainer Winfried Schaefer.

Iran is going for a win in Bangkok on Friday. Although the 3 points will not assure them of qualification ,  in practical terms, it means they only need 2 point from the last remaining two matches to qualify to Australia 2015.

Rajamangala stadium is not expected to be full for the match against Iran. The Thai fans have grown despondent with their team’s lack of success at Asian level and even on regional.  The Thai fans have hardly shown much enthusiasm for their national team and the local domestic league , reserving their energy and passion for visiting European teams on tours, instead. Teams like Arsenal and Manchester United , who have  large fan-base in Thailand, can easily attract full capacity crowds in Rajamangala , despite the meaningless matches they play. English teams normally play against the Thai representative or selections in what mostly turns out to be one-sided affairs with very little competition.   Despite the lack of competition and true spirit of football in these exhibition matches, the Thai fans prefer attending them over their national team matches.

There is also a threat of a general strike in Bangkok on Friday that might dampen the enthusiasm of many fans. What all these means for Iran , is that the Thai fans will not be playing a major supporting role and shall not be a factor they have to count on. Small pockets of vociferous fans are always there , but it will be hardly an Azadi atmosphere.

The match will kick off at 15:30 Tehran times.

Team Melli continues preparation for the Thailand match

Bangkok.

Team Melli trained in Bangkok on Tuesday & Wednesday (November 12 & 13 ) ahead of their AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifier against Thailand on Friday (November 15).
Coach Carlos Queiroz led the training session and he was pleased with the preparations ahead of the upcoming 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers and next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Iran are top of Group B in the Asian Cup qualifiers with seven points from three games and a win against Lebanon in Beirut next Tuesday (November 19) would put them on the verge of booking a place in the 2015 finals in Australia.
Thailand are rooted to bottom of Group B without a point to their name after three matches.

 

Iran are also preparing for next year’s World Cup in Brazil having finished top of their group which included South Korea and Uzbekistan.
“Well, we are working very hard in this moment and this game here, it’s an Asian Cup competition, but we use also this camp and this game as a World Cup preparation for us,” Queiroz said.
It will be the second time Thailand and Iran have met in a month after Queiroz’s team won 2-1 at home in an Asian Cup qualifier on October 15.

Team Melli training session for today lasted  1 hour and 40 minutes  in Bangkok. All the players were available for training and the coaching teams split the squad into several groups for special training as required by the head coach Carlos Queiroz.

Kamalian , the Ambassador of Iran , paid a courtesy visit to the team camp and met the players and the officials while assuring the team of the best support from the embassy.

 

 

 

TM practise in Bangkok [4] 13Nov13 TM practise in Bangkok [3] 13Nov13 TM practise in Bangkok [2] 13Nov13 TM practise in Bangkok [1] 13Nov13

Iran Football Federation officially complains to AFC about Thailand hospitality.

FFIRI has announced,  through its website , that an officials complaints has been sent by the federation to the AFC , The Asian football ruling body , complaining about the bad reception that Team Melli has received in  Thailand while the team is a guest in Bangkok for the return match against Thailand on Friday.  A month ago Iran hosted Thailand in Tehran , and according to the letter of complaint, the Iranian federation provided all the necessary facilities for the Thai squad and ensured that the guests are provide the best accommodation available. Such thing was not reciprocated by the Thai federation which has placed both Thailand and Iran teams in one hotel which is against regulations.

Other points of complaints were also mentioned, such as absence of any Thai football representative in Bangkok airport  to facilitate the entry into the country, which is a customary practice during official football teams visits.

The complaints letter also mentioned that similar bad hosting practices by the Thai was experienced during Esteghlal match against Buriram in the quarter finals of the AFC Champions league and warned the people concerned of the negligence of the Thai federation might become regular occurrences rather than the odd occasions.  FFIRI asked the AFC to remind the Thai FA about their responsibilities and adherence to standard practices while hosting foreign teams.

Letters of complaints of such nature, has hardly made a dent. It is very unlikely that this letter will result in any punitive action by the AFC against the Thai FA.

Iran U-22 squad list announced.

Alireza Mansourian , Iran’s U-22 team head coach announced the list of 24 players who are selected for the training camp.

The team will start training on Saturday 9th November in preparation for the inaugural AFC U 22 Asian Championship which will be held in Oman.

 

1 Akbar Imani Zob Ahan
2 Alireza Biranvand Naft Tehran
3 Amin Haj Mohammadi Naft Tehran
4 Fardin Abedini Esteghlal Tehran
5 Farshad Ahmadzadeh Tractorsazi Tabriz
6 Farzin Garosiyan  Mes Tabriz
7 Hadi Mohammadi Damash Gilan
8 Iman Sadeghi Malavan Bandar Anzali
9 Kaveh Rezaei Saipa Alborz
10 Masoud HasanZadeh Damash Gilan
11 Mehdi Shiri  Malavan Bandar Anzali
12 Milad Gharibi Perspolis
13 MohamadReza Khanzadeh  Perspolis
14 Mohammad Ansari Fajr Sepasi
15 Mohsen Mosallman Zob Ahan
16 Morteza Pouraliganji  Naft Tehran
17 Morteza Tabrizi Zob Ahan
18 Omid Alishah  Perspolis
19 Payam Sadeghian Perspolis
20 Saeed Ismail-Beigi  Mes Kerman
21 Saman Nariman-Jahan Mes Kerman
22 Seyed Hossein Hosseini Esteghlal Tehran
23 Shahab Karami Foolad Khuzestan
24 Shahriyar Shirvand Tractorsazi Tabriz

Mehdi Mahdavikia appointed as Youth teams Manager

Ex-Team Melli Captain and recently retired Perspolis player , Mehdi Mahdavikia has been appointed as the Manager for Youth level Teams. Mahdavikia who has accompanied the U-17 team in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE , has worked extensively with  Ali Doustimehr and was instrumental in arranging the camp in Germany before r the tournament .Mahdavikia

Mahdavikia’s appointment was announced by Mehdi Nabi , the Secretary General of the FFIRI.

Mahdavikia will start his work immiditely and his first assignment is to arrange a training camp for Iran’s U-22 team which will be participating in the inaugural AFC  Asian U 22 championship which will be held in Muscat Oman.i