Tag: Competition

Faghani referees FIFA Club World Cup 2015

Alireza Faghani, The Iranian referee who took control of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 has added another honor to his list by being appointed as FIFA Club World Cup 2015 referee.

The final match between Barcelona FC and the South American Champions  River Plate of Argentina is played in  Nissan Stadium (Yokohama) on Sunday 20th December.

Fagahi is the considered the top Asian referee and in recognition of his standard and record, FIFA trusted him with the most important match in its club competition calendar where players such as Messi, Neymar and Iniesta face the tough tackling Argentinian team known for their rough play.

Alireza Faghani is assisted on the line by Reza Sokhandan and Mohammad Reza Mansouri for the Final match.

Australia lifts the AFC Asian Cup.

AUSTRALIA has been crowned champion of Asia after a thrilling 2-1 win against South Korea in tonight’s Asian Cup final.

James Troisi’s extra time strike proved the difference as the home side delivered a performance a whole nation can be proud of.

“It has to be our biggest achievement, we won a trophy,” former Socceroo John Aloisi said.

Massimo Luongo — who was named player of the tournament — further enhanced his reputation as a man to carry the national team into the post-Tim Cahill era by scoring the opening goal.

South Korea spoiled the party by equalising in second half injury time, but Australia bounced back in extra time.

“I’m no good for words right now, I’m just super proud of everyone … I couldn’t be happier,” Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou said.

“The courage the players showed tonight was enormous.

“I knew we’d finish stronger. We pride ourselves on being fit … it was just a matter of taking our chances and we did it.”

Postecoglou was thrilled with what the victory could do for the game in Australia.

“I know the whole country will be off their couches and won’t be able to sleep tonight,” he said.

“Hopefully from now on our Aussies can take on the world.”

The only negative on a banner night for the world game Down Under was what appeared to be another serious injury to Robbie Kruse.

Continue reading for all the highlights of the game.

Alireza Faghani selected for the AFC Asian Cup final.

The Iranian Alireza Faghani (photo) has been selected to officiate the 2015 Asian Cup Final between Korea Republic and Australia in Sydney, Australia.

The 36-year-old referee will be assisted by his compatriots Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza  Abolfazli in the match which will be played at the Stadium Australia. Fahad Al Mirdasi from Saudi Arabia will be the fourth official. After having been a reserve referee at 2011 Asian Cup and also at 2014 FIFA WC, Faghani has already officiated three group stage matches and a quarterfinal in this edition. Thus, this will be his fifth  apperance.

Nawaf Shukralla from Bahrain has been appointed to oversee the Third Place match, between Iraq and UA Emirates, to be played on 30 January in Newcastle at Newcastle Stadium. He will be assisted by his compatriots Yeaser Tulefat and Ebrahim Saleh, with Australian Benjamin Williams as fourth official.

Faghani has been consistently the best referee in Iran since the retirement of Moradi.

 

Why Iran’s bid to oust Iraq from Asian Cup failed?

From the evidence and documents that the Iranians provided to the AFC and prior to that to FIFA , much of it was seen by journalists , It seems that there is a genuine doping case with verified positive test results . Al’a AbdulZahra the 27-year-old Iraqi player was tested positive for banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, not only by the Iranian Doping commission, but also verified by a WADA-approved laboratory in Cologne, Germany.

By the time that the Cologne report was back, Al’a AbdulZahra abruptly left Tabriz under mysterious circumstances. His two years contract was cancelled by Tractorsazi. As such , the Iranian authorities and FFIRI , no longer had any jurisdiction on the Iraqi player who popped up in Baghdad ,  playing for the Police Club (Al Shorta).

According to the Iranian officials, the report and doping lab results on AbdulZahra was submitted to FIFA on September 2014 as mandated by the Games ruling body, and they left it at that.

FIFA did promised to  act,  but did not respond, verify or query the Iranian documents any further, according to the Iranian side, until the FFIRI once again contacted FIFA and demanded a response on January 21st , 2015. The trail ends there as no one has seen any official response from FIFA.

There is very little doubt, if any, that AbdulZahra should be suspended according to the rules. However, suspension must be announced after investigations and a verdict from the ruling body , in this case FIFA. Those in corridors of power in FIFA failed to act and for that reason only, the case of Iran against Abdul Zahra was doomed to fail.  The Iraq FA and the coach would not voluntarily suspend a valuable player unless there is a document and a ruling by FIFA or AFC. As long as there is nothing official, there is no case to answer.

AFC on the other hand, cannot overturn the result simply because there is no ruling. However , given all the documents and the doping results verified by approved WADA lab in Germany and still insisting that  Abdul Zahra is clear to play the next match, leaves major questions unanswered about the legitimacy of this issue. We suspect that those in power in AFC know a few things about the law and would not act arbitrarily. AFC has not issued any communique regarding the subject (up to the time of writing this report) and no explanation was provided on reasons for rejection of Iran’s case. There has to be genuine reasons for it , that the  Iranians officials have probably been informed about by AFC but it is not publicized yet.

In any case, these was serious doubt that Iraq would be thrown out from the moment that this issues was raised. We find that if there is a case, it is between FFIRI and FIFA , not with AFC or the AFC Asian Cup organizers.

AFC rejects Iran doping claims.

Sydney (AFP) – Iran‘s protest that Iraq fielded an ineligible player in their stormy Asian Cup quarter-final was shot down following lengthy deliberation by tournament organisers on Sunday.

Iran lodged a formal complaint, claiming that midfielder Alaa Abdulzehra failed a drugs test while playing for an Iranian club last year, but it was rejected by the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) disciplinary committee.

“It’s rejected, they said this player can carry on and play,” Iranian delegation head Houshang Moghaddas told AFP. “Iraq tomorrow can play … tomorrow morning we fly (home),” he added.

An AFC statement released later said that the protest was “unfounded”, without giving further details.

The decision follows several hours of closed-door talks in Sydney with Iraqi and Iranian delegates both giving evidence to the AFC’s disciplinary committee.

It means 2007 champions Iraq, who won Friday’s combustible match on penalties, are free to contest their semi-final against South Korea on Monday.

Iraqi coach Radhi Shenaishil insisted the 11th-hour protest had not distracted his team as they made final preparations for the last-four clash in Sydney.

“The objection has been officially closed and the subject is closed from our side,” he told reporters at Stadium Australia. “We have nothing to add. The (protest) from the Iran team is something they created and hasn’t affected us at all for tomorrow’s match.”

The AFC’s decision also avoids the messy scenario of throwing out Iraq and reinstating Iran, which would probably also have meant rescheduling the semi-final.

Iran’s protest centred on their claim that Adulzehra, now playing for Iraq’s Al Shorta, failed a drugs test while at Iranian club side Tractor Sazi last year.

According to documents seen by AFP, the 27-year-old tested positive for banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, in results that were verified by a WADA-approved laboratory in Cologne.

In an email exchange dated last September, world football body FIFA promised to take action but there is no record of a suspension for Abdulzehra.

Iranian officials raised the matter again with FIFA on January 21, the day after Iraq qualified for a quarter-final with their fierce rivals by finishing second in Group D.

Moghaddas said he was bitterly disappointed by the result of the Iran’s appeal, which confirms the departure of the three-time champions.

“The AFC are supporting players who are doping, who are using drugs and playing,” he said. “I don’t accept this kind of decision. I refuse.”

A spokesman for the Iraqi team was dismissive of the Iranian appeal, which prompted them to change their flights to await the verdict.

“Let them stay here as much as they want,” the Iraqi official told AFP.

Iraq won Friday’s spicy encounter against their neighbours and bitter rivals 7-6 on penalties after Iran were reduced to 10 men and extra time finished with the scores at 3-3.

Recriminations started immediately after the match when Iran coach Carlos Queiroz complained bitterly about the referee’s decision to send off one of his players for simulation.

Iraq vs. Iran a 53 years old rivalry .

Iran and Iraq football rivalry goes to 53 years back . The two neighboring nations played their first match in Amjadiah , Tehran in June 1962 while their last meeting was a friendly less than 3 weeks ago in Australia just ahead of the AFC Asian Cup. The two countries met in the AFC Asian Cup five times , Iran winning 4 of them while Iraq has a solitary win in Asian Cup 1996 held in the UAE.

Iraq current coach , Radhi Shnaishal Swadi who is on a temporary loan assignment from Qatar club , has played against Iran last time they won an official match in AFC Asian Cup 1996. He also played against Iran in a World Cup qualifier in 1993 , where Iran won 2-1

The percentage of results: Iran wins = 64% – Draws 20% Iraq wins 16%

Last Iraq win = 11 years ago (1-0 win in LG Cup in Azadi on 18.Oct.2003

Last win for Iraq in official competition = 19 years ago 2-1 win in Dubai AFC Asian Cup 1996

Iran clearly holds a superior record against the Iraqi team and that is psychological advantage that could make a difference on Friday.

2004 Iran vs Iraq WAFF semi finals
2004 Iran vs Iraq WAFF semi finals

 

Head to Head

H / A / N Matches W D L Goals + / –
Home 11 8 1 2 18 – 8 +10
Away 3 2 1 0 4 – 1 +3
Neutral 11 6 3 2 13 – 7 +6
Total 25 16 5 4 35 – 16 +19

 

Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
04.01.2015 Friendly N 1 – 0 WIN Stadium, Wollongong, NSW
11.01.2011 Asian Cup / Group D N 2 – 1 Rayyan Stadium , Doha 10870
01.10.2010 WAFF / Semi Final N 2 – 1 King Abdullah Satdium – Amman 10300
25.06.2007 WAFF / Final N 2 – 1 International Stadium , Amman 8000
16.06.2007 WAFF / Group B N 0 – 0 International Stadium , Amman 5000
04.10.2006 Others / LG CUP A 2 – 0 King Abdulla Stadium , Amman 1000
23.06.2004 WAFF / Semi Finals H 2 – 1 Azadi – Tehran 15000
13.08.2003 Others / LG CUP H 0 – 1 Azadi – Tehran 20000
05.09.2002 WAFF / Semi Finals N 0 – 0 Abbassyin  Stadium , Damascus 2000
12.10.2001 World Cup Qualifier / WCQ H 2 – 1 Azadi – Tehran 90000
07.09.2001 World Cup Qualifier / WCQ A 2 – 1 Baghdad 60000
18.10.2000 Asian Cup / Group A N 1 – 0 Municipal Stadium ,Sidon 8582
07.12.1996 Asian Cup / Group B N 1 – 2 Al-Maktoum Stadium , Dubai 20000
22.10.1993 World Cup Qualifier / Second Round N 1 – 2 Doha 30000
05.11.1989 Others / Peace & Friendship Tour N 0 – 0 Kadhma Stadium , Kuwait City 8500
01.06.1976 Asian Cup / AC H 2 – 0 Azadi – Tehran 50000
29.08.1975 Olympics Qualifier / OLQ H 1 – 0 Azadi – Tehran 80000
13.09.1974 Asian Games / Semi Finals H 1 – 0 Azadi – Tehran 85000
10.05.1972 Asian Cup N 3 – 0 National Stadium, Bangkok 5000
07.03.1969 Others / Friendship Cup H 2 – 1 Amjadiyeh Stadium – Tehran
07.03.1966 Friendly H 2 – 1 Amjadiah , Tehran
03.01.1964 Olympics Qualifier A 0 – 0 Sahat Al Kashafa , Baghdad 20000
12.12.1963 Olympics Qualifier H 4 – 0 Amjadiah , Tehran 25000
03.06.1962 Friendly H 1 – 2 Amjadiah , Tehran 12000
01.06.1962 Friendly H 1 – 1 Amjadiah , Tehran 10000

AFC Asian Cup in numbers

With the group stage done and dusted, here are key statistics that have emerged from the latest edition of Asia’s premier tournament.

0 – Iran, Japan and Korea Republic all conceded zero goals in the group stage of the tournament. Iran were the last team to win the AFC Asian Cup after conceding no goals in the group stage when they claimed the title in 1976 – they defeated Iraq 2-0 and South Yemen 8-0 in their three team group.

1 – Tournament debutants Palestine scored their first ever AFC Asian Cup goal when Jaka Hbaisha found the back of the net in the 84th minute of his side’s 5-1 defeat to Jordan.

2.54 – There has been an average of 2.54 goals scored per match in the 24 group stage clashes at the tournament.

3 – China won all three of their group matches for the first time at an AFC Asian Cup. This is the eleventh straight tournament the Chinese have participated in and they’ve now been undefeated on four occasions during the group phase – 1992 (one win, two draws), 2000 (one win, two draws), 2004 (two wins, one draw) and 2015 (three wins).

4 – Hamza Al Dardour equalled the record for most goals in a single AFC Asian Cup match after scoring four goals in Jordan’s 5-1 win over Palestine. Three players had previously achieved this feat at the AFC Asian Cup – Behtash Fariba (Iran – 1980), Ali Daei (Iran, 1996) and Ismaeel Abdullatif Bahrain, 2011). Daei’s four goals came in the shortest space of time knocking in his first in the 66th minute before converting a penalty to take his tally to four on 89 minutes.

8 – Australia scored the most goals in the group stage of the tournament with 8 ahead of Japan on 7 and the UAE with 6.

11 – Palestine conceded the most goals in the group stage. After going down 4-0 to Japan, Jordan’s Hamza Al Dardour scored four goals as they went down 5-1 to Jordan before being defeated 2-0 by Iraq.

14 – The UAE’s Ali Mabkhout scored the fastest ever AFC Asian Cup goal when he put the ball in the back of the net just 14 seconds after his side’s match with Bahrain kicked off.

23 – Korea DPR scored their first AFC Asian Cup goal in 23 years after Ryang Yong-gi scored in the 12th minute of his side’s clash with Saudi Arabia in a match they went on to lose 4-1. They only had to wait another four days until they had another ball in the back of the net despite it being an own goal by China’s Gao Lin.

24 – The 2015 AFC Asian Cup broke the record for the most amount of matches without a draw at 24.

90+1 – Reza Ghoochannejhad scored the latest goal of the group stage after scoring the winner in the first minute of stoppage time against the UAE. The win ensured Team Melli topped Group C and avoided a quarter-final clash with defending champions Japan.

135 – There have been 135 saves made by the goalkeepers at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

487 – Oman ended a goal drought of 487 minutes when Abdulaziz Al Muqbali scored against Kuwait in his side’s third match of the tournament. They went on to win the match 1-0.

Team Melli players ratings.

Team Melli has completed the group round with a perfect record of 9 points with 3 wins out of 3. This is the same achievement of the last Asian Cup participation in Qatar 2011 when Iran beat , Iraq, North Korea and UAE to top the group.

The performance of the players is always under scrutiny and while some players have been hyped in exaggeration and given titles such as “Iran’s Messi” , the reality is nowhere near the fairytale stories that many fans fantasize about.

Despite the 3 wins, it was far from easy matches or walkovers for Iran, however , there was no surprises there as most experts expected this group to be a tough and tight one with all the teams so familiar to each other’s style. There were some excellent performances in Team Melli and with it some disappointments. Overall, the hard work, the experience and perseverance of Team Melli made the difference. Whether this success is sustainable is another question that is not so simple to predict.

iran-v-bahrain_155svhh6jj50y1vxy0oz6xs0zp

Poor team preparation

The sharp eyes of the critics noticed how the poor preparation has affected Team Melli. If we take the last match against the UAE as an example, the difference in the preparation between the two teams was sticking like a sore thumb.

While the UAE players could telepathically find each other when passing or crossing the long balls, Iranian players pass completion rates were not so brilliant and made a poor reading. There were many easy passes missed because of short time that this group has worked together.

In the front line, many opportunities were missed because of the timing of the passes, either too early or late. Heavy touches on the ball and lack of communication between players marred Iran games. Overall, there were more rough edges than the rest of the teams.  This is result of a team that has not been ideally prepared.

 

Another sign of poor preparation is the number of unnecessary fouls committed by Iranian players. Players in haste, were making some totally unnecessarily fouls. Sardar Azmoun’s silly, and that is being respectful, yellow card was a typical proof of the rough preparation.

One can only wonder what this bunch of talented Iranian players would have given us if there was a decent preparation.

Dip of forms of several players is an alarm bell for the team. Shojaei (31 years) , Hosseini (33 years) , Nekounam (35 Years)  and Teymourian (32 years) have all performed below par. On the other hand , there are a few promising , if not outstanding performances from the likes of Pouraliganji (22 years) and Azamoun (20 Years)

When Omar Abdulrahman dribbled his way so easily passed in the penalty box going past the two most experienced Iran players Nekounam and Teymourian inside the penalty, it was a sign of vulnerability of the two.  Omar Abdulrahman is one of the most talented players in Asia and a quality player and that is a fact, but regardless of that. When any player can easily pass the tight defense including the two best holding midfielder, then that is a problem for the coach.

AFC-Iran-Bahrain-Masoud-Shojaei-HR

PLAYERS’ RATING

Alireza Haghighi (GK) : Hardly put a foot wrong despite the fact that he was not really tested in all the 3 matches. When he was required to react, he was confident and made it look east. Very solid performance so far.  8/10

Mehrdad Pooladi: Rock-hard, no nonsense defender whose performance was slightly affected by several issues including late preparation for the season while seeking a club. Despite his rustiness, Pooladi was still as reliable as ever, perhaps not at his peak yet.  7/10

Jalal Hosseini: Not put to test in anger, however his lack of pace, heavy touches and nerves made him shaky at times. Still a vital defender with his vast experience but also a liability against more skillful forwards. 6.5/10

Morteza Pouraliganji: The surprising star performer. The rookie has displayed remarkable defensive ability in his role as central defender partnering Hosseini. On top of his fine defensive work, he was a threat on the other end during corners and free kicks. Could have well scored a goal with a header. 9/10

Vahid Amiri: Played one game only but he was impressive, nevertheless. His failing was the last touch; however he certainly has the ability and clearly he can replace some of the older members in the midfield anytime now. 7.5/10

Khosrow Heydari: given less playing time than the usual. The right back was far from impressive. Still has his quality on the flank, but his delivery been disappointing. Did not assist any goals and his famous inch perfect crosses where nowhere to be seen. 5/10

Andranik Teymourian: Hard worker and dedicated player who is clearly short of his true form. Had two assists from dead ball and played a major role in the overall defensive game plan, but Ando is way short of his best. Queiroz has no replacement for him in the current squad. 7/10

Javad Nekounam: His leadership is still valuable on the field , not so his contribution to the game. His form is going downward. Disappointing tournament so far and could be easily exposed in the midfield. Short of pace and breath. 5/10

Alireza Jahanbakhsah: The young man with so much promise, disappointed when he was given a starting role. He seemed lost in the match against UAE and was substituted without showing any sign of his promise. 4/10.

Soroush Rafiei: Another of the new faces that had a disappointing debut in the tournament. 4/10

Sardar Azmoun: Superb, especially when given the right service. He can be exceptional forward with surprisingly excellent heading ability.  There are rough edges in his game but with experience and more games, he would be a star player . 9/10

Vouriya Ghafoori: Very solid defender with calm and mature attitude. His work rate is remarkable. Not much can go through him while defending although his attacking role on the flank was rather inadequate. 7.5/10

Ashkan Dejagah: One of the best Team Melli players with skill and ability to beat the best. The Qatar match showed his weaker side, when tight man-to-man marking neutralized him. His value to the team was quite evident in the UAE match. When he substituted in, the team’s offensive capabilities improved significantly. Still not at his best in this tournament, perhaps his transfer from a top league to a lower quality one had affected him. 8.5/10

Reza Ghoochannejhad: Apart from the valuable winning goal he scored against UAE, his contribution was minimal. Lacks vision at crucial stages and needs more support to show his best side. 7/10

Masood Shojaei: No change from the Shojae of the last few years. Slow, unable to beat his markers and in general ineffective player. Can go a whole match without being noticed. On the poorest performer in the team considering his experience and reputation. 4/10.

Ehsan Hajsafy: Started the tournament really well against Bahrain with a master class goal, but gradually dipped in form.. Did  not play the last match, He does have several qualities though and still a vital member of the team. 7/10

Amir Hossein Sadeghi : Did not play enough minutes to be rated fairly.

 

Iran shows players red card after selfies with female fans

Iran fans pose for pictures before the start of their Asian Cup Group C match against UAE at the Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane January 19, 2015.

 

 

BRISBANE, Jan 19 — Iran’s footballers have been warned they could face punishment if they take “selfie” pictures with female fans who have turned out in large numbers at the Asian Cup.

The head of the Iranian Football Federation’s moral committee said players risked being used as a “political tool” if snapped with women fans.

Women are banned from attending men’s sports events in the Islamic republic but they have flocked to see Iran’s games at the Asian Cup in Australia.

Ali Akbar Mohamedzade, head of the moral committee of the Iranian Football Federation, issued the warning last week as photos of players with women fans circulated on social media.

“National team players should be aware that they won’t be used as a political tool so that those who take pictures with them don’t use these photos against the players,” Iran’s Shahrvand newspaper quoted him as saying.

“So according to this they should not take photos with everyone. If the players don’t respect this, we will be obliged to take action.”

No detail was given on what punishment the players might face. Enthusiastic male and female fans of Iran, many wearing the team shirt, have been a feature of the Asian Cup.

The scenes contrast with the situation in Iran, where women are banned from men’s sports events on moral grounds.

Iran’s Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz has carefully steered clear of any controversy, giving a firm “no comment” when asked about the presence of women fans.

One female fan Tweeted pictures of goalkeeper Ali Reza Haghighi and midfielder Karim Ansari Fard posing with women, while another photo shows a woman holding an Iranian flag inscribed with a marriage proposal to Haghighi.

Three-time champions Iran are already through to the quarter-finals. Their games have been noisily supported with thousands of fans, some banging drums and blowing trumpets.

“We are monitoring what is happening in Australia, we haven’t sent any representative to Australia,” Mohamedzade was quoted as saying. — AFP

Iran take on UAE for top spot in Group C

Sydney (AFP) – Three-time Asian Cup winners Iran will go for a win against surprise package the United Arab Emirates on Monday as they try to avoid a likely quarter-final against holders Japan.

A draw would be good enough for the UAE to top Group C, owing to their goal difference, but Team Melli need all the points to move up from second spot.

While Iran are favourites in Brisbane, UAE’s attack inspired by star playmaker Omar Abdulrahman has netted six goals in two games and attracted admiring glances.

“In my opinion we will be playing the best team in West Asia,” said Iran’s coach Carlos Queiroz, formerly of Real Madrid, Portugal and Manchester United.

“They have played together for many years, been together since 17 (years old). They are a beautiful team to see,” he added.

Whichever team finishes second is likely to play either Jordan or Iraq in the quarter-finals. The game starts at 7:00 pm (0900 GMT).

“It’s good to finish first (top) because it gives motivation to the players for the second round,” said UAE coach Mahdi Ali. “(But) it doesn’t matter which team we have to play.

“We have no problem with Japan.”

The statistics aren’t in UAE’s favour — in 15 full internationals, the Emiratis have beaten the Iranians just once and there have been three draws.

In Sydney, Qatar and Bahrain are playing only for pride and their world ranking at 8:00 pm (0900 GMT), with both teams already out after two defeats.