Mobali free-kick gives Iran win over Iraq
Reuters - Tuesday 11 January 2011, 19:31
DOHA - Iran showed the discipline and
organisation teams need to win major titles when they came from
behind to beat arch-rivals and reigning champions Iraq 2-1 in
their opening Asian Cup Group D match on Tuesday.
After trailing to an early goal from Iraqi captain Younus
Mahmood, Iran equalised through Gholam Rezaei three minutes
before half-time and grabbed all three points with Iman Mobali
sweeping home an angled free-kick six minutes from time.
Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi, who predicted his team would bring
the Asian Cup back to Tehran for the first time since 1976, was
pleased with the win that put his side top of the table after
North Korea's 0-0 draw with United Arab Emirates earlier.
Asked about the significance of the result on a chilly night
at the Al Rayyan Stadium, Ghotbi said: "I think very simply
three points. I think we still did not achieve the level of
football we can."
The match, between two neighbours who fought an eight-year
war in the 1980s, was free of trouble on or off the pitch and
was played in a sporting spirit just as Ghotbi and his Iran
counterpart Wolfgang Sidka forecast beforehand.
Ghotbi added that he needed to tell his team to calm
themselves down at halftime and maintain their discipline for
the rest of the match.
"I think we started the game with a lot of stress and the
stress led to the mistakes we made," he said.
MINUTE'S SILENCE
The only sour note was that a planned one minute's silence
for the victims of Sunday's IranAir plane crash in northwestern
Iran in which almost 80 people were killed, was cut short after
about 10 seconds because of chants from the Iraqi fans.
Once that was over, and a cat running around the dugout area
was shooed away, Iraq were the first to settle and went ahead
when Iran's defence failed to cut out a deep raking cross from
the right.
Although Emad Mohammed, whose header appeared destined for
the net, was credited by the stadium announcer with the goal,
Mahmood had the final touch before it crossed the line.
Iran quickly shook off that disappointment and, with
Andranik Teymourian and the outstanding Mobali working well in
midfield, they began to threaten an equaliser.
It duly arrived in the 42nd minute when Teymourian played a
perfectly weighted pass into Rezaei's path.
He timed his run to perfection, ignored appeals for offside
and, with goalkeeper Mohammed Kassid advancing, swept the ball
into the far corner of the net from the right corner of the
six-yard box.
SPECTACULAR EFFORT
Iraq's Samal Saeed had the most spectacular effort of the
opening period when his swerving, dipping 30-metre shot was
superbly tipped over the bar by Iran keeper Mahdi Rahmati.
But while neither team truly mastered the other in an
entertaining game, Iran increasingly looked the more likely
winners and could have gone ahead after 76 minutes.
Iraq substitute Ahmed Ibrahim lost the ball on the edge of
his own penalty area and was lucky that Rezaei hit his gift of a
chance into the side netting.
When the goal did eventually arrive, the only surprise was
the nature of its execution. Mobali swept a long hopeful
free-kick into the Iraq penalty area, and the ball evaded
everyone and ended up in the net.
Iran's next match is against North Korea on Saturday when
Iraq play the UAE.