Match №18

The match № 18, group round, group C

January 23rd, 2012, Saint-Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 200 spectators

I.R. Iran – Tajikistan 5:0 (1:0)

Referee: Ivanov, Stipidi, Stepanov

I.R. Iran: Mohsenzadeh (Sedghi, 60), Vakio, Cheshmi (Moradmandkhorzoghi, 64), Kanani, Heydarieh (Engashte, 77), Abdollahzadeh (Jahan Kohan, 59), Daneshgar, Jahan Bakhsh, Pahlavan (Zare, 73), Barzay (Esmaeii, 52), Choopan (Azmoun, 27)

Head coach: Akbar Mohammadi Argi

Tajikistan: Saidrakhmanov, Khabibulloev, Asrorov, Radjabov, Nazarov, Komroni, Payzov, Fatkhulloev, Davronov, Khojibaev (Sharipov, 46), Rustamov (Tukhtasunov, 46)

Head coach: Salohitdin Gafurov

Goals: Barzay (20), Azmoun (47, 50, 84), Esmaeii (71)

Yellow cards: Barzay (20), Pahlavan (42), Kanani (61), Payzov (73)

Best players: Azmoun, Radjabov

Comments

Head coach of I.R. Iran team Akbar Mohammadi Argi:

– That was a good football, and the audience loved it. At the group stage we have shown fast and combinative game, now we want to go through the whole playoffs and to get the first place. My teams always play aggressive football and set up only for the attack. I do not choose the style of play according to the opponent and my team does not adjust to it – we always go forward.Today, Asian teams have met, and the main feature was that in the game with the team we had to confront Tajikistan her team play. And in the matches with European teams, we paid more attention to the individual, personal actions of the opponent. Our team is emotional and even during training boys cheer up and support each other. The coaching staff always supports players because they are young and now it's time for their formation as athletes.

Head coach of Tajikistan team Salohitdin Gafurov:

– In the first half, we kept the tempo suggested by our opponent. We missed a first goal but then we could score to equal. At the very beginning of the second half we missed a goal. Sportsmen gave up and missed the third. This is the psychology of our players: they are young guys and quickly get frustrated. They could not find physiological abilities to resist. I also want to mention that it is very hard to play in such busy schedule. It is not enough time to recover. But all the teams play this way. On the other hand, we are making a team, checking players. We don't have a task to win the tournament. Though, now I would like to take ninth place, the highest out the possible. We will try our best.