Sports Desk - IRAN DAILY
A place at the last-16 round of the FIFA World Cup will be at stake when Iran takes on USA in Doha’s Al Thumama Stadium on Tuesday.
Having suffered a 6-2 defeat against England in the Group B opener, Iran bounced back to beat Wales 2-0 on Friday – courtesy of stoppage-time strikes by Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian – and stay on course for a first-ever progress to the knockout phase of the tournament.
USA, meanwhile, settled for back-to-back stalemates against Wales (1-1) and England (0-0) – despite admirably dominating for long periods of both games.
The race for a top-two finish in the group is wide open as all four sides fancy their chances of going through.
Should Wales fail to come out victorious in the simultaneous fixture of the group, a draw will be enough for Iran to advance while any result other than maximum points will send the Americans packing.
Iran manager Carlos Queiroz will surely tell his men to build on the brave, relentless performance against the Welshmen, which saw them create a flurry of second-half chances before finding the cutting edge right at the death.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese’s opposite number Gregg Berhalter knows his players will have to be more clinical in front of the goal if they are to stand a chance of qualification.
"The final product still could be better," Berhalter said after the England game, adding: "We played with a ton of spirit but we're going to have to be up for it (against Iran). We want a chance to advance... We know it's going to be a difficult game, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."
The match will be a second contest featuring the two sides in the World Cup finals after goals from Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia against Brian McBride’s late consolation sealed a 2-1 victory for Iran over its geopolitical foe in France 1998.
A day for history books
As if Tuesday’s encounter needed more drama in the buildup, the game comes 25 years to the day since probably the most miraculous date on the Iranian sport calendar.
With the final berth at the 1998 World Cup up for grabs, Iran and Australia squared off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – having played to a first-leg 1-1 draw in Tehran – and when Aurelio Vidmar added a second to Harry Kewell’s first-half strike three minutes after the break the Socceroos seemed to have booked their tickets for France.
Just when all Iranians thought they had to wait another four years to see their team in the biggest showcase of the international football, Karim Baqeri gave them a lifeline with 15 minutes from normal time before Khodadad Azizi put the ball past Australian keeper Mark Bosnic four minutes later to complete the comeback in the most extraordinary fashion, sending a whole nation into a mad frenzy.
When Hungarian referee Sandor Puhl blew the final whistle after eight nail-biting minutes of added time it was music to the ears of millions of Iranians around the globe as the scenes of nationwide celebrations on the streets in the country were only matched by those on May 24, 1982 – the day southwestern city of Khorramshahr was liberated from Iraqi occupation.
The victory on away goals meant that Iran would play in the World Cup for the first time since its maiden participation in 1978.
Iran’s six campaigns in the finals have all ended in the group stage but, while the circumstances on the Iranian streets may not be the same as they were in November 1997, a “show of solidarity”, as Cheshmi described Friday’s victory, will be what Iranian players need most to achieve another milestone in World Cup history – playing more than three games in the finals.
No comments:
Post a Comment