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A grand performance by the boys deserving of champion.

The win against a Japanese team, which has dominated Iran for many years including that bitter defeat in Ali Ain in the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup 2019, was a big relief in all senses.

In the best performances of Team Melli in Asian Cup so far, Mohebbi and Jahanbaksh scored, but the credit goes to every single player in the team. Those players stood up to their biggest challenge and came out as winners.

Credit has to go to Aradeshir ‘Amir’ Ghalenoei, the head coach who had to arrange a makeshift team due to the suspension of Taremi, injury to Majid Hosseini and Sadegh Moharrami. In a masterstroke, Ghalenoei played Milad Mohammadi instead of the Captain and much more experienced Ehsan Hajsafi, He supplemented the defensive midfield role by playing Omid Ebrahimi to support Ezatollahi and finally, he used the stronger Mohebbi instead of Ghayedi on the flanks.

It was indeed a gamble that worked very well. The return of Kananizadegan stabilized the central defense. Ramin and Milad Mohammadi on the wings were a source of headaches for the Japanese.

Sardar Azmoun was majestic. Top-notch performance, powerful in attack, visionary, individual skills, and provider of the gem of pass to assist Mohebbi’s goal. Azmoun played one of his best matches for a long time. He should have been awarded that wonderful goal, except for VAR which declared him offside by a millimeter.

Beiranvand was never really tested because of the solid defense protecting him, and the goal he conceded was a touch of fortune for the Japanese. Mohebbi exceeded expectations. His constant runs, hustle, and physicality were marvelous. His finishing from the Azmoun pass was a touch of class.

Even Ezatollahi upgraded his performance in this match.

And what about the warrior Omid Ebrahimi? He was all over the pitch, tackling, shooting, and hustling as if he was 20 years old. Perhaps one of his best games in the long career with Team Melli.

It is difficult to pick up the MVP of this match, but Saman Ghoddos and Sardar Azmoun are the closest to the title. Ghoddos was inspirational. His Vision, tact, skills, and determination were the qualities that a player needed to challenge the top team in Asia. He was never intimidated by the quick and pacey Japanese. Hardly put a foot wrong.

And Finally to Alireza Jahanbaksh. The Captain and the man who was assigned the heavy responsibility to take the penalty kick in the last moments of the game. The psychological pressure was immense not just in front of the capacity crowd but with 88 million Iranians watching.

He took the penalty in a style appropriate for the Captain of the team.

Now, comes the more difficult task, not necessarily technical or tactical but emotional and psychological. The players need to be back on the ground treat the next opponent with respect and play the best football that they have proved they are capable of.

Team Melli to the semi-finals of AFC Asian Cup 2023

In one of the grandest performances of an Iranian team for many years, Team Melli defeated the mighty Japanese 2-1 in regulation time at the Education City Stadium on Saturday.

The quarter-final match was an early final between the Number one and two teams in Asia.

A late Alireza Jahanbakhsh penalty was the difference as Team Melli Iran came from behind to defeat Japan 2-1 and booked their place in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ semi-finals on Saturday.

The two teams had met in the semi-finals of the previous edition, with Japan emerging 3-0 winners and they looked on course to repeat the win when they took the lead before the half-hour mark, but two second-half goals from Mohammad Mohebi and Jahanbakhsh turned things around for the Iranians at Education City Stadium.

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Captaining Team Melli on the day in the absence of Ehsan Hajsafi, Jahanbakhsh nearly opened the Iranians’ account in the 13th minute when he picked up Saeid Ezatolahi’s pass down the left flank and curled a shot that nearly caught goalkeeper Zion Suzuki off-guard, but fizzed just over the crossbar.

The first test for Suzuki came after 18 minutes when Hidemasa Morita lost possession on the edge of the Japanese penalty box, allowing Ezatolahli to control the ball and hit with his left, but his shot was too central and the Japanese goalkeeper had no problems in dealing with it.

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Morita more than made up for his mistake 10 minutes later. The central midfielder embarked on a solo run to beat three Iranian defenders and arrive into the box before drilling an effort that made its way into the back of the net despite goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand’s best efforts to make the save.

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IR Iran’s biggest chance to equalise before the break was a Saman Ghoddos half-volley after he controlled the ball with his chest, but the Brentford midfielder narrowly missed the target.

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Nine minutes after the restart, Team Melli were able to restore parity after a long pass from Suzuki was interrupted and the ball fell to Sardar Azmoun who supplied a through pass to Mohebi. The forward was left with just the goalkeeper to beat and coolly slotted into the bottom corner for the equaliser.

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IR Iran thought they had completed their comeback in the 64th minute when Azmoun latched onto a long ball, dribbling expertly past two defenders and powering past Suzuki into the near post, but the AS Roma forward had strayed marginally offside and the goal was overruled.

The Japanese goalkeeper was called into action again to stop a spectacular Ezatolahi volley from the edge of the box and confidently produced the required save with just six minutes left to the end of 90.

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Deep into four minutes of added time, IR Iran got a golden chance to win the game when Ko Itakura brought Hussein Kanaani down inside the box. Jahanbakhsh stepped up and emphatically dispatched it into the top corner to earn coach Amir Ghalenoei’s side the all-important victory.

Beiranvand: Iran will be mentally ready

Doha: Alireza Beiranvand is confident Iran will be up for the task when they take on Japan in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ quarter-final on Saturday.

Three-time champions Iran needed penalties to see off the challenge of a spirited Syria in the Round of 16 while Japan enjoyed a serene passage, easily overcoming Bahrain.

Custodian Beiranvand said while fatigue is a concern, what really matters is mental strength and he said Team Melli are in the right frame of mind. 

“It will not be easy to play against Japan after 120 minutes against Syria. You saw some of the players having cramps towards the end of the game,” said Beiranvand, who emerged as Iran’s hero after saving Fahd Youssef’s spot-kick in the shootout. 

“However, the most important recovery is the mental one. I can see today that the players look happy and positive, so I think that will be very important for us.”

While four-time champions Japan are chasing their first title since emerging champions in 2011, Iran’s wait has been longer – having last lifted the coveted trophy in 1976. 

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Persepolis FC goalkeeper Beiranvand, however, believes Iran can get the better of Japan, who won their UAE 2019 semi-final showdown 3-0. 

“We are here to make history and to make all the people in Iran happy. We know we will get a lot of positive energy from the Iran people.”

Japan’s Ito out of the squad following sexual assault allegations.

【Doha 2nd Feb】In response to reports of allegations of sexual assault, midfielder Junya ITO (30 years old Stade de Reims player, who announced his withdrawal from the Japan national team for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar on the previous day, canceled the decision and officially decided to withdraw on this day 3rd February. Coach Hajime MORIYASU (55) of the Japan National Team announced the decision.

He took the stage at the press conference before the quarterfinal match against Iran. From the first question, I was asked about Ito by the foreign media.

“I wanted to stand with Junya ITO until the end of this tournament and fight together to win the championship, but after discussions, the JFA (Japan Association) decided that it is best to withdraw him from the tournament as a result of his desire, and they agreed, and it was decided that he would leave tomorrow’s match without playing with us.”

“In terms of the impact on the team, he is a player who has contributed to the team’s fight to win so far, so it hurts and I feel sorry for him, but I want to think about his physical and mental health. We have some great players left, so I’m not worried at all about the fact that they will be able to play as hard as they can in tomorrow’s match against Iran.”

“I’ve been talking to him about his health, but I don’t think he’s in a state of mind where he’s going to play football at high intensity. We will do our best to support you. We’ll see how he can perform at the top as soon as possible.”

The newspaper Lunion, a local newspaper in Reims, France published comments from Stade Reims coach Still and Ito’s teammate goalkeeper Yevan Diouf.

The newspaper explained how Ito left the Japan national team and said, “Reims coach Still showed a cautious attitude when questioned at a press conference on Friday (2nd), two days after the match against Toulouse on Sunday (4 p.m.). “As long as I don’t have contact with him (Ito), I don’t have much to say,” the coach was quoted as saying.

According to the newspaper, Still said: “We will follow the statement issued by the club, we are waiting to see what is going on, but we do not know enough to give an opinion. I haven’t seen Junya for a month and I don’t know what happened at all,” he said at a press conference.

The newspaper also referred to goalkeeper Diouf’s remarks. Diouf told a press conference: “We hope he (Ito) is innocent because this is serious. The presumption of innocence must be considered. Unless there is a verdict, it cannot be said whether he is innocent or guilty. When he returns, he will be greeted as usual. The situation is delicate for everyone, but it’s best for the courts to do their job. I have nothing else to comment on.”

Ghalenoei “Japan and Iran should have met in the final”

DOHA, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Japan and Iran should have met in the Asian Cup final and not the quarters, Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Friday, adding that the East Asian side are peaking at the right time after a surprise defeat in the group stage.

While Iran topped their group with maximum points, Japan finished second following a shock loss to Iraq. But Hajime Moriyasu’s side were clinical in their last-16 win over Bahrain while Iran needed a penalty shootout to eliminate Syria.

Japan and Iran are the top two Asian nations in FIFA’s world rankings.

“I think Japan and Iran should have played each other in the final but we’re playing them now in the quarter-final,” Ghalenoei told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game.

“The quality that Japan is showing in the knockout stage is much better than the group stage.”

Ghalenoei also complained about the AFC’s tournament schedule, saying they had very little time to recover for the game after they were taken to extra time against Syria. Both Japan and Iran played their last-16 ties on Wednesday.

“We had less recovery time than Japan. We should have finished the game against Syria in the 70th minute but we didn’t take our chances and we had some bad luck,” Ghalenoei said,

“I think the FIFA rule is a minimum 72 hours (between games) but we didn’t have enough time to recover for Japan. The first thing is the physical aspect and the second is recovery from the mental aspect too.”

Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand also complained about the lack of recovery time but praised their medical staff for preparing them for the game.

Players that need to stand up and be counted.

There is no need to overcomplicate the issues for tomorrow’s match between Team Melli and their strongest opponent yet, Japan.

Simply, Iran has to win by playing their best match of the tournament. To do that, a few players need to elevate their game and need to stand up and be counted.

Against Syria, It should have been far more comfortable than what it was after Team Melli dominated the first half which finished with a 1-0 lead. A rash tackle by Beiranvand led to a penalty and the Syrian equalizer changed everything.

At some point, it looked like Team Melli was content with the draw.

Against Syria and the group matches, many players failed to impress. These players need to double their efforts for Japan’s match to make it to the semi-finals.

SARDAR AZMOUN

The hope of Team Melli fans, the highest Team Melli scorer, the icon who plays alongside the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Dybala in the Italian Serie A. Azmoun has been far from convincing, even his body language is suspect. He needs a major upgrade of his game and a unique performance against Japan to put everyone’s mind at ease. The team particularly needs his aerial power against Japan.

ALIREZA JAHANBAKHSH

Player whose moves, runs and crosses are essential for the forwards. He has the abilities and the skill but he lacks application and purpose. He is capable enough to be a threat to the Japanese with some self-belief and confidence. Ghalenoei should also encourage him to shoot when the situation is right.

SAMAN GHODDOS

Despite his vision, skills, and experience, he still fell short in previous games. He also needs more fighting spirit the type he displays for his club Brentford. Whatever the problem is, he never seems to complete a 90-minute game. For everyone’s sake, we hope he has the lungs and the stamina to do that against Japan.

RAMIN REZAEIAN

The longish injury just before the start of the Asian Cup could be the reason for his slow return back to form. Team Melli badly needs Rezaeian’s runs on the right flank. He is the perfect player for this match to send crosses for Azmoun. An on-form Rezaeian could win Iran the match against a vulnerable Japanese keeper and defense.

SAEID EZATOLLAHI

Not convincing in his last few matches, however, this should be the match to redeem himself against a tough skillful opposition. He needs to speed up physically and mentally. He has to support both the forwards and the defense. Ezatollahi must form the first line of defense against the Japanese attacks. It is a mighty task, but this match will determine if he is good enough for Team Melli.

ALIREZA BEIRANVAND.

Some criticism against him for conceding three goals, most of which he could have prevented, but he was also the savior. Tomorrow, his errors should be minimal. His towering presence will be essential. His position awareness in the box is vital. A good performance by Beiranvand will lead to a Team Melli victory.

Japan’s Achilles Heel

Doha (AFP) – Japan’s Asian Cup risks being fatally undermined by coach Hajime Moriyasu’s reliance on an error-prone rookie goalkeeper and he has left himself with no convincing alternatives.

Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki has struggled at the Asian Cup in Qatar
The pre-tournament favourites face Iran on Saturday in the quarter-finals but serious questions hang over 21-year-old Zion Suzuki, whose confidence looks shot.

Japan have yet to keep a clean sheet in Qatar and the goalkeeper’s mistakes have cost them at least one goal in every game so far.

Suzuki, whose father is Ghanaian-American and mother Japanese, has been racially abused online.

But even if Moriyasu wanted to take Suzuki out of the firing line, he has left himself with two backups who have only one international cap between them.

The coach is paying the price for failing to settle on a number one before the tournament and now faces a decision whether to stick or twist against Iran.

Suzuki, in his eighth appearance for Japan, was involved in a mix-up with a team-mate that led to an own goal in the 3-1 win over Bahrain in the last 16 on Wednesday.

Writing in Nikkan Sports, columnist Sergio Echigo said Suzuki had become “a concern”.

“He’s not so good at dealing with balls played in from the wings,” he wrote.

“If you look at these four games, his positioning, judgement, timing and hand-eye co-ordination have all been off.”

Suzuki plays for Belgian side Sint-Truiden and went into the Asian Cup with only four international appearances under his belt.

Of the two other goalkeepers in Moriyasu’s squad, Daiya Maekawa has one cap and Taishi Brandon Nozawa has yet to make his Japan debut.

The coach has used five different goalkeepers since Japan’s last-16 exit at the 2022 World Cup just over a year ago.

Of those, Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s Keisuke Osako is currently injured but Europe-based pair Daniel Schmidt and Kosuke Nakamura were left out of the Asian Cup squad.

Shuichi Gonda has not featured at all since playing for Japan at the World Cup, with Moriyasu ruling him out on the grounds that he plays in the J-League second division.
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Speaking after Japan qualified for the Asian Cup last 16, Moriyasu said he had made his choice based on the “past, present and future”.

“Zion has been playing regularly in Europe and I think he was the only one — he was in the best condition,” said Moriyasu.

“There are others in Europe but they weren’t getting regular games. If you look at the J-League goalkeepers, they were all in their off-season.”

Japan have never had a clearly established number one goalkeeper since Moriyasu took over in 2018.

Eiji Kawashima played at three World Cups and hung on to compete with Gonda and Schmidt for the starting job in the 2022 edition.

Now Moriyasu finds himself with an inexperienced group to choose from as Japan chase a record-extending fifth Asian Cup.

He made Suzuki his number one only two games before the tournament kicked off.

“If I asked everyone to choose who is the number one, two and three, I think everyone would have a different answer,” said Moriyasu.

Suzuki has faced up to his critics, accepting that he is “held to a higher standard” as Japan’s number one.

The columnist Echigo said that Suzuki should “practise penalties because that’s how Japan went out of the World Cup.

“With penalties the ball comes straight at you, so maybe that’s where Suzuki’s strengths lie.”

ایران و جابان شنبه ساعت 15 براب هم کار کرین کریت.

Iran vs Japan : Head to Head stats

Team Melli will meet Japan tomorrow for a place in the semi finals of the 18th AFC Asian Cup.

It is also the clash between the number one ranked Asian Team team and number two. The two Asian Gians have played each others 18 times since 1951 Asian Games Semi-Finals in India. Iran won the replayed match 3-2. The records is balanced with 6 wins, draws and losses each. The only advantah=ge is that Japan has a goal difference of +2.

The last time the two teams met was in the semi-final of the last AFC Asian Cup where Japan comprhensively beat Carlo Queiroz team, 3-0 in Al Ain. The last time Iran wom was back in 2005 in Azadi Stadium in the qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2006.

Lately, the Japanese have been the talk of the football world with their superb results against many major teams of the world. The stabilty in the coaching staff, Japanese discipline, European experinced players and the work rate of the team has made them a force to be reckoned with.

IT was a shocking result when Japan lost to Jordan i n the group stages. It was the frist loss to any team in over 15 matches.

Iran has not lost since Amir Ghalenoei took over in March 2022. Those good results of Team Melli included acomprhensive wins against teams that are alread in the quarter finals stage of the AFC Asian Cup 2023. A 4-0 and 3-1wins against win Qatar and Jordan repectively and an away draw 2-2 against Uzbekistan.

Despite being the two top teams in AFC zone by FIFA ranking, it is clear from recent results that they are are far from invincible. The match on the 3rd will be a major clash and an early final. It will also be a shrewed batte between the coaches of the two teams Hajime Moriyasu and Amir Ghalenoei.

Summary of matches

VenueMatches playedWonDrawnLostGoalsGD
Home 31205 – 4+1
Away40032 – 7-5
Neutral1153312 – 10+2
Total1866619 – 21-2

Matches

DateComp.H / A / NFinal scoreStadiumAttendance
28.01.2019Asian Cup / Semi FinalA0 – 3Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain23262
13.10.2015FriendlyH1 – 1Azadi Stadium , Tehran15000
17.08.2005World Cup Qualifier / Second RoundA1 – 2Nissan Stadium , Yokohama65000
25.03.2005World Cup Qualifier / WCQH2 – 1Azadi Stadium, Tehran120000
28.07.2004Asian Cup / Group DN0 – 0Olympics Sport Centre , Chongqing52000
11.08.1999Friendly / FriendlyA1 – 1International Stadium, Yokohama35860
16.11.1997World Cup Qualifier / Play-OffN2 – 3Larkin Stadium-Johor Bahru22000
18.10.1993World Cup Qualifier / Second RoundN2 – 1Al Khalifa Stadium , Doha15000
03.11.1992Asian Cup / Group AA0 – 1Big Arch Stadium , Hiroshima37000
01.10.1990Asian Games / Quarter FinalsN1 – 0Fengtai Sports Center-Beijing10000
20.01.1989FriendlyH2 – 2Azadi Stadium, Tehran50000
04.12.1988Asian Cup / Group 1N0 – 0Qatar FC Stadium , Doha4000
22.09.1986Asian Games / Group DN2 – 0Hanbat Stadium, Daejeon30000
20.11.1982Asian Games / Group DN0 – 1Modeltown Stadium-New Delhi10000
18.12.1966Asian Games / Semi FinalN1 – 0Tarua Football Stadium-Bangkok20000
11.12.1966Asian Games / Group BN1 – 3Chulalongkon University Stadium-Bangkok10000
08.03.1951Asian Games / Semi-Final replayN3 – 2Ambedkar Stadium -New Delhi30000
07.03.1951Asian Games / Semi FinalN0 – 0Ambedkar Stadium – New Delhi23000

FFIRI protests Taremi’s yellow card.

The Iranian Football Federation lodged an official protest with the AFC and the organizing committee of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 against the award of the first yellow card to Mehdi Taremi by the Korean referee, Kim Jong-Hyeok.

Kim gave Taremi his marching order after he received the second yellow card right at the end of the second half, for grabbing a Syrial player.

The FFIRI sent an official letter to the Asian Football Confederation, protesting against the first warning of Taremi and demanding its removal. The dismissal of Taremi means a one-match suspension, hence he will not be available for the match versus Korea Republic in the quarter-finals of AFC Asian Cup 2023.

The chances of the AFC rescinding Taremi’s yellow card are quite slim.

Majid Hosseini out of AFC Asian Cup 2023

Team Melli central defender has lost the chance to play the rest of the Asian Cup 2023.

According to news reports, Alireza Shahab, Team Melli physiotherapist, has announced that the defender has a serious injury preventing him from joining the squad. Majid Hosseini, sustained damage to the internal ligament in his ankle. In the past few days, treatment measures were carried out for this player, and fortunately, his condition is much better. He added that functional re-evaluations were done on this player’s leg and based on the results, considering the high level of the competition and to protect the player’s health and professional future, it was decided to continue the treatment and not to involve him in heavy training for the next three weeks.