Iran’s U-14 football team defeated Iraq 1-0 in the semi final of the 2013 Asian Youth games to set a date with South Korea in the final Gold Medal match on Friday 23rd August.

The semi final match was played in Wutaishan Stadium, Nanjing saw Iran’s top scorer Shahab Rashno score the only goal of game in the 24th minute and his 5th of the competition. Rashno scored from a penalty kick after the Iraqi goalkeeper tripped him in the box.  Despite the e Iraqi’s good showing in the group matches and expectations to be a stiff competition , the Iraqi team was too conservative and did not show enough grit to challenge the young Iranians until much later stages of the match which was mostly dominated by Iran. The young Iranians did not manage to produce more than the one goal to show  for their dominance. The rough playing Iraqi’s , desperate for scoring the equalizer lost their tops as the game was nearing the end. In a scuffle, the Chinese referee sent two Iraqi’s players off for un-sportsmanship behavior!

In the other semi-final , bitter rivals of the Korean peninsula , South and North met in a grueling match. The South Koreans scored the only goal of the match in the second half to set an interesting meeting and renew yet another rivalry with Iran in the finals.

FINAL MATCH

Team Melli U14 lost the final; match 1-0 againt the South Koreans to win football’s silver medal in teh 2013 Asian Youth Games.