Tag: Chinese Taipei

Futsal: Classy IR Iran cruise into quarter-finals

The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022™, continued this Friday evening with Team Melli Futsal Playing Chinese Taipei in Saad Al Abdullah Hall, Kuwait.

With the biggest win of the championship so far, Iran confirmed their place in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Kuwait 2022 knockout stage after cruising 10-1

Iran, who defeated Indonesia 5-0 in their opener, burst into action from the first blow of the whistle with Hossein Tayebibidgoli and Mohammadhossein Bazyar just missing the target from above the area.
SAEED AHMAD-ABBAS
Alireza Rafiei Pour forced Fu Li-wei into a diving save in the second minute before the Chinese Taipei keeper conceded moments later with Bazyar finding the back of the net off Moslem Oladghobad’s layoff.
Iran were just getting started with Tayebibidgoli etching his name on the scoresheet in the third minute, finishing off Oladghobad’s assist.
Chinese Taipei had a rare chance a minute later with captain Chi Sheng-fa bursting down the left flank, but his effort to get a cross into the danger area was foiled by Mahdi Karimi.
Chinese Taipei were no match for Iran’s brilliance as the Central Asian side scored their third goal after Salar Aghapour found an unmarked Saeid Ahmad Abbasi (pictured above), who finished with ease from close range.

Tayebibidgoli picked up his second goal of the evening in the 16th minute, scoring a volley off Oladghobad’s kick-in, before Ahmad Abbasi put Iran 5-0 up a minute later.
Chinese Taipei tried to mount a fightback but paid dearly as Iran caught them off a counter-attack with Ahmad Abbasi completing his hat-trick two minutes from the half-time whistle.
Iran grabbed their seventh goal two minutes into the restart with Tayebibidgoli threatening from the left flank before the two-time AFC Futsal Asian Cup Top Scorer sent an inviting lob for Aghapour to finish.
Chinese Taipei tried to push  forward again but their efforts were cut short with Alireza Javan Shahkhali collecting the loose ball before squeezing a shot past Fu Li-wei in the 28th minute.
However, Chinese Taipei’s determination was finally rewarded when they found an opening in the 31st minute with He Chia-chen scoring from inside the box, finishing off Chi Sheng-fa’s pass.
There was no letting up from Iran as they continued to pressure their opponents with Karimi finding the net in the 35th minute before Ahmad Abbasi scored his side’s 10th goal a minute later.

Iran plays Lebanon next, while Chinese Taipei faces a must-win tie against Indonesia on Sunday.

AFC Women Asian Cup Chinese Taipei v Iran

Navi Mumbai: Chinese Taipei and Iran are set for a collision course in their final Group A fixture of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022™ at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Wednesday.

Both sides are still chasing their first win, with Iran falling to a 7-0 defeat against China PR, while Chinese Taipei opened their campaign with a 4-0 loss to the Steel Roses.
At stake will be the runners-up spot, which will confirm the second team from Group A into the quarter-finals.

Despite starting their campaign with a defeat, Chinese Taipei head coach Kazuo Echigo is optimistic of his team’s chances of advancing into the quarter-finals.

“This is a very tough competition, and the Chinese team was very well prepared, but we did what we could do,” said Echigo. “Everybody gave their best efforts throughout the game, we made a point of that.
“Looking ahead, I believe we can make some improvements for our next match. I’m sure the players will be eager to show what they are capable of.”

#WAC2022 – Group A | China PR 4 – 0 Chinese Taipei

“This is a very tough competition, and the Chinese team was very well prepared, but we did what we could do,” said Echigo. “Everybody gave their best efforts throughout the game, we made a point of that.
“Looking ahead, I believe we can make some improvements for our next match. I’m sure the players will be eager to show what they are capable of.”
Meanwhile, Iran head coach Maryam Irandoost wants her team to be focused on the match despite their heavy defeat against China on Sunday.
Iran held their own against China before conceding the opener in the 28th minute and the eight-time champions went on to score six more goals to seal the win.

#WAC2022 – Group A | Islamic Republic of Iran 0 – 7 China PR

“It was a very tough game, but my players tried hard until the last minute,” said Irandoost. “We have seen, even in the men’s World Cup, some great teams can concede seven goals. It’s the first time we’ve participated in this tournament, and it is a great experience for us.
“After the final whistle, I gathered my players and told them we had finished that match. I told the players to promise me that they would put it behind them. We have two training sessions left, and we will shift our focus towards the Chinese Taipei match and be prepared for it.”

Prolific Iran maintain futsal hegemony

  • IR Iran build on FIFA Futsal World Cup bronze with another Asian crown
  • Sixteen-nation event held in Chinese Taipei for first time
  • Iranian Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh named tournament’s best player

Competition for Asian supremacy in eleven-a-side football is finely balanced as evidenced by the finale to last year’s FIFA World Cup qualifying in the world’s most populous continent. The same cannot be said on the futsal court, however, as IR Iran once again underlined their supremacy in emphatic fashion.

The Iranians stormed to a 12th continental victory in Chinese Taipei on Sunday, retaining the title they reclaimed two years ago. Only Japan have broken Iran’s stranglehold, winning on three occasions, but the east Asians had no answer in the tournament decider this time. Iran proved their breakthrough third-place finish at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 was no fluke, with an unusually heavy 4-0 scoreline in the decider.

Broad reach throughout Asia
A total of 30 teams from all corners of Asia competed in the qualifying competition, demonstrating the growing appeal of the game across much of the continent. Chinese Taipei hosted the event for the first time, though they previously welcomed the globe’s best for the Futsal World Cup in 2004.

That 30-strong crowd was cut to 16 teams for the ten-day event in New Taipei City. Much focus was, of course, on the home side but locals were to be left frustrated with Chinese Taipei edged out of qualification by Bahrain, despite a win over Malaysia. Vietnam topped the group, but there was to be disappointment for the south-east Asians as the 2016 semi-finalists were eliminated by Uzbekistan.

There was no surprises as Japan and Iran shaded Uzbekistan and Iraq as all four progressed from their respective groups. Lebanon, meanwhile, were arguably the surprise packages. Despite having never reached a continental semi-final, Lebanon defeated 2015 semi-finalists Thailand 5-2 to top their group. The Cedars’ luck, however, ran out in the knockout stage with a heartbreaking 9-8 penalty shoot-out defeat against Iraq.

Iran’s accolades

  • Most individual goals: Hossein Tayebi (14)
  • Most team goals: 46
  • Tournament’s best player: Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh

Japan eased past Iraq with a 3-0 scoreline in the first semi-final, while Iran crushed Uzbekistan 7-1. Despite the lop-sided scoreline in the final, it was Japan who had the better of early exchanges only for some profligacy in front of goal to prove costly.

The tournament’s best player Ali Hassanzadeh scored with just a minute remaining remaining of the half, before the Iranians finished in style by scoring a further three to wrap up their title defence.

“Yes, it was a little bit difficult at first in the game, but I was 100 per cent confident that we would pull through and score the goals we needed to win,” said IR Iran’s Alireza Rafieipor. “This victory is just the starting point for us. From now we are focused on 2020 [World Cup]. We are number three in the world and everyone is expecting us to get even better.”