Tag: Dubai

Middle East Tensions Hurting Asian Soccer Ambitions

Steve Price

The Asian Football Confederation has reportedly banned Iran from hosting international matches based on safety fears over the current tensions in the region. Iranian club sides have responded by planning to withdraw from the AFC Asian Champions League. The clubs have said Iran is “safe”, while Iranian media and fans have claimed that politics, rather than security, is behind the AFC’s decision.

Iran are one of the top nations in the Asian Champions League and has some of the best-supported clubs in Asia. Iranian clubs had a poor campaign last year, but the year before that, Persepolis reached the final of the competition. They, along with Esteghlal, Sepahan and Shahr Khodro, will withdraw from the competition should the AFC’s fixture ban not be reversed.

Iranian sides played their matches against Saudi Arabian sides on neutral territory last season, so the move by the AFC isn’t completely unprecedented. But playing any games on neutral territory is damaging to the competition’s reputation. When over 40,000 people turn up in Tehran to watch Estaghlal or Persepolis, it’s a much better advert for the Asian Champions League than when a thousand fans turn up in Doha to watch Estaglal’s ‘home’ match against Al-Hilal.

The Deby in Azadi Stadium

The absence of Iranian clubs in the competition would be similar to Italian clubs deciding to boycott the UEFA Champions League. Few other Asian countries can match Iran’s top clubs in terms of fans. The Asian Champions League is struggling to grow, with low attendance and regular scandals or other embarrassments, so having one of its most important members boycott the competition is the last thing the AFC needs.

But as well as damaging Asia’s main club competition, the current tensions could also damage the United Arab Emirates’ and Qatar’s attempts to bolster their sporting credentials.

The UAE and Qatar have benefited in the past from their relative stability compared to other countries in the region, often hosting ties that can’t be played at the home country’s stadium for security reasons. If Iran is banned from hosting international matches, then it is possible that Iran’s ‘home’ games would be played in the UAE or Qatar.

 

But it seems the current tensions in the Middle East have finally caught up with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, as other soccer teams are staying away.

The USA men’s soccer team canceled its camp in Doha earlier this month due to the “developing situation in the region”, holding it in Florida instead. And last week Manchester United scrapped plans for a training trip to the Middle East in February, while Arsenal have said they are assessing security measures before deciding whether to head to Dubai for warm weather training.

A stadium in Qatar with empty seats

Qatar and the UAE have been popular destinations for these winter training camps in the past few seasons, with many of Europe’s top clubs heading there for the warm weather and high-quality facilities. Qatar’s FA says that “time and again, these teams return to AZF [Aspire Zone Foundation] to benefit from Qatar’s perfect outdoor training weather at this time of year.” This year, Bayern Munich, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven all used the Aspire facilities, apart from Ajax’s US international Sergino Dest who said he “didn’t feel comfortable” due to the tensions.

While showcase events like the Qatar 2022 World Cup or the Club World Cup might grab the headlines, these camps have been like a dripping tap, helping to slowly establish the two countries as reliable regional soccer hubs. With the teams come media, agents, sponsors and so forth, over time making the countries a good place for related businesses to set up offices, helping the local tourism sector, and boosting these countries’ soft power.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup and other showcase events are unlikely to be affected unless things really escalate in the region, but should the security situation in the region remain tense, top European clubs might decide to switch their future winter plans to Florida or to Spain and Portugal where many other clubs from around the world hold their winter training camps, putting a major dent in Qatar and the UAE’s aspirations to boost their global standing through sports.

Hashempour: “We will show our strength once again”

Defending champions Iran are determined to claim back-to-back Intercontinental Cup crowns and equal Brazil and Russia at the top of the records

Defending champions Iran have landed in Dubai with the mission of reediting the 2018 crown and equalling Brazil and Russia as the most decorated sides at the Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup records. After clinching the Bronze Medal at the last World Beach Games in Qatar just a couple of weeks ago, the team feels in the perfect mood to take on such a challenge.

Grit, talent and perfect teamwork, plus the support of their passionate fans, give Abbas Hashempour’s team all the necessary ingredients to go all the way in this year’s competition, taking place in Kite Beach between the 5th and 9th of November.

“Only the most powerful teams take part in the Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup, so we are fully aware of how difficult it is to prevail in such a competitive arena. Russia, for example, is a team that can do real harm on you if you are not fully focused and fight fiercely every single second of the game. But we also are, as we have repeatedly shown, capable of winning any team in the world. This is what we have in our minds and our hearts, and we will try our best to beat all our opponents and reach the final”, Iran National Coach Abbas Hashempour explained.

The tough opposition will not be the only obstacle for Iran to accomplish their mission, though. The Persian side will be missing one of the key players, 2018 Rising Star Mohammad Moradi, due to injury, and some other players will also be back in competition after injuries, that leaves a question mark on their outcome during the coming days, but coach Hashempour believes the collective strength will help the team overcome these setbacks.

As the defending champions, the Iranian side will have all the eyes put on them, but this is not something the team is concerned about. “Everyone will be expecting a lot from us, but we are determined to show everybody why we are the champions. We want to demonstrate again how powerful we are”, the coach admitted.

Iran were drawn in Group B together with also-favourite Russia, Egypt and CONCACAF champions Mexico and will be making their debut, precisely, against the Azteca side (Tuesday 5th of November, 8:00 pm). That will mark the first step in their road to reediting the crown and claiming their third Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup.

Jorge Fosati to replace Queiroz in Team Melli !!

An Colombian website  caracoltv claims that the next Team Melli coach will be coming from Uruguay. The site mentioned Jorge Fosati as the successor to Carlos Queiroz whose contract ends after the AFC Asian Cup 2019.

The website wrote that while Carlos Queiroz is expected to lead the Colombian national team, Jorge Fosati will take the helm at Iran’s national team. Day after day, the news that Carlos Queiroz’s will be taking over the head coach job of the Colombian national team are getting stronger , naturally a replacement coach should also be appointed to lead Iran in place of the Portuguese. In the meantime, Jorge Fosati of Uruguay is on the verge of being appointed to that post in Iran’s national football team. A few days ago, the Colombian Football Federation has denied any communication with Luis Felipe Scolari.

In Abu Dhabi, Carlos Queiroz has neither denied nor confirmed this news after he was asked by a reporter prior to the game against Vietnam. He asked the media to only ask questions about the match as any other question about his future is an insult to the team and the fans.

Carlos Queiroz is preparing Team Melli to play Iraq for a top of the table match in Dubai in the final match of Group D of AFC Asian Cup 2019

Iran lifts Intercontinental Beach Soccer 2018 Trophy

Iran Beach Soccer Team, made history by lifting the Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer 2018 Trophy in Dubai after beating Russia 4-2 in the final on Saturday.

The atmosphere  of the packed stands in the Kite Beach in Jumeirah was electrifying as both the Iranian and Russian fans made themselves heard even before the start of the match. for both sets of fans livened up the proceedings at the 3,500-seater, state of the art stadium with drum beats and horns.

Iran were 3-0 ahead in the first period as the Russians were stunned by the wave after wave of Iranian offensive moves. By the third period, Russia managed to pull 1 goal back to make it 3-1 but Iran scored again to make it 4-1

Russia, quite fatigued from yesterdays marathon and difficult win in the semi-final but s yet still determined to make a game of it against Iran, pulled one more goal back in the 3rd period to make it 4-2. After the Russian goal, they attacked in force but they were open for Iranian counter attack of which many chances were missed to increase Iran’s tally of goals.

At the end of the action-packed 36 minutes , it did not matter as the two goal victory margin was maintained by Iran until the end to win their second Intercontinental Beach Soccer  Trophy after 2013. Ahmadzadeh lifted the cup as the players and Iranian fans rejoiced.

For the Asian champions and winners of the 2013 competition, it was the second win against Russia and the only unbeaten team in the tournament.

 

Iran registers 2nd win in Beach Soccer

Iran Beach Soccer National Team defeated Tahiti 4-2 at the 2018 Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday in Dubai. The team is now has two wins in as many matches.

 

The National Team which had started the competition with a 8-1 routing of U.S. in Group B, will meet Russia to decide the group winners. In Tuesday match , the Asian champion had seven different players scoring as it ran riot with an 8-1 thumping of the USA in the late match of Tuesday night.

Mohammad Moradi opened the scoring in the very first minute and then added a second midway to be the only one from his team with a brace, while the other goals came from his teammates Amir Hossein Akbari, Mohammad Ahmadzadeh, Mustafa Kiani, Moslem Mesigar, Mohammad Masoumizadeh and Ali Mirshekari as Iran led 8-0 by the end of the second period.

Gabriel Silveira pulled a goal back for the American team.

The tournament, which is organized by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), is being held in Dubai, the UAE from November 6 to 10.

 

Iran vs Tahiti Match Goals:

0-1: Amir Hossein Akbari, min. 10 (1); 0-2: Mohammad Masoumizadeh, min. 1 (1); 0-3: Hamid Behzadpour, min. 0 (1); 0-4: Mohammad Masoumizadeh, min. 5 (2); 1-4: Lebaste, min. 5 (2); 2-4: Zaveroni, min. 0 (3);

Iran to face Iraq, Yemen and Vietnam in AFC Asian Cup 2019

The draw for the AFC Asian Cup was held In a grand spectacle at the United Arab Emirates Burj Khalifa,

Team Melli , Asia’s best ranked side, who are looking to secure their fourth title and their first since 1976, were drawn in Group D alongside 2007 winners Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen, who will be appearing in their first tournament since their unification.

 Hosts UAE, who were positioned in first place in Group A, will kick-off Asia’s most prestigious tournament against Bahrain at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on January 5, 2019.

The host nation will be looking to improve on their second place finish the last time the competition was held in the UAE in 1996, but will face formidable opponents in India and Thailand who complete the cast in Group A.

Meanwhile defending champions Australia were drawn in Group B with 2004 and 2011 quarter-finalists Jordan, Palestine, and Syria, who return to the competition following their absence in Australia 2015.

Continent powerhouses and 2015 finalists Korea Republic, who are on the hunt for their first title since 1960, were drawn in Group C with two-time runners-up China PR as well as two debutants in the UAE 2019 – Kyrgyz Republic and Philippines.

In Group E, two-time champions Saudi Arabia were drawn with 2011 hosts Qatar, Lebanon, who will be returning to the competition for only the second time after a 19 year absence as well as DPR Korea.

The tournament’s most successful side with four titles, Japan are in Group F and will face Uzbekistan, who have progressed past the group stage for the last four editions of the competition as well as Oman and Turkmenistan.

In an action-packed night graced by some of the biggest names in Asian football, the final draw also introduced a USD$14.8 million total prize money, the unveiling of a stunning new trophy, a cutting-edge Molten match ball and the launch of the tournament’s official mascots – Mansour and Jarrah.

The Zayed Sports City Stadium will also host the final on February 1, 2019 after 28 days of enthralling action with the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium hosting the remaining matches in Abu Dhabi.

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium will host the matches in Al Ain and Sharjah Stadium in the Emirate of Sharjah. Al Maktoum Stadium and Al Rashid Stadium are the two venues in Dubai.

Iran Beach soccer on the podium at Intercontinental Championship 2017

Iran Beach Soccer Team finished the 2017 on a high note after winning the 3rd place play-off against 3 times champions Russia in the Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai 2017 today .

The match in Dubai , was between two semi-finals losers as Iran narrowly lost the match to the World Champions Brazil , while the same story was repeated when Portugal surprised Russia in the other semi-final 3-2.

Brazil were given stern examination of their credentials by Iran in the Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup in the semi final yesterday before eventually progressing to Saturday’s final with a 6-4 win. The world champions will take on Portugal on the final day, having been given a real scare by Marco Octavio’s Iran who recovered from 5-2 down to get within a goal of the holders thanks to the impressive Mostafa Kiani.

In the third place playoff, the Iranian men took revenge for the  group match loss which ended 4-3 for the Russian in extra time. The winning Russian goal was scored by Iran’s own player for a bitter & disappointing end.

IN this match Russia started the scoring in the 2nd period after an eventless first period.  However, Iran’s reserve goalkeeper Hamid Behzadpour equalized from a long-range shot into the Russian net. Soon Iran went ahead 2-1 when Mohammad Ahmadzadeh scored his 29th goal in this tournament.

Mohammad Moradi made it  3-1 and Iran was sailing , Romanov scored Russia’s second goal to make it 3-2 and a nervous few minutes for the Persians.

Russia goalkeeper then committed a grave error b handling just outside the zone as he was sent off. The subsequent free kick was blasted into the roof of the net by Mostafa Kiani  to secure a valuable 4-2 win for Iran and a 3rd place position.

 

Iran Beach Soccer Matches

Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai 2017

 

Group Stage – Group B
October 31, 2017
Iran IRN     5 – 2        PAR Paraguay
[divider margin=”10″]
November 01, 2017
Group Stage – Group B
Mexico MEX     1 – 4      IRN Iran
[divider margin=”10″]
November 02, 2017
Group Stage – Group B
Iran IRN   3 – 4 (AET)  RUS Russia
[divider margin=”10″]
November 03, 2017
Semi-finals
Brazil BRA     6 – 4      IRN Iran
[divider margin=”10″]
November 04, 2017
Play-off for 3rd place
Russia RUS     2 – 4     IRN Iran

Third place for Iran in the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup 2015

Team Melli Beach soccer Team defeated Egypt on penalties to win the third place in the 2015 edition of Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai. Iran relies on defense and clutch penalties for 3rd Place

The 2(3)-2(2) penalties win for Iran over Egypt was stressful for the fans of each country and the players, but the general population were thrilled with a cracker of a match. Neither team scored in the opening frame, adding to the on the sand drama. To make the match even tastier was the fact that regular time and an extra three minutes could not provide a winner. The victory was breathtaking for the Iranians and heartbreaking for the Egyptians as Egypt led throughout but a last minute goal from Iran sent the game into an extra frame, then the penalty shoot-out went the way of Iran. The triumph puts Iran in 3rd Place after a great Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai. Egypt clawed their way to 4th Place and they very well could have earned 3rd or even higher. 

The Iranian and Egyptian rivalry goes beyond the pitch but all that was forgotten when the players stepped on the pitch, though the high-energy desire to win did not leave the players’ minds. Egypt began mounting their attacks very early and they had the Lions of the Atlas scared, but the Pharaohs did not get the initial goal or goals they were hoping for, in part because of the stellar play from Hosseini, the Iranian  goalkeeper. Things settled for Iran, though not the pace, and they pushed Egypt to the brink of ceding a goal on many ocassions, but the back-and-forth play made for a spectacular viewing experience.  The goalies made sure and put on a show for the fans and the score was 0-0 when the clock struck zero, signifying the end of the first frame. The next goal, which would be the first in the match would be a huge advantage for the scoring team but the African side and the Asian side were not able to get that elusive goal in the first minutes of the middle frame. The goal came it was a perfect strike from M. Samir just before the halfway point in the match, and the score sat at 1-0 for the Egyptians going into the final minutes of the period. Iran found their equalizer shortly after the Egyptian goal but the rest of the period went scoreless and the match went into the final period tied at 1-1.

The tension was everywhere as the final frame began with no clear cut winner, not even an advantage for either team, and the fans and players were feeling the tension. The score sat at 1-1 until M. Abdelnabi scored his first on the day and put the African side up 2-1 early in the frame. Egypt was not intimidated by the very established Iranian side, who many of which had selected to win this tournament, and they, Egypt, stuck to their game plans and were able to hold down the Asian team. The score did not shift as the clocked moved towards the middle of the frame and the Egyptians were getting anxious that the number were moving too slow. Egypt needed their keeper to keep Iran off the board again, and in the first half of the period he did a splendid job and kept the score at 2-1 for his team with the end of the match drawing near. All that changed when Iran erupted for their second goal, tying the game at 2 with one minute left. The teams rushed the net on both ends, looking for the deciding goal but the goal did not come and the game went into the three minute extra frame. The rapid extra period went scoreless and the teams headed into a penalty shoot-out.

Goals: 1-0: M. Samir, min. 7 (2); 1-1: A. Akbari, min. 5 (2); 2-1: M. Abdelnabi, min. 10 (3); 2-2: F. Boulokbashi, min. 1 (3).

Penalties: A. Naderi: Make; M. Samir: Make; M. Morshedi: Make; A. Aboserie: Make; A. Akbari; Make; Hassane: Miss.

Iran Beach Soccer cruises to the semi-finals

Iran Beach Soccer team advances to the semi-finals of Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup 2015  for a clash with Russia with a big third period marked by a brilliant hat trick from Ahmadzadeh.

 

The 5-2 win for Iran over Mexico had its ups and downs for both teams but it ended on an extremely high note for the Asian side. Iran took first blood and were well on their way to a blowout when Mexico turned things around and knotted things up, but Iran was helped by the pro-Iran crowd and drew on their energy and delighted the fans with a great defensive display as well as offensive showcase. The win gives Iran second place in the group and they will be heading to the semi-finals to play Russia in the last game of the day on Friday. The Mexican side were forced to try and come from behind in each match and could not pull off any of the comebacks but they will be playing in the consolation semis on Friday against the UAE.

Iran knew that if they could win their second straight match that they would be advancing to the semis but a very competitive and best team that CONCACAF, king of the confederation, had to offer was in their way. The obstacle for the Lions of the Atlas did not seem as daunting after they calmed their nerves and scored the first goal of the match. But the North American side was entirely in the fight and they hung strong after giving up the goal and going into the last minutes of the period, the score remained 1-0 for Iran. The on-field battles continued and the Tri Color saw their opportunities increase but nothing could be done with them and it was Iran who capitalized again, netting their second and taking that 2-0 lead into the first break. Mexico took the deficit as a challenge and started the second period on a different note and with a chip on their shoulder. The Mexicans hit home a beautiful header in the first minute of the second period, to cut the Iranian lead in half at 2-1. The Mexicans did not stop there and confused the Iran defense when they scored the equalizer, putting the score at 2-2. But then it was Mexico’s turn to get disoriented on defense when Iran scored their third goal on a great bicycle in traffic that someone got through to put the score at 3-2 for the Lions of the Atlas going into the final break. 

Iran began the final period by trying desperately to get at least one insurance goal but it did not come in the early going as Mexico was employing their signature tight defense, though that limited their offensive ability at the same time. Iran was knocking on the door but with six minutes gone from the period, there were no goals to show for the effort. However, past the midway point in the frame, M. Ahmadzadeh scored his second goal to give Iran a seemingly safe cushion of two goals at 4-2. Mexico began to rush and looked for the offense that they had lacked thus far, but with the Iranian keeper, Hosseini, between the pipes, it was difficult to find goals, and that has almost always been the case for Iran’s’ opponents. The Iranians held off the Mexican attacks and the final score was 5-2 for Iran. 

 

Goals: 0-1: M. Hassani, min. 9 (1); 0-2: A. Naderi, min. 8 (1); 1-2: G. Pichardo, min. 11 (2); 2-2: A. Villa, min. 8 (2); 2-3: M. Ahmadzadeh, min. 1 (2); 2-4: M. Ahadzadeh, min. 5 (3); 2-5: M. Ahmedzadeh, min. 5 (3).

 

Group B in flux after Iran shocks Portugal in Beach soccer.

Iran men’s national beach soccer team defeated the European powerhouse Portugal 5-3 on Wednesday in the Group B match of the 2015 Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 5-3 win for Iran over the Portugal was the perfect rebound for Iran and letdown for Portugal but the fans won the biggest as the game was tense, dramatic, and passionate. Portugal took the first bite of the cherry but things were so equal that a big first period for both teams left the score tied at 2-2. Iran then dug deep and drew off the very friendly crowd to take the little steps and goals they needed to charge ahead and earn the win. The triumph leaves Group B up in the air going into the last day as it was the first win Iran, with Portugal also owning one win. Tahiti has two wins in the group but Portugal will play Tahiti on Thursday, while Iran will take on Mexico, and as it looks, each team needs a win to be safe.

iran_beachSoccer 2

Iran came into the match needing a win, as they lost on opening day to Tahiti but it was the world champs who scored first, leaving the Iranians down 1-0 and searching for a spark. The Lion of the Atlas were able to find that energy when they nailed home their first shot before the midway point in the frame. Portugal had an answer and responded within a minute but the Asian side had their own answer yet again and the game settled at 2-2 going into the final minutes of the period. The score did not shift and the first 12 minutes ended with the four goals, two for each side. The expectations might have been for more and more immediate goals, but the goalies began making bigger and bigger saves and the scored stayed at 2-all until Iran took their first lead of the day, on a penalty kick, to go up 3-2 near the halfway point of the match. Portugal kept their nerves but they knew that letting Iran hang around and build confidence would doom the Portuguese. The Iranians continued to turn things around from that early goal they gave up and they eventually scored late in the second to double up the Portuguese squad, by a score of 4-2, which is how things would hold going into the decisive final 12 minutes.

Iran beach soccer

Far from out of it, the Portuguese started the trail back to contention with an early goal from Jordan, which blew past the great Peyman Hosseini, the splendid keeper for Iran, and it put the score 4-3 for Iran, going into the heart of the period. For all of the close calls and saves from Iran, Portugal was still needing to employ their solid defense and goalkeeping with Iran attacking just as much. The crossbars on both ends of the field were taking a beating with Portugal and Iran doing their best to shatter them, or score a goal, though one of those things was obviously more important. The sense was Portugal was going to score but the stout Iranian defense was able to keep the score at 4-3 going into the final minutes of the game. The nail in the coffin came with three minutes left when Iran netted their fifth and then they hung on for the 5-3 victory.

 

Goals: 0-1: Belchior, min. 8 (1); 1-1: M. Morshedi, min. 8 (1); 1-2: B. Novo, min. 7 (1); 2-2: F. Boulokbashi, min. 6 (1); 3-2: M. Ahmadzadeh, min 7 (2); 4-2: F. Boulokbashi, min. 3 (2); 4-3: Jordan , min. 9 (3); 5-3: M. Ahmadzadeh, min. 3 (3).

On November 23, 2013, Iran beat Russia 4-3 in the final match of the 2013 edition of the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup in Dubai to win the title.