Tag: Oman

Iran beach soccer wins the Continental Beach Soccer Title

Iran beach soccer won the Continental Beach Soccer Tournament by beating Oman 6-3 in the final.

Iran’s goals were scored by Amir Hossein Akbari (4 goals), Seyed Ali Nazim , and Peyman Hosseini.

This was the first title for the team under coach Mohammad Hossein Mir Shamsi. Peyman Hosseini  was as the tournament’s best goalkeeper while Amir Hossein Akbari grabbed the top scorer title.

On  Wednesday, Iran booked a place at the Continental Beach Soccer Tournament final after beating Japan 5-1. .

In the group stages, the Iranian team, Bahrain 10-1 in its first match. 

 China and Thailand played for the bronze medal.

The three-day tournament was held in Ordos, China.

The top eight Asian teams namely, Iran, China, Bahrain, Japan, Vietnam, Oman, Thailand and Lebanon participated in the event.

The Iranian team takes part in the competition as part of its preparation for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualification.

Tough test for Team Melli.

Team Melli will host Oman in the final round of Group D Asian zone FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers on Tuesday. The match is of a crucial importance to Oman while Team Melli will be entering in the match in a much calmer attitude.

With a superior goal difference by 15, Iran are almost certain to finish on top even if they lose their three-point lead with a defeat to second-placed Oman at the Azadi Stadium.

The Omanis are currently seventh in the rankings of the runners-up but, with only three points separating second from eighth, could make a final day surge by beating Iran.

Oman has always been a tough opponent for Team Melli. In the away match in Muscat , Team Melli managed a draw in a match that the Omani’s were the better team and exposed some vulnerabilities in Team Melli midfield and defense lines.

However, this match will be quite different.

Azadi is like no other venue for the guests, especially when it is filled with passionate Persian mass  fever. The biggest stadium in Asia can hold up to 110, 000 fans and the noise generated buy such mass can take the opponents apart before even the kick off. The Omani’s will find it that much harder to play their football under such environment. Although Azadi is not expected to be full, the fact that the match admission is free and many Iranians are still in Nowrooz holiday, the crowds numbers will be significant.

Carlos Queiroz embarked in another brave move by selecting what was virtually his second team last time against India, Despite some glitches the new look Team Melli managed to score four past India the weakest team of group D. It could have easily been double that figure, though.

Oman on the other hand did not find it so smooth against the resilient and vastly improved Guam in their last match in Muscat. They barely managed to score late in the game to keep their hope of qualification to the next round alive,

Oman is still the underdog in tomorrow’s match, but surprises are aplenty in football. The Wiley Queiroz , will be having a different team this time round as Dejagah , Teymourian and the rest of the first choice players will be back in the lineup to prevent any possible surprises by the Omani’s.

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‘Milestone’ match for Guam

Grant Wieman

The Guam men’s national soccer team will host the most important match in the island’s history on Tuesday when the world’s No. 43-ranked team, I.R. Iran, competes in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying game at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.

A win for No. 155 Guam would be unexpected and is probably unrealistic, but simply hosting such a prestigious match gives the Matao an opportunity that was previously impossible to imagine.

“I believe having Iran here, in a World Cup Qualification game, is the single most important milestone in Guam football history,” Guam head coach Gary White said during a press conference at the Hilton Guam Resort and Spa on Monday.

“To have a world-class team, a world-class coach, here on our shores is going to do so much for football and our development,” he continued. “… We want the local fans to see world-class football here, live, because we just don’t watch it enough.”

Guam has earned seven points in its six WCQ matches so far, each of them coming at home. They beat Turkmenistan and India and drew with Oman.

In the earlier match against Iran, in Tehran, the Matao lost 6-0.

“Playing in Iran, even though the score was what it was, the players got better as the game went on and that helped us in the next game against Oman (four days later),” White said. “Without that game, we wouldn’t have learned the lessons that we did.”

Iran Guam @ Azadi

White, called “The Gaffer” by his players, said the Matao learned the importance of starting fast and limiting mistakes during that match. Iran’s first goal that night came in the ninth minute, on a penalty kick, and Iran picked up momentum from there.

“We know they will have more possession than us. That’s just the reality,” White said. “We can’t start slowly. We can’t give them easy chances. … We look at it like it’s an FA Cup game. I know (Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz) has coached a lot of FA Cup games when he was at Manchester United. You do have second division teams that do upset premiership teams, and that’s our mentality.”

Queiroz was an assistant coach for Manchester United for several seasons in the 2000s.

Both teams will enter the game shorthanded. Iran is missing four starting field players, including their top scorer and their No. 1 goalkeeper because they couldn’t obtain visas to travel to the U.S.

The Matao will likely have three defensive starters out due to injuries, suspension and missing the trip because of other commitments.

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“We’re one team, we’re very unified, and we know that everyone else will have to pick up the slack,” Matao captain Jason Cunliffe said. “We hope to put on a good show and show our home fans what we’re capable of. … We’re here to fight through the very last minute. We had a tough result in Iran so we’d like to obviously change that.”

Queiroz and Iran’s captain, Andranik Teymourian, were careful with how they addressed the game. They expect to win, but they never said the word, instead speaking in phrases like “get the result that is convenient for us” and “that is on the way to our target.”

Cunliffe , Guam captain

The wording made it clear they respect Guam, both as a soccer team and host nation. It is now up to the Matao to prove they deserve that respect on the pitch.

“To play at home is a great honor against such a team,” Cunliffe said. “Growing up on this island and playing football here, I never — honestly never — thought I’d be seeing the day we’d be hosting a World Cup Qualifier against Iran. It’s amazing and it’s my job as captain to make sure the boys, while we are excited about that in terms of football, for Gaffer and for the kids, to make sure we don’t get too caught up in that because at the end of the day it’s a football match.”

“It’s 11 vs. 11 on the field for 90 minutes and while I’m sitting here telling you it’s great and we’re looking forward to it, believe me when I say that out there on the field it will be a battle and we will make it as difficult for them as possible,” Cunliffe said.

Guam will host Iran at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at GFA. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.

Iran and Oman draw in Muscat.

Iran maintained its top of the table position after grinding out a hard-fought 1-1 draw against its main rival Oman  in 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifying clash on Thursday. The match was played in difficult weather condition with high humidity restricting the players of both teams from giving their best.

The host created a host of chances at Sultan Qaboos stadium in the first half but the closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Qasim Saeed shot wide from close range.

Team Melli also had opportunities of their own but none to seriously bother Ali Al Habsi who had a comfortable half commanding his area quite well.

Signs of defensive vulnerability in Team Melli came in the first half as Omani forwards outpaced their opponents. Jalal Hosseini and Pejman Montazeri were both caught out in several situations by the fast attacks and especially in transitions.

In the 52nd minute, this vulnerability soon translated into a goal for Oman as a blunder by Hosseini, Alireza Haghighi in the middle and a complete absence of covering by left back Ehsan Hajsafy, for Saad Suhaill to score an easy goal.

However , both the guilty parties in this goal conceded by Iran combined a few minutes later for Team Melli’s goal.

Hajsafy on the left flank ran with the ball all the way into the Oman box before sending a diagonal ball which Al Habsi could only fumble into Hosseini’s legs. The Center back had the easiest of the chances to slot it in for Iran’s equalizer.

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Both teams exchanged control of the match through the midfield. Iran suffered badly due to the weak performance of the trio Ebrahimi, Teymourian and Dejagah. The latter has one of his worst performances since he played for Team Melli. Teymourian defensive duties prevented him from being a force while Iran was on attack.

Up front Taremi and Azmoun did not click and found wanting in front of a strong and compact Omani defense.

However, the middle of the defense was perhaps the most worrying of all the three lines in which Queiroz needs to do some serious patching work.

Team Melli will have a chance to keep the lead when they meet Turkmenistan next. Before that, the Japan friendly will give Queiroz a perfect opportunity to try to solve some urgent issues with the tactics and personnel.

Team Melli camps in Dubai.

Team Melli landed in Dubai this evening to set up an eight days training camp.

Iran will be meeting its stiffest test in the FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers  when they meet Oman in Muscat on 8th of October. Team Melli will train in Dubai in the Iranian Clubs premises until their departure date on Tuesday 6th October.

After the match with Oman, Team Melli will also play a friendly against Japan in Azadi.

Iran is leading the table of Group D with 7 points ahead of Oman on goal difference.

 

Rank Team MP W D L F A D P
1 Iran 3 2 1 0 10 1 +9 7
2 Oman 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7
3 Guam 4 2 1 1 3 7 -4 7
4 Turkmenistan 3 0 1 2 2 5 -3 1
5 India 3 0 0 3 2 7 -5 0

 

 

Guam training in Osaka Japan while waiting for Iran visa.

In preparation for Guam’s fixture against Asia’s No. 1 country, I.R. Iran, on Sept. 3, the team and staff have all gotten together for a weeklong training camp at J-Green Sakai in Osaka, Japan, thanks to the generosity of the Japan Football Association.

For over a decade, JFA has been immensely supportive of football development in Guam and this was recognized in front of dozens of Japanese media in a press conference held this past Friday in Tokyo. Matao team members and staff were all present at the event to thank JFA for the organization’s assistance that has helped fuel the success of Guam’s national program today.

Guam’s football success

Gary White, or the “Gaffer,”  the Guam Football Association’s technical director and head coach of the men’s national soccer team, has written:

The recognition of JFA’s support over the years of Guam’s football success comes at an opportune time, as the Matao are currently group leaders in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Joint Qualification Round 2, a feat unparalleled by many of Asia’s top countries.

Now that we’ll be facing off with Asia’s highest-ranked country in a few days in Azadi Stadium, a venue with a capacity of over 100,000, we continue to thank JFA for its support in arranging accommodations and training at the beautiful and world-class J-Green Sakai facility in Osaka, Japan.

After our match in Iran, the team looks forward to returning home for its match against Oman, a country ranked in the top 100 in the world. We hope to play in front of another sellout crowd, with fans in every corner waving Guam flags and cheering the team to another milestone victory.

Stephen Constantine: Iran are the giants of Asia

With just more than a month left for the Indian National Team to play Iran, the ‘Giants of Asia’, in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualifier in Bengaluru, AIFF Media caught up with National Coach Stephen Constantine on a number of issues pertaining to Indian football.

 

INTERVIEW

How much is the road ahead tough?
The road for us is as tough as I had expected it to be. Many may have thought that this was going to be a quick transition given that we beat Nepal and qualified. Many may have also severely underestimated Guam, and possibly overestimated the level that we are at the moment, which I personally feel cannot change within a short time.

Have there been changes to the squad?
I have made many changes to the philosophy of the team to the type of training that we do including introducing many bright new prospects into the squad.
But at the same time, they also need time to adjust to the pace and the level of international football. There is a huge difference between the standard of the domestic leagues to international football.

How is our team shaping up prior to the Iran match?
It’s Iran, the 41st ranked team in the world, the Giants of Asia. I feel that says it all.
The International Friendly against Nepal is the sole competitive match that our boys would have played before taking on the Asian superpowers. You need to remember that prior to the match against Nepal, most of the National Team players have not played a competitive game since June 2015 (against Guam) while the others have not played since May 31, 2015, i.e., the completion of the Hero I-League. So for some players, its more than two months while for the rest, it’s almost or even more than three months. The National Team is at a huge disadvantage.

We are playing Nepal on August 31st in an International Friendly? Is there any specific reason to play Nepal?
There were options playing against higher ranked teams but seeing that we are playing a home game, we wanted to play at home while those teams wanted to play at their home. So it didn’t materialize. Under such circumstance, it’s good we played some close to our ranking.
I know the sentiment of people wanting us to play more but none wants to play more than me.

(Interview & Photo courtesy AIFF Media)

A look at Guam preparations and prospects.

In less than a month, Guam has once again ascended to its highest-ever FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking – No. 146 in the world – with the latest release published by FIFA.com.

HARMON – The new ranking comes ahead of the Matao’s next set of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Joint Qualification Round 2 fixtures – Sept. 3 against I.R. Iran in Iran and Sept. 8 against Oman in Guam.

“This is a very exciting time for Guam football – just last month I was praising Guam’s national program for reaching the 150s in the world for the first time in history,” said Richard Lai, Guam Football Association President. “Now, we’re in the 140s and ranked above countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia, all with a long history of football achievements in Asia. I am looking forward to see what more we can do. We couldn’t have accomplished what we have in recent years without the full support of FIFA, AFC, EAFF, the local community and business sponsors.”

With the rise in world rank, Guam is also ranked No. 22 in Asia, surpassing 25 other more established football countries in the continent.

“I’m very pleased with the progress the team continues to make in recent years, though I truly feel that Guam has not yet reached its peak,” said Gary White, head coach of the Guam men’s national team. “There really is no limit as to what Guam can achieve in international football as evidenced by the national team’s recent first-ever victories over Turkmenistan and India in June to lead Group D in the joint qualification and many other ‘first-ever’ results in recent years. In fact, before the June matches, hardly anyone took me seriously when I stated that I believed Guam would lead Group D – a group that includes Asia’s No. 1 country, I.R. Iran – at the conclusion of the opening matches of its 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign. 

“With every historical milestone we achieve, we’ll continue to set our standards even higher. This is not only for the team, but for Guam’s entire national football program. There are now certain high expectations to meet each time Guam competes,” White added.

Following the FIFA World Cup Qualifier matches in September, next on the Matao’s schedule is its second fixture against Turkmenistan, scheduled for Oct. 13 in the Central Asian country, followed by a match against India on Nov. 12 in Bangalore. The team returns to Guam for a Nov. 17 match against I.R. Iran at the GFA National Training Center, before waiting until Mar. 24 next year to face Oman in Oman.

Tickets for the upcoming Guam vs Oman match scheduled for Sept. 8 may be purchased beginning this week at GFA. Ticket prices range from $20 to $40 based on seating sections.

guam

Garry white writes:

Since learning of Guam’s opponents, I, along with my coaching staff, have done a considerable amount of research coming to the final stretch before the scheduled matches. Before facing I.R. Iran on Sept. 3, the team will be in a short training camp in Japan, and after the match, will return to Guam for a home match against Oman — a 30-hour flight each way!

With Guam in a considerable lead in group standings, these highly anticipated matches will be closely watched not only by fans from the competing countries, but fans and media around the world, all who have kept the discussion about Guam’s progress and success alive to this day. Fans in Guam will have the rare opportunity to witness the Guam-Oman fixture live, with so much riding on the result of the match.

If you haven’t done so already, buy your tickets at GFA to watch the match against Oman, set to kick off at 4 p.m. on Sept. 8, following the Labor Day holiday. Not only will you be treated to an intense, high-caliber match, but your support may be the necessary fuel for the team’s success, as felt during the Matao’s first two FIFA World Cup Qualifier wins.

The match will be in the same week as the opening Saturday of the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth League, and will hopefully inspire the next generation of the Matao and Masakåda, Guam’s senior national teams.

Gary White, or the “Gaffer,” is Guam Football Association’s technical director and head coach of the men’s national soccer team.

 

Iran to play Japan on October 13th.

The friendly international against Japan has been finalized and will be played on FIFA Day on 13th October 2015 in Azadi Stadium.

The match will come 5 days after Team Melli has played Oman its main Group D rival in FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers in Muscat. This friendly has been discussed  between the two federation but only finalized yesterday to nicely slot between the two teams commitments in the World Cup qualifiers.

Both the Asian giants have stumbled in the first round of FIFA World Cup qualification rounds 2018 with Japan surprisingly being held by Singapore at home, and Iran facing the same against Turkmenistan away. As such , this edition of the competition might be a shade more difficult than both Iran and Japan has expected and matches like this friendly will be beneficial for the two main contenders for a place in World Cup 2018 finals in Russia.

The friendly in Tehran will be the first between the two teams in 10 years . The last time the two have met was in the World Cup 2006 qualifiers where Iran lost 2-1 in Yokohama. None of the players in that match will be featuring in the October friendly.

The Iran and Japan rivalry goes back to the fifties of last century. The two teams met for the first time in the Asian Games 1951  semi-finals in New Delhi, where the match ended goal-less. In the replay the next day Iran drew first blood and won in a closely fought match 3-2  with 2 goals from Mehdi Masoud-Ansari and one from Masoud Broumand. Japan goals came from Masanori Tokita and Toro Kagawa.

16 matches have been played between the teams with Iran edging Japan by 6 wins against 5. 5 matches were drawn.

FFIRI complains to AFC about Turkmenistan venue change.

Ali Kaffashian has confirmed that his administration has lodged a written complaint with the AFC in regards to the venue change of the upcoming match between Turkmenistan and Iran.

The host Turkmenistan, Iran’s neighbor to the north, has moved the venue form the capital city Ashgabat to the third largest city  Daşoguz ,  600 miles north of the capital. This city is right on the boarder of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and farthest away from Iranian boarders.

The move is a ploy by the Turkmen in order to discourage Iranian fans from Khorasan and Golestan from travelling to attend the match and support Team Melli. The two teams will be meeting on 16th June in Group ‘D’ of the Asian Zone Qualifications round of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Kaffashian said “We have told AFC that we cannot play at that venue and it has to be changed.” The president of FFIRI did not give any specific reasons for the request nor did he indicate if the AFC has responded to Iran’s request.

Meanwhile, the friendly match against Japan is still on according to Kaffashian. “We will play this game either in Oman or here in Tehran. We shall finalize that in due time.”

Commenting on Team Melli’s training camp in Turkey, Kaffashian said it is 50-50. “We have to wait and see on that although our preference is to conduct that camp for the benefit of the team. In any case, there are no friendly matches arranged in Turkey.”

Kaffashian was speaking to reporters before his departure to Zurich to attend FIFA 61st General Assembly Congress.

dashoguz