With two Asian Championships and an Asian Game 1st place finish, Iran was known as the new focal point of Asian soccer and it was no surprise that we were chosen to host the preliminary round of the 1976 Olympics qualification phase of West Asia. In addition to the incredible team strength, Iran was also free of the side issues that in years’ past had haunted the team and affected the performance. With a couple of goals by Mazloomi and a single strike by Parvin, Iran easily overcame Bahrain by a score of 3-0.
An early goal by Roshan gave Iran the lead against Kuwait, but some casual defending in the dying moments gave Kuwait the opportunity to tie the game 1-1. In the next game against Saudi Arabia, Mazloomi was once again at his best, scoring a couple of goals while Khorshidi completed the rout for another 3-0 win. Facing Iraq in the final game, and needing only one point to qualify, Iran refused to opt for a tie and attacked the Iraqi goal from early on. While Iraq managed to soak up all of the pressure in the 1st half, however, Khorshidi’s header off of a Parvin cross gave Iran the 1-0 win and a place in the Montreal Olympics. Iran’s rotating circle of keepers seemed to be coming to a halt as Hejazi started three of the games with Mavaddat guarding the goal against Saudi Arabia.
Following a short break after the 1976 Asian Cup, Iran traveled to Canada to take part in the Olympics. While originally Iran’s group consisted of four teams (including Ghana), the three African participants in the tournament withdrew a day before the start of the Games and were not replaced. They boycotted the Olympics protesting the participation of New Zealand, whose rugby team planned a summer tour of South Africa. As a result Iran’s group would now consist of only three teams (Iran, Poland and Cuba), meaning only one team from the group would be eliminated in the first round.
In spite of the intense tournament preceding the Olympics, Iran took part in a number of other friendly matches that included a 2-2 tie against Romania while a brace by Mazloomi and goals by Ghasempour and Khorshidi yielded a 4-3 win over France’s Olympic team for which Platini scored one of their goals.
While Cuba and Poland had tied 0-0 in their first game, Iran defeated Cuba 1-0 courtesy of a goal by Mazloomi. The win meant that Iran would advance to the quarterfinals regardless of the result against Poland although the outcome would impact Iran’s placement in the group.
With Poland being an amateur team, their lineup consisted of many of their players from their full national team that had finished in 3rd place in the 1974 World Cup. In goal they had Tomaszewski who had single handedly stopped England in Wembley during the 1974 World Cup qualifiers. Also great players such as Deyna, Szarmach and Lato would take the field for Poland in these Olympic Games. Under such circumstances Iran took the field against the Poles and no more than six minutes had passed when Mazloomi attempted to connect with Nazari’s cross which fell to Parvin to open the scoring. The first half would end as such in favor of Iran.
The second half began with much delay as at half time track events were held. The Poles started the half on fire and in the space of six minutes took the lead. Off of a cross from their right side and combined with Hejazi’s unsuccessful exit, Szarmach headed the ball downwards and in the net in spite of the efforts of two defenders to intercept it. Minutes later Deyna put away a pass from the right to give Poland the lead. The second half contained a surprising substitution for Iran as Mazloomi gave his spot to Jahani. While Mazloomi was quick and opportunistic, Jahani was capable of creating space for the midfielders behind him. In the 75th minute, a freekick from the left side that seemed to be headed out of bounds bounced off of the chest of an Iranian defender into the six-yard box and Szarmach headed it in for his second goal. Minutes later in an impressive stretch of possession amongst Eskandarian, Ghelichkhani, Khorshidi and Ghasempour, the ball arrived at the feet of Roshan at the edge of the box. Hitting in one time and with much curve to the opposite post, Roshan left the keeper no chance to react and cut the deficit in half. In the end Iran would lose 3-2 but still advance to the quarterfinals to face the Soviet Union.
In the quarterfinals the Soviet Union, a team lead by the great Valeri Lobanovsky, were a well-oiled machine with dangerous players such as Blokhin and Buryak. The game was scoreless until late in the first half when Hejazi came off his line to punch away a cross. Unfortunately for him his clearance only went as far as Minayev who blasted the ball home for a 1-0 lead.
During the second half the Soviet Union made a controversial substitution. In spite of protests from the Iranian bench, Veremeev, who had received a red card in the previous match, entered the field. Minutes later off of a corner kick Zvyagintsev headed home a second goal. Nine minutes from time Mazloomi was brought down in the box and the ref pointed to the penalty spot. Ghelichkhani took the kick and reduced the deficit to a single goal. The Soviet Union would also miss a clear chance from inside the six-yard box in which they would slam a shot off of the post with Hejazi smothering the rebound. The remainder of the game would have no goals and Iran would be eliminated by a final score of 2-1.
Iran roster: Rashidi, Hejazi, Nazari, Eskandarian, Zolfagharnasab, Abdollahi, Mirfakhraei, Ghelichkhani, Ghasempour, Parvin, Nayebagha, Azizi, Nouraei, Roshan, Khorshidi, Mazloomi, Jahani. Coach: Mohajerani
An early goal by Roshan gave Iran the lead against Kuwait, but some casual defending in the dying moments gave Kuwait the opportunity to tie the game 1-1. In the next game against Saudi Arabia, Mazloomi was once again at his best, scoring a couple of goals while Khorshidi completed the rout for another 3-0 win. Facing Iraq in the final game, and needing only one point to qualify, Iran refused to opt for a tie and attacked the Iraqi goal from early on. While Iraq managed to soak up all of the pressure in the 1st half, however, Khorshidi’s header off of a Parvin cross gave Iran the 1-0 win and a place in the Montreal Olympics. Iran’s rotating circle of keepers seemed to be coming to a halt as Hejazi started three of the games with Mavaddat guarding the goal against Saudi Arabia.
Following a short break after the 1976 Asian Cup, Iran traveled to Canada to take part in the Olympics. While originally Iran’s group consisted of four teams (including Ghana), the three African participants in the tournament withdrew a day before the start of the Games and were not replaced. They boycotted the Olympics protesting the participation of New Zealand, whose rugby team planned a summer tour of South Africa. As a result Iran’s group would now consist of only three teams (Iran, Poland and Cuba), meaning only one team from the group would be eliminated in the first round.
In spite of the intense tournament preceding the Olympics, Iran took part in a number of other friendly matches that included a 2-2 tie against Romania while a brace by Mazloomi and goals by Ghasempour and Khorshidi yielded a 4-3 win over France’s Olympic team for which Platini scored one of their goals.
While Cuba and Poland had tied 0-0 in their first game, Iran defeated Cuba 1-0 courtesy of a goal by Mazloomi. The win meant that Iran would advance to the quarterfinals regardless of the result against Poland although the outcome would impact Iran’s placement in the group.
With Poland being an amateur team, their lineup consisted of many of their players from their full national team that had finished in 3rd place in the 1974 World Cup. In goal they had Tomaszewski who had single handedly stopped England in Wembley during the 1974 World Cup qualifiers. Also great players such as Deyna, Szarmach and Lato would take the field for Poland in these Olympic Games. Under such circumstances Iran took the field against the Poles and no more than six minutes had passed when Mazloomi attempted to connect with Nazari’s cross which fell to Parvin to open the scoring. The first half would end as such in favor of Iran.
The second half began with much delay as at half time track events were held. The Poles started the half on fire and in the space of six minutes took the lead. Off of a cross from their right side and combined with Hejazi’s unsuccessful exit, Szarmach headed the ball downwards and in the net in spite of the efforts of two defenders to intercept it. Minutes later Deyna put away a pass from the right to give Poland the lead. The second half contained a surprising substitution for Iran as Mazloomi gave his spot to Jahani. While Mazloomi was quick and opportunistic, Jahani was capable of creating space for the midfielders behind him. In the 75th minute, a freekick from the left side that seemed to be headed out of bounds bounced off of the chest of an Iranian defender into the six-yard box and Szarmach headed it in for his second goal. Minutes later in an impressive stretch of possession amongst Eskandarian, Ghelichkhani, Khorshidi and Ghasempour, the ball arrived at the feet of Roshan at the edge of the box. Hitting in one time and with much curve to the opposite post, Roshan left the keeper no chance to react and cut the deficit in half. In the end Iran would lose 3-2 but still advance to the quarterfinals to face the Soviet Union.
In the quarterfinals the Soviet Union, a team lead by the great Valeri Lobanovsky, were a well-oiled machine with dangerous players such as Blokhin and Buryak. The game was scoreless until late in the first half when Hejazi came off his line to punch away a cross. Unfortunately for him his clearance only went as far as Minayev who blasted the ball home for a 1-0 lead.
During the second half the Soviet Union made a controversial substitution. In spite of protests from the Iranian bench, Veremeev, who had received a red card in the previous match, entered the field. Minutes later off of a corner kick Zvyagintsev headed home a second goal. Nine minutes from time Mazloomi was brought down in the box and the ref pointed to the penalty spot. Ghelichkhani took the kick and reduced the deficit to a single goal. The Soviet Union would also miss a clear chance from inside the six-yard box in which they would slam a shot off of the post with Hejazi smothering the rebound. The remainder of the game would have no goals and Iran would be eliminated by a final score of 2-1.
Iran roster: Rashidi, Hejazi, Nazari, Eskandarian, Zolfagharnasab, Abdollahi, Mirfakhraei, Ghelichkhani, Ghasempour, Parvin, Nayebagha, Azizi, Nouraei, Roshan, Khorshidi, Mazloomi, Jahani. Coach: Mohajerani
