Iran win secret dress rehearsal

Persianfootball.com – SAO PAULO, Iran won their dress rehearsal versus Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in Sao Paulo on Sunday evening, a match which was held behind closed doors in accordance with Iran coach Carlos Queiroz’s will.

After three draws in the Austrian training camp, Queiroz fielded a team possibly being the one to take on Nigeria in the first Iranian World Cup group F match and dominated the proceedings.

While everyone expected Daniel Davari and Rahman Ahmadi to battle for the spot in goal, surprisingly Alireza Haghighi found himself between the posts. On the left side, Mehrdad Pouladi played as fullback instead of the still injured Hashem Beikzadeh with Ehsan Hajsafi in front of him.

The Sepahan Esfahan allrounder got the nod instead of Masoud Shojaei and thanked his coach with a late first half goal, a great right-footed shot.

Iran should have doubled the lead early in second half when Ashkan Dejagah was brought down in the box, but skipper Javad Nekounam’s penalty kick was saved.

However, Reza Ghoochannejhad scored his 10th goal in his 14th national team match to make it 2-0 for Iran.

Substitute striker Karim Ansarifard then should have made it 3-0, but failed to score his 10th international goal from close range.
Iran will have a final week of training before taking on Nigeria on June 16. Argentina, who defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 a few days ago, will take on Bosnia in the other group F match a day earlier.

Iran – Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 (1-0)
Friendly match, Sao Paulo, no spectators

Goals:
1-0 Ehsan Hajsafi (45′)
2-0 Reza Ghoochannejhad (54′)

Iran’s lineup: A. Haghighi – Montazeri, Hosseini, Sadeghi, Pouladi (65′ Mahini) – Teymourian (80′ Hadadifar), Nekounam – Heydari (80′ Jahanbakhsh), Dejagah (80′ Shojaei), Hajsafi – Ghoochannejhad (80′ Ansarifard)