AFC Beach Soccer Championship Semi-Final: Japan 5-4 Iran

Beach Soccer World – DOHA, Two of the tightest matches of the week left Lebanon and Iran on the outside looking in but with one last shot qualify on the final day in Doha. The 5-4 victory for Japan over Iran was spectacular from start to finish. You could not blink or get your breath back after such high-quality play and a fierce rivalry dominated the course of the match.

Iran started quicker, scoring twice to put the Japanese in a big hole, but the Nippon had answers, four straight of them in fact, but the lead was still questioned late in the game, with the Japanese just hanging on. Japan makes it to the final once again, they have done so in every AFC Qualifier, 7 to be exact, and they will face an Oman squad who qualified earlier for their 2nd ever World Cup appearance. The Iranians are not done and will play on Saturday in the 3rd place match against Lebanon, to see who is the final entry from Asia for the World Cup.

The familiar sides did not need time to feel each other out and understand the tactics because they have seen so much of each in the recent years. Nerves were not an issue, but the Nippon and the Princes of Persia were solid on defense in the early going, not wanting to give the other side any momentum. Slides and tackles but they did not directly lead to any offensive chances until Iran placed a long-range shot through the Japanese keeper and took the late 1-0 lead. A last minute penalty in the opening frame gave the Iranians a 2-0 advantage going into the first break. The Blue Samurais completely turned things around early in the second period and swung the game to their advantage, going up 4-2. Iran would not quit though and on the restart after the 4th Japanese goal, A. Naderi connected to bring the score to 4-3 for Japan.

If you though emotions could not get any higher, you would have been sorely mistaken as Japan and Iran battled and fought through each other in the search for more goals. Japan hit the nail on the head first, on a wonderful long range direct kick that would have most likely gotten through a brick wall. The lead was not safe at 5-3, however, and Iran rebounded with a beautiful shot from M. Kiani to pull to within one goal at 5-4. With the automatic World Cup berth on the line, Japan used sound strategy and defense and close out the match and hang on for the 5-4 win.

Goals: 1-0: P. H. Abdollahi, min. 4 (1); 2-0: Ahmadzadeh, min. 0 (1); 2-1: Oda, min. 9 (2); 2-2: Yamauchi, min. 8 (2); 2-3: Goto, min. 7 (2); 2-4: Goto, min. 4, (2); 3-4: A. Naderi, min. 4 (2); 3-5: Ozu, min. 4 (3); 4-5: M. Kiani, min. 1 (3).