The Road to Rio… Iran Plot the Course by Lifting WAFF U-23 Trophy [VIDEO]

PersianFootball.com – Team Melli Omid defeated Syria 2-0 in the final of the first edition of the WAFF [West Asian Football Federation] U-23 Championship in Doha, Qatar to give the fans a much needed boost ahead of the qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Iran started the match on a high note but the Syrians took control early on and set the tempo until the 35th minute, forcing an excellent save from Iran’s keeper Mohammadreza Akhbari in the process. Team Melli Omid finally managed to find its rhythm late in the half but was unable to break the deadlock.

The addition of Milad Mohammadi at half time seems to have rejuvenated Iran’s offense and although the Syrians started the half in control, Alireza Naghizadeh’s deflected shot found its way into the Syrian net in the 58th minute to give Team Melli Omid the lead after a layoff from Mohammadi.

Another tactical move by Iran coach Moahmmad Khakpour at half time bore fruit in the 81st minute when Arsalan Motahari connected with a low cross from Mohammadi to slot in Iran’s second goal. Motahari had been given orders to move into a more forward position with Reza Karmollachaab dropping to the right wing.

Overall, the match against the 5th ranked team in Asia proved to be a tough test for Team Melli Omid (ranked 9th in Asia) both physically and mentally but they rose to the challenge and lift the trophy for the first ever edition of this competition.

A total of 10 teams took part in the tournament, including four of Asia’s top five ranked teams plus hosts Qatar, with Iran eliminating Saudi Arabia (ranked 2nd) in the group stage and Yemen (ranked 13th) in the semi-final.

The tournament was intended to serve as a warm-up for the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship that will be the qualification platform for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Coincidentally, Team Melli Omid will start that tournament with a match against Syria on January 12th, 2016.

Iran Formation: 4-1-4-1 First Half, 4-2-3-1 Second Half

Iran Starting Line-up: Mohammadreza Akhbari (G), Ali Abdollahzadeh (D), Roozbeh Cheshmi (D), Mohammad Daneshgar (D), Reza Aliari (D), Ali Karimi (M), Arsalan Motahari (M), Mahan Rahmani (M), Alireza Naghizadeh (M), Hossein Fazeli (M), Reza Kamollachaab (F). Coach: Mohammad Khakpour

Goal Highlights