Iran crash out of Olympic qualification

PFDC – TEHRAN, Iran’s U23 gave away a 1-0 away victory from the first leg, suffering a 0-2 home defeat to Iraq in the return leg and failed to qualify for the final stage of Olympic qualification.

Iraq looked eager to make up the one goal deficit from Sunday from the start and were unlucky when a long shot from Ahmed couldn’t be saved by Iran’s keeper Hamed Lak and hit the post.

Ten minutes before the break again Lak didn’t look good and this time Iran was punished. The keeper failed to collect a squareball and Radhi tapped the ball in at the far post.

Arash Afshin and Hamidreza Aliasgari had chances to equalize before halftime, but both efforts went wide.

Iran overtook the initiative for second half but looked shaky in defense with Iraq waiting for counter opportunities to score a decisive second goal.

Lak kept Iran in the race two minutes into the second interval when he dispossesed a striker inside the area, however, the highly praised Iranian offensive line failed to take advantage of numerous good opportunities.

Afshin (53′) and Karim Ansarifard (54′) both failed to score from promising position, instead the young Iranians seemed starting to lose their cool, going down easily in the penalty box repeatedly and engaging in a needless brawl on the field.

Unsurprisingly they quickly were punished. Three minutes after the hourmark, a long ball found Radhi who had beaten his marker and in the end got the ball past Lak and over the line from close range.

Milad Fakhreddini should have pulled one goal back 20 minutes from time when he perfectly got sent through on goal by Aliasgari, but the rightback’s effort was too weak to beat the Iraqi keeper.

Substitute midfielder Mehdi Daghaghele’s goal after 77 minutes could have made things exciting again, however, was ruled offside.

And when Iraq’s keeper tipped an Aliasgari effort over the bar after 85 minutes, the final opportunity for Iran to turn things around again vanished, probably like rookie coach Alireza Mansourian’s short and disappointing spell as Iranian Olympic coach.

The match, however, had lost it’s siginificance already before it started, as Iran was informed that the first leg was ruled 3-0 in favour of Iraq due to the fielding of an ineligible Iranian player.

Iran U23 – Iraq U23 0-2 (0-1)
Olympic qualifier, round 2, leg 2, Tehran

Goals:
0-1 Radhi (35′)
0-2 Radhi (63′)

Iran: Lak – Fakhreddini, Khalizad, Kor, Hajsafi (74′ Jamaati) – Aghazamani (74′ Daghaghele), Marzban – Aliasgari, Mosalman, Afshin – Ansarifard