Iran trounces Japan 7-0 in World Artists Football Tournament

PressTV – QUESHM, Iranian soccer players have chalked up a resounding win at the second edition of World Artists 7-Man Football Match in the Persian Gulf island of Qeshm, breezing past the Japanese side.

On Monday and the second day of the international sporting event at Qeshm’s Jahan Pahlevan Takhti Stadium, the Iranian outfit, which had subdued Hungary 4-0 in its opening match the previous day, thrashed the East Asian team 7-0.

The Iranians started the match with vim and vigor, and Mehdi Salehpour opened the score only six minutes after the game began. Mehdi Shiri hit another brace for Iran in the 12th minute.

Hassan Pourkarimi tripled Iran’s lead only two minutes later, and Shiri grabbed his second two minutes before the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the first half.

The Iranian sportsmen kept their composure as they returned to action. They maintained the lead, and Mohammad Navazi put the ball into the back of the net just three minutes into the second half.

Salehpour netted his second goal in the 25th minute and scored a hat trick only two minutes before the end of the match.

Iran will play against Turkey on Tuesday in the knockout stage of the second edition of World Artists 7-Man Football Match.

The tournament, which has brought together teams from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Turkey, opened in Qeshm, Iran, on February 13, and February 19.

The Iranian capital city of Tehran hosted the first edition of World Artists 7-Man Football Match last February.

There are seven players on the field on each team, one of whom is the goalkeeper. A standard match consists of two equal periods of 20 minutes.