1st half
-Iran with a lively start
-1:0 ('7) Abdullah Rahman,
header after corner against a lethargic defence
-('10) Ali Daei sees the
yellow card for a foul perharps out of frustration
-Iran are not only playing
against 11 players but also against the noise which seems to come from
somebody heating up the crowd via loudspeaker continously - this might
put the guests nerve to a further test
-('19) Bahrain with a good
opportunity but #19 Hussain Ali fires across the bar from about 16 meters
-('21) Iranian free kick
from 18., miserably executed, not even a shot on goal
-('22) a second freekick
from similar position, this time the home team keeper has to save
-('27) set plays bring an
image of chaos to the Iranian penalty area
-('31) Bahrain: a dangerous
Yusuf long range shot misses the goal only by a half meter
-('37) a rare big opportunity
for Iran: a cross finds #11 Vahedi who volleys wide - the ball had been
difficult to take
-('42) the inevitable huge
Ali Daei header, sensationally saved by the Bahrain keeper
-('45) beautiful diagonal
through ball (by #6 or #8) from right hand side on Hussain Ali who beats
the keeper by a low shot from 10 meters - 2:0
halftime 2:0
Bahrain cutting spaces in
midfield, defending concentrated, while Iran look vulnerable in defence,
including set plays and uninspired in attack
2nd half
-Iran have to hope for
Bahrain not to be able to go the same pace and keep up the concentration
for 90 minutes
-('55) Bahrain try to take
the pace out of the game with several minutelong injury interruptions
-('58) the match becomes
annoying as the next Bahrain player gets carried out with a cramp this
time
-('60) Iran: Ali Daei hits
the outside of the goalpost with a fine direct low shot after a pass in
from the left hand side
-('63) Iran pressure but
the Bahrain counter is dangerous when Talal Yusuf fires acrooss the bar
-Iran do not achieve
to play out clearcut chances against Bahrain who look more like a team
that is desperately fighting for an important goal than the guests
-('80)
red card against Bahrain #3 (second yellow?)
-('82) goal for Iran:
the keeper bravely saves a low shot after a fine combination, the ball
is loose, and Ali Daei scores from close range - 2:1
-('82) An Iranian attempts
to grab the ball out of the net to run with it to the kick off point a
scuffle brakes out, the whole thing takes at least a minute and Iranian
#9 seems to have been red carded (?)
-('86) Iran chance, across
the bar
-late hectical attempts
by the Iranians
-('injury
time) Iranian #11 gets the red card when he either desperately or fruistrated
tries to reach the ball and kicks the keeper who is much faster
-the match could have
up to 8 minutes injury time after innumerous interruptions
-('injury time) a Bahrain
counter makes the question obsolete: a 16 meter bouncing shot beats the
Iranian keeper who looks odd here - 3:1
final score 3:1
Bahrain players carry their
own and Saudi flags through the stadium. Iran have disappointed as they
have not been convincing the entire campaign. Only this match they did
not have the luck they had before. |
