Asian Cup: Injury-time Iran strike stuns UAE

Brisbane: A stoppage time goal from Iran’s Reza Ghoochannejhad killed the UAE’s dreams of a top-place finish in Group C of the Asian Cup on Monday.

For 91 minutes it had looked as though the Whites, who controlled the game for large parts, would take at least a draw and therefore most likely avoid holders Japan in the quarter-finals, before Iran ran out 1-0 winners at the Brisbane Stadium.

The result now means they look set to take on the Blue Samurai in the last-eight, with the game due to take place in Sydney on Friday.

It was a cruel finish to a match in which midfielder Omar Abdul Rahman had again starred — backed up by a sound defensive performance, particularly from the outstanding Mohanad Al Enezi.

To illustrate the depth of the UAE’s control, they finished the game having enjoyed 68 per cent of the possession.

That statistic was characteristic of both sides’ approach to the match from the off, with the UAE getting the ball down and playing through the middle, while Iran were content to sit deep and look for chances on the break and at set-pieces.

And, while Team Melli tried to utilise the attacking talents of striker Sardar Azmoun, the return of Al Enezi to partner Mohammad Ahmad in central defence had Mahdi Ali’s team looking generally solid.

As such, Azmoun’s only real chance of the first half came when he burst free of Ahmad to chase a through ball, only for goalkeeper Majid Nasser to smother bravely.

An early long-range drive from Khamis Esmail proved the Whites’ best effort, beating Iran goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi’s dive, but narrowly missing the far post.

At the other end, Alireza Jahanbakhsh had the clearest sight of goal, as Azmoun drew the attentions of both Al Enezi and Ahmad to find space, but his free header was straight at Nasser.

In the middle, as ever, the UAE’s play revolved around Abdul Rahman, with the playmaker drawing comparisons with Argentinian legend Diego Maradona from former Australian international Robbie Slater.

He nearly produced a moment to warrant such high praise, with a sublime run into the box on the half-hour mark that ended only after he had already beaten four men.

And the attacking midfielder continued to run the show after the break, twice playing delightful through-balls that nearly resulted in UAE goals.

First he found Ali Mabkhout, who turned and shot narrowly over, and moments later Abdul Rahman played in Abdul Aziz Sanqoor, whose stinging effort was palmed away by Haghighi.

But, just as it seemed that UAE had done enough to earn a momentous draw, Iran’s prevailing threat at set-pieces finally bore fruit.

A half-cleared corner fell to Andranik Teymourian whose unintentional chip landed on the head of Ghoochannejhad who nodded home from four yards to win Iran the game - and the group - and condemn the UAE to a fierce test on Friday if they are still to reach the semi-final.

— The writer is a freelance journalist based in Australia