Iran beats Kuwait 2-0 to win Asiad soccer gold<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Reuters): Iran, even with a player sent off late in
\nthe game, won the Asian Games soccer gold on Saturday, beating
\nKuwait 2-0 in a game played under extra security because of U.S.-
\nled bombing raids on Iraq.<\/p>\n
The outcome of the all-Middle East final, played on the first
\nday of the holy Moslem fasting month of Ramadhan, was never in
\ndoubt as Iran, with most of its World Cup squad on display, took
\ncontrol from the start.<\/p>\n
China won the bronze when it crushed host Thailand 3-0 in a
\nmatch 1,000 kms from Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Kuwait's Czech coach Milan Macala fumed about the refereeing
\nsaying tough Iranian tackling resulted in a broken leg for one of
\nhis players in the incident that led to an Iranian being shown
\nthe red card.<\/p>\n
The Iranians scored in only the seventh minute when left
\nwingback Ali Karimi, a rising 21-year-old star who was playing in
\nthe Iranian third division only a few months ago, popped up
\nunmarked at the right hand far post.<\/p>\n
He nodded home a corner which Kuwaiti goalkeeper Khalid Al-
\nFahdli should have kept out.<\/p>\n
Missing key goal scorer Jassem Al-Huwaidi with a thigh injury,
\nKuwait could not break the iron grip of the hard-working Iranian
\nmidfield quickly enough to trouble a defense missing kingpin
\nMohammed Khakpour.<\/p>\n
Iran extended its lead in the 27th minute as Karim Bagheri of
\nGerman second division side Arminia Bielefeld won yet another
\nball in midfield, charged through a static Kuwaiti defense and
\nrounded Al-Fahdli before firing home from a narrow angle.<\/p>\n
Four minutes later, it should have been all over as Bayern
\nMunich striker Ali Daei, who scored eight goals in the
\ntournament, put Ali Mousavi through, but poor ball control on a
\nbumpy pitch gave Al-Fahdli enough time to block the eventual
\nshot.<\/p>\n
The Iranians eased off in the second half, but Kuwait still
\ncould not threaten Iranian goalkeeper Behzad Gholampour, who has
\nlooked the most fallible player in the new gold medalists lineup
\nthroughout the tournament.<\/p>\n
Kuwait's 19-year-old Farj Laheeb, the tournament's top scorer,
\nrarely got a touch of the ball and never a chance to add to his
\nnine-goal tally.<\/p>\n
Not even the sending off of Iran's Mehdi Madhavikia, a striker
\nplaying at wingback who has interested several European clubs,
\nhelped the Kuwaiti cause.<\/p>\n
Madhavikia was sent off in the 78th minute after he raised his
\nleg high in the air to make a running interception and felled
\nKuwait's Ahmad Al-Mutairi, who was carried off and did not
\nreturn.<\/p>\n
Coach Macala said Al-Mutairi had been taken to hospital with a
\nbroken leg and criticized poor refereeing by Thailand's Pirom
\nUnprasert.<\/p>\n
\"We must have better referees at tournaments like this. I saw
\nmany hard fouls which went unpunished,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Iran has a strong team, physically strong, and the referee
\nhelped them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Macala blamed the absence of Al-Huwaidi for the lack of bite
\nup front and the lack of incisive midfielder Hani Al-Saqer for
\nthe lack of penetration.<\/p>\n
In reality, Kuwait played only as well as the vastly
\nexperienced Iranians allowed them.<\/p>\n
\"We were more focused,\" said Iranian coach Mansour
\nPourheidari. \"We had a plan and we didn't think about anything
\nexcept the gold medal.\"<\/p>\n
Even after Madhavikia was sent off, the Kuwaitis managed to
\nget into the Iranian penalty area only a few times and still
\ncould not find a move that would threaten Gholampour.<\/p>",
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