Iran dominates Japan to retain Futsal title
Iran dominates Japan to retain Futsal title
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Reigning champion Iran emerged as the dominant force in the final match of the Asian Futsal Championship to hand Japan a 6-0 loss and retain the title for the fourth consecutive time here on Wednesday.
Iran, with the backing of the majority of the spectators packing the Bung Karno Sports Hall, scored three goals in each half. Vahid Shamsaee led the scoring feast on the night with two goals, others contributing one were Siamak Dadashi, Ahmad Pari Azar, Mohammad Reza Heidarian and Mojtaba Moeeini.
In the other match earlier in the day, Thailand defeated South Korea 4-2 to finish in third place.
Iranian coach Mohammad Hassan Ansarifar said the key to his team's success over Japan was that he opted for a new "play system".
"I plotted a special program of strategical and tactical play against Japan," he said in a post-match media conference, but did not elaborate.
Iran took the initiative to pile pressure on and found a crack in the Japanese defense with Shamsaee continually penetrating through from up front to force Japan, under the captaincy of Takaaki Ichihara, to work hard.
Just four minutes into the first half, Shamsaee broke in to poke the ball toward the goal post, but, while goalkeeper Hisamitsu Kawahara was stranded, Yoshifumi Maeda was there to clear the goal-bound ball.
As Shamsaee had yet to convert his chances, Ali Sanei Arani and Dadashi made their own attempts only to find their balls either going wide or just tipped away.
Japan could hardy create any chances. Poor team-work compounded by inaccurate passes and crosses, were seen all night. They only came somewhat close to goal when Maeda and Takuya Suzumura took some easily saved shots.
Despite its unrelenting offensive, Iran appeared frustrated at having not scored, until the 15th minute. Moeeini came off the bench and duly found the net to start the goal feast in the first half.
He made a solo run from the center, turned a defender inside out before slamming home the ball which Kawahara had no chance on.
Seemingly fired up by Moeeini's deft maneuver, Shamsahee mounted his own efforts with two goals in two minutes. The first came when he capitalized on Kiyoshi Sagene's mistake and poached the ball to quickly run past another defender before driving the ball home.
The second of his goals absolutely exposed the scrappy Japanese. Defended by three opponents, he wriggled out and again pounded it into the back of the net.
Iran was back with lots of energy in the second half with another three goals being bagged away to confirm its status as Asia's futsal kings.
In the previous contest, after flopping in the semifinal match at the hands of Japan, Thailand took a consolation victory by defeating South Korea 4-2 in the playoff.
The two teams were tied at the break with the goals coming from Wuttichai Tintawee from Thailand and Lee Jong-muk for Korea.
About ten minutes into the second half, Anucha Munjarern put Thailand back in the lead only to see it canceled out by Korea through Kim Man-joong less than a minute later.
Anucha, who was later voted man of the match, carried on with another two punishing goals in the 35th and 38th minutes. He was mobbed by teammates in jubilation as soon as referee Suzuki Fusaya blew the whistle at the end.
It was an improvement for Thailand over last year's tournament in Teheran, in which it was stopped in the quarterfinals.