Courtesy: The AFC.com


Asian Indoor Games: Japan and Iran to contest gold

Friday, 05 July 2013

Incheon: Iran will take on AFC Futsal Champions Japan in the futsal final of the 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games on Saturday after the three-time gold medallists defeated Thailand 5-4 and the Japanese saw off Kuwait 6-4 in their respective semi-finals.

Iran had defeated Thailand in all three previous Asian Indoor Games finals while Friday’s semi-final at the Songdo Global University Campus also provided the ten-time continental champions the opportunity to avenge their loss to Thailand in the semis of the 2012 AFC Futsal Championship in the UAE.

The Thais took a third minute lead through Jirawat Sornwichian but a Hossein Tayebibidgoli brace (5th and 7th) and a 20th minute Meysam Khayamraini strike gave Iran a 3-1 lead at the interval.

Tayebibidgoli extended Iran’s advantage when he completed his hat-trick five minutes into the second period but quick-fire goals in the 29th minute from Apiwat Chaemcharoen and Suphawut Thueanklang took the Thais to within one goal of the Iranians.

Ghodrat Bahadori gave Iran some breathing space by making it 5-3 in the 34th minute and the Thais were unable to close the gap until just before the final whistle when Kritsada Wongkaewo converted a 40th minute penalty.

Asian champions Japan also had to work hard for their place in the semi-final with the East Asians seeing off a stubborn Kuwait side 6-4 in the other final four fixture on Friday.

Goals from Shunta Uchimura (5th) and Tomoaki Watanabe (17th) either side of Shaker Al Mutairi’s 13th minute strike gave Japan a 2-1 advantage at the break and just seconds after Ahmad Al Farsi had equalised in the 23rd minute, Watanabe scored his second of the match to immediately restore the East Asians’ lead.

Hamad Al Wadhi made it 3-3 two minutes later and parity was held until a spell of three goals in four minutes turned the tie completely in Japan’s favour with Yoshifumi Nagai (35th and 36th) and Ryosuke Nishitani (39th) getting their names on the score sheet before Abdulrahman Al Tawail netted a last-minute consolation for Kuwait.






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