After securing top spot in Group C courtesy of a 91st minute match winner against the UAE on Tuesday night in Brisbane, Iran headed into the quarter-final game against the 2007 Asian Cup Champions at Canberra Stadium.
In the 2nd minute, Ahmad Ibrahim from Iraq received a yellow card and Iranian Mehrdad Pouladi received a yellow in the 21st minute and another one in the 43rd minute due to his collision with the opponent goalkeeper; this led to his receiving a red card and for Iran to continue the game with only 10 players.
In the 24th minute however Iranian Sardar Azmoun scored a goal by heading Pourya Ghafouri’s beautiful pass into the net.
The 20-year-old striker Sardar Azmoun had also scored the only goal in the 52nd minute at the Thursday match against Qatar.
Iranian joy came to a halt however, with Iraq’s Ahmed Yasin goal in the 56th minute.
The two teams continued the game in extra time. In the 93rd minute Iraq scored another goal to bring the results 2-1. It was Younis Mahmoud Khalef who scored and put Iraq in lead for the first time.
Iranian players did not sit back and relax however; in the 103rd minute, Morteza Pouraliganji scored his very first national goal for Iran, making the results 2-2.
That goal stemmed from a free kick that was given away; that free kick led to a corner which led to the goal. Discipline among Iranian players again let down the Iraqi’s men.
The game came to a heated climax with Iraq’s Dhirgham Ismail scoring a penalty goal in the 116th minute and Iran’s retaliation with Reza Ghoochannejhad’s heading the ball to score a goal against Iraq, drawing the results to 3-3 and leading to a penalty shootout.
During the shootout, both teams missed the first penalty kick and Iran’s Amiri missed the 8th kick by hitting the post, thus creating an opening for Iraq. Shakir had the opportunity to put Iraq through and managed to score a goal, thus securing Iraq’s place in the semi-finals.
It was a highly dramatic and beautiful game, with palyers from both teams striving to make it into the semi-finals. Iran fought to the very last minute but had to bid a bitter farewell to 2015 AFC Asian Cup and return home despite its admirable games.
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