Alex
07-06-2007, 02:59 AM
Iran waste no time in getting match practice
PETALING JAYA: Three-time winners Iran showed that they meant serious business in the Asian Cup Finals in their first training session at the Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya yesterday.
They spent two hours in solid training and chief coach Amir Ghalenoei ended up with a swollen knee and did not want to be interviewed after the session.
Striker Ali Karimi also declined to be interviewed, telling journalists that he was exhausted before walking off to board the bus.
In fact, Karimi did his talking on the pitch – showing his prowess as a goal-scorer with a first-timer in a practice match.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2007/7/6/sports/s_p68Iran.jpg
Hard at work: Iran players jog during their training session in at the Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya on Thursday. – AZHAR MAHFOF / The Sta
A veteran of two World Cup Finals, Mehdi Mahdavikia said that the team were in great shape and he was confident that Iran would return home as winners again.
“We have a good chance to win,” said the midfielder.
Mahdavikia added that Iran would advance to the quarter-finals as the Group C winners even though they were in the tough company of China and Uzbekistan.
“I want to win the Cup for my country,” said Mahdavikia, who was in the side who finished third in 1996 and 2004.
The 2003 Asian Player of the Year is one of the Europe-based players in the Iranian side.
He moved to Eintracht Frankfurt recently after an eight-year stint with Hamburg.
With Ali Daei and Yahya Golmohammadi having quit the international stage, Mahdavikia will make up the core of experienced players in the team with fellow Bundesliga men Karimi and Vahid Hashemian and English club Bolton Wanderer's Andranik Teymourian.
Mahdavikia started his career with Persepolis FC and was Asia’s Young Player of the Year in 1997.
He was player of the season at Hamburg twice and scored 29 goals in 223 apperanaces for the German side.
Iran open their Group C campaign against Uzbekistan at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on July 11.
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2007/7/6/sports/18231998&sec=sports
PETALING JAYA: Three-time winners Iran showed that they meant serious business in the Asian Cup Finals in their first training session at the Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya yesterday.
They spent two hours in solid training and chief coach Amir Ghalenoei ended up with a swollen knee and did not want to be interviewed after the session.
Striker Ali Karimi also declined to be interviewed, telling journalists that he was exhausted before walking off to board the bus.
In fact, Karimi did his talking on the pitch – showing his prowess as a goal-scorer with a first-timer in a practice match.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2007/7/6/sports/s_p68Iran.jpg
Hard at work: Iran players jog during their training session in at the Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya on Thursday. – AZHAR MAHFOF / The Sta
A veteran of two World Cup Finals, Mehdi Mahdavikia said that the team were in great shape and he was confident that Iran would return home as winners again.
“We have a good chance to win,” said the midfielder.
Mahdavikia added that Iran would advance to the quarter-finals as the Group C winners even though they were in the tough company of China and Uzbekistan.
“I want to win the Cup for my country,” said Mahdavikia, who was in the side who finished third in 1996 and 2004.
The 2003 Asian Player of the Year is one of the Europe-based players in the Iranian side.
He moved to Eintracht Frankfurt recently after an eight-year stint with Hamburg.
With Ali Daei and Yahya Golmohammadi having quit the international stage, Mahdavikia will make up the core of experienced players in the team with fellow Bundesliga men Karimi and Vahid Hashemian and English club Bolton Wanderer's Andranik Teymourian.
Mahdavikia started his career with Persepolis FC and was Asia’s Young Player of the Year in 1997.
He was player of the season at Hamburg twice and scored 29 goals in 223 apperanaces for the German side.
Iran open their Group C campaign against Uzbekistan at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on July 11.
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2007/7/6/sports/18231998&sec=sports