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Afzali: Foolad triumph will lift Iran |
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Friday, 12 March 2010 11:26 |
 Esfahan: Coach Hossein Afzali believes Foolad Mahan Sepahan's victory at the inaugural AFC Futsal Club Championship will help unite Iranian fans behind their national football and futsal teams.
Esfahan: Coach Hossein Afzali believes Foolad Mahan Sepahan's victory at the inaugural AFC Futsal Club Championship will help unite Iranian fans behind their national football and futsal teams.
Around 5000 fans packed the Pirouzi Stadium to cheer Foolad to a 5-2 victory over Al Sadd of Qatar in the final of the tournament on Friday.The game was locked at 2-2 with just three minutes remaining but a quick-fire double from Javad Asghari and a strike from futsal legend Vahid Shamsaee secured the trophy for the tournament hosts.The fans have not been very satisfied with the football team recently and I believe this will make the people in this city and country become happier," said Afzali.The Iran Football Federation have also said that victory at this tournament will help to make the fans happy and we are happy we can do that."Al Sadd coach Fabiano Ribeiro, meanwhile, believes the experience his players gained by finishing runners-up will stand them in good stead to win a future edition of the tournament.With Foolad backed by their vocal home crowd, Al Sadd faced a daunting task and things looked bad when they found themselves two-goals down midway through the first half.However, goals either side of half time brought them level and the game looked destined for a extra time before Asghari and Shamsaee's strikes secured the victory for the Iranians.But Ribeiro was happy with the performance of his players against a side that contained eight international players and believes Al Sadd have become a stronger side for having played in the tournament.
We came here as probably the 10th strongest team in Asia and we finished second so for us it is amazing.
It is incredible, said the Brazilian.This was our biggest moment in the tournament.
They competed well and they deserved this and I am very happy because I know my team reached their limit.They (Foolad) deserved it so congratulations to them but congratulations too to my team as we played to our limit and this was our objective for this tournament.I believe we can improve with this experience and do even better in future tournaments.One of the key players on Al Sadd's road to the final was Xavier Rodrigo and it was no coincidence that their only defeat prior to the final came when the Brazilian was not in the starting line-up.Rodrigo again impressed against Foolad and Ribeiro believes he has the ability to one day become as good a player as Iran legend Vahid Shamsaee.Rodrigo is one of the five best players in the world for me, he added.
He is so young but he has knowledge of futsal like older players.
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