{"id":31786,"date":"2018-05-09T13:17:03","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T20:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.persianfootball.com\/news\/?p=31786"},"modified":"2018-05-09T13:17:03","modified_gmt":"2018-05-09T20:17:03","slug":"asian-womens-futsal-championship-2018-iran-ready-for-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.persianfootball.com\/news\/2018\/05\/09\/asian-womens-futsal-championship-2018-iran-ready-for-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"Asian Women’s Futsal Championship 2018: Iran ready for Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"

AFC – BANGKOK, Surviving a scare against China PR provides the perfect preparation for Islamic Republic of Iran ahead of their AFC Women\u2019s Futsal Championship 2018 semi-final meeting with Vietnam, according to head coach Shahrzad Mozafar.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goals to Tian Jiao and Zhang Yue had Mozafar\u2019s side facing a 2-1 first-half deficit, but the reigning champions levelled in the 16th minute before taking control of the game after half-time to advance to the final four with a 4-2 win.<\/p>\n

After dominating the three-team Group D with 23 goals in two easy wins, it was Iran\u2019s first real test at the tournament, and that\u2019s exactly what they needed according to their tactical leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cI totally agree that having a more difficult match will help our preparation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the beginning of the tournament I said I\u2019d prefer to be in a group of four teams and not three, because when you have a tight competition schedule it helps you to fight and improve and adjust to the atmosphere of the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe expect another really hard game like we had against China (in the semi-finals). At this stage all of the teams are so strong and it\u2019s not easy to win, but we are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

Key player Sara Shirbeigi agreed with her coach, saying tough matches will ultimately benefit her team.<\/p>\n

\u201cMatches like this, where we are challenged, help us to find our weaknesses and find a way to cover them,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to learn from each game, and we learn a lot more from matches like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shirbeigi scored the crucial fourth goal, effectively sealing the win for Iran and marking her fifth goal in three matches in Bangkok.<\/p>\n

That haul builds on the six goals she scored at last year\u2019s Asian Indoor Games, but she insists that she doesn\u2019t mind who scores \u2013 as long as her team keeps winning games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy that my goal made the game safe, but it doesn\u2019t give me any extra personal satisfaction that it was me who scored it,\u201d she said, adding \u201cI was just happy that I was able to help the team.\u201d <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Vietnam mentor Truong Quoc Tran was thrilled with his side\u2019s fighting quarter-final win over Indonesia and paid tribute to support his team have received from above.<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen\u2019s futsal in Vietnam faces a lot of difficulties, but the federation has paid a lot of attention and put investment into this team and our players,\u201d he revealed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe players have played together for a long time now and this is the result.\u201d<\/p>\n

Truong is under no illusions as to the enormity of the task that awaits his charges, and the 38-year-old, who represented Vietnam at the 2010 AFC Futsal Championship, said he\u2019d be spending his night working rather than celebrating.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that the Iran team is one of the strongest teams in Asia and we know that we will face a lot of difficulties playing against this team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

“In the semi-final we\u2019ll try something new against them. I\u2019ll study them as much as possible and I\u2019ll try to choose the right solution.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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