Persepolis jumps three spots in rugby-like scrum

MNA – Persepolis moved from eighth spot to the fifth with a late back-heeled winner defender Abolfazl Hajizadeh grabbed in a rugby-like melee in a rescheduled third-week derby against Pas in Azadi Stadium, west of Tehran, Tuesday.
In-form Pas keeper Hassan Rudbarian solely compensated for the team’s under-par performance particularly before halftime.

The goalie’s stretched leg blocked a goal-bound header from Persepolis right-winger Javad Kazemian in the 18th minute.

He coolly controlled a curling free-kick from Kazemian eight minutes later and defused a 30-yard cannonball from fullback Karim Baqeri on 32 minutes.

A well-placed Rudbarian also guarded the woodwork following a trademark throw from Ali Alizadeh and a close-range point-blank header from the advancing defender Sheyth Rezaii three minutes from the break.

Asian Referee of the Year Massud Moradi, who refused to book players in the action-filled fight, finally showed Hossein Pashaii a yellow card for his wild foul on Persepolis midfielder Pejman Nuri just before the interval.

Pas, which needed a win to leapfrog the pacesetter Esteqlal of the capital on goal difference, played some football in early second half as Turkish manager Mustafa Denizli threw on attack-minded Kianush Rahmati and Iman Razzaqirad.

Denizli, however, had Bijan Kushki to thank in the 69th minute for sending out a Rezaii header in the goalmouth.

But the reds finally celebrated the opener on 76 minutes in a crowded area. Alizadeh headed a midfielder Hamed Kavianpur high-flighted cross into the Pas box, which landed on the belly of the flattened Persepolis frolic defender Ali Ansarian and was back-heeled home by Hajizadeh after the helpless Rudbarian palmed the ball just few meters away.

Not to be outdone, Pas heaped pressure on Persepolis woodwork and almost leveled the match nine minutes from normal time. Meytham Maniei’s spectacular free-kick sent chill down the spine of more than 40,000 partisan fans in the stands and millions of TV watchers before a live-wire keeper Farshid Karimi parried the curling ball with a world-class diving.

Passions were at a fever pitch in the closing minutes and five-minute additional time as Moradi was generous to give players yellow cards and red-card Pas skipper Javad Nekunam for his foul words.

Persepolis lies in the fifth place with 20 points out of 13 games and Pas remains at the third spot with 22 points.

The reds’ old foe, Tehran’s Esteqlal, also reveled in Pas defeat, which gave it an premature midseason championship in the 16-strong fifth Iran Pro League with 25 points.

The Football Federation announced the midseason break two weeks earlier as a number of players will be on national job during the period.

The 14th-week matches have been slated for Dec. 15 and 16.