Iran's Tasisat Daryaei defeats Uzbek Almalyk FC in AFC Futsal Club Championship

Iranian futsal club Tasisat Daryaei has recorded a narrow win over Uzbekistan’s Almalyk FC at the preliminary round of the 2016 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Club Championship in Thailand.

On Friday, Tasisat Daryaei started its Group B opening match at the indoor Bangkok Arena, located in Nong Chok District of the Thai capital, in an energetic fashion, and 27-year-old Iranian player Hossein Tayyebi Bidgoli struck the ball past Almalyk FC goalkeeper Rustam Umarov in the fourth minute to put Persians 1-0 ahead.

In the twelfth minute, though, Uzbek futsal player Farkhod Abdumavlyanov picked up teammate Davron Choriev’s square ball, and managed to slip it into the bottom corner of the defending champions’ goal post to level the score at 1-1.

Abdumavlyanov then put his debutant squad in front a minute later, when he cracked a low angled shot from the left and scored his brace.

Tasisat Daryaei players heaped pressure on Almalyk FC’s defense afterwards, prompting Umarov to pull off a string of saves.

The strong-minded Iranians were in vigorous pursuit of an equalizer, and Ahmad Abbasi fired into the back of the net only four minutes before the breather.

After the interval, Tasisat captain Vahid Shamsaei and Abbasi took up ideal opportunities to get close to scoring a goal, but their hopes were shattered as Umarov in the Almalyk goal prevented them from giving their side the lead.

Finally, Abbasi tapped in Shamsaei’s cross shot from a yard out, and made it 3-2 for Tasisat Daryaei in the 32nd minute.

Tayebi notched his brace seven minutes later with a neat back-heel from inside the box, before Almalyk FC captain Javlon Anorov netted the ball from close in.

“We had a very tough game, but the first game is always tough, and I think they are one of the best teams in this tournament. Both teams had lots of chances to score and their keeper was the best player. After scoring our second goal we got more chances and in the end we won. Of course we are not satisfied, but the conditions are always difficult in the first match. Each game is a final and we have passed the first test,” Tasisat Daryaei coach Amir Shamsaei said after the match.

Almalyk FC coach Aleksandr Petrov said, “I think the players did their best; the result sometimes comes down to luck and is not about the performance. I wasn’t surprised we competed so well because the players are young and have strength. Hopefully we will be even better in the next game [against Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen on Saturday].”

The 2016 AFC Futsal Club Championship started in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 15 and will finish on July 23.

Tasisat Daryaei will take on Al Mayadeen of Lebanon in its second preliminary round fixture at 5:00 p.m. local time (01000 GMT) on Sunday.

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