Azmoun Among Asian Cup Quarterfinals Top Five
TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran national football team forward Sardar Azmoun has been picked among the five best performers from the quarterfinals of AFC Asian Cup 2019.
With four teams remaining in the competition, it is Iran who continues to look the favorite to win the Asian Cup following its comprehensive 3-0 victory over China.
And, with a player of Sardar Azmoun’s ilk leading the line, it is not difficult to see why Team Melli has been doing so well, Fox Sports Asia wrote.
Azmoun believes that taking one game at a time is important, regardless of the favorites tag that has now been attached to Team Melli.
Azmoun highlighted the importance of focusing on the Japan game.
"Thanks to everyone who supported us so far and we have two more important matches. First, we focus on beating Japan and we know that how strong Japan is. I hope we will defeat them and we need the help of our supporters,” he said.
Japan’s Ritsu Doan, Nguyen Cong Phuong from Vietnam, Boualem Khoukhi from Qatar and Emirati Fares Juma are four other players who have been picked as the competition’s best performers.
Australian referee Christopher James Beath has been chosen to officiate Iran’s AFC Asian Cup semi-final match against Japan on Monday.
Beath was added to the FIFA International Referees List in 2011, serving as a referee for matches including the Kirin Challenge Cup contest between Japan and Iceland.
In 2017, Beath was appointed as one of the inaugural Video assistant referee (VAR) in the Hyundai A-League, the first top-tier football league in the world to implement the technology.
The 34-year-old was also among the referees officiating in the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship held in China.
****Iran national football team forward Sardar Azmoun
With four teams remaining in the competition, it is Iran who continues to look the favorite to win the Asian Cup following its comprehensive 3-0 victory over China.
And, with a player of Sardar Azmoun’s ilk leading the line, it is not difficult to see why Team Melli has been doing so well, Fox Sports Asia wrote.
Azmoun believes that taking one game at a time is important, regardless of the favorites tag that has now been attached to Team Melli.
Azmoun highlighted the importance of focusing on the Japan game.
"Thanks to everyone who supported us so far and we have two more important matches. First, we focus on beating Japan and we know that how strong Japan is. I hope we will defeat them and we need the help of our supporters,” he said.
Japan’s Ritsu Doan, Nguyen Cong Phuong from Vietnam, Boualem Khoukhi from Qatar and Emirati Fares Juma are four other players who have been picked as the competition’s best performers.
Australian referee Christopher James Beath has been chosen to officiate Iran’s AFC Asian Cup semi-final match against Japan on Monday.
Beath was added to the FIFA International Referees List in 2011, serving as a referee for matches including the Kirin Challenge Cup contest between Japan and Iceland.
In 2017, Beath was appointed as one of the inaugural Video assistant referee (VAR) in the Hyundai A-League, the first top-tier football league in the world to implement the technology.
The 34-year-old was also among the referees officiating in the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship held in China.
****Iran national football team forward Sardar Azmoun