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Qalenoei ‘satisfied’ despite friendly setback against Russia
Dmitri Vorobyov gave the home side the lead midway through the first half at the Volgograd Arena, before Tractor striker Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh drew Team Melli level three minutes after the break, tapping in Saman Qoddous’s low cross from close range.
Aleksey Batrakov restored the advantage for the Russians in the 70th minute with a superb long-range effort as Iran was beaten in the first of its two friendly fixtures in October.
“I think everyone enjoyed watching this game. Both sides could have won it, but Russia capitalized on its chances,” Qalenoei said after the game.
“We executed our gameplans more effectively in the second half and managed to score, and could have even get a second, but conceded against the run of play. After that, the substitutions we made gave us a real chance to equalize, but in the end, we let the result slip away, though I’m still satisfied with my team’s performance.
On what made the difference between the two sides, Iran coach said, “The Russian league is already in its eleventh week, while ours is only in its sixth, so It’s only natural their players are in a better form. Given our team’s injuries and absentees, I consider our performance to be positive.”
When asked if the occasion provided his team with a proper test ahead of next year’s World Cup finals, Qalenoei said, “Definitely. Games like this, where the team is put under pressure, help us identify our weaknesses. Russia has been in decent form in its last 20 games, and tonight’s match was very competitive. This match helped us to become better prepared for the World Cup.”
Next for Iran is a friendly encounter against Tanzania – No. 107 in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking – in Dubai on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mahdi Alavi, the spokesman of the Iranian Football Federation, confirmed on Friday night that Team Melli will be part of a four-team friendly tournament – also featuring Egypt, Uzbekistan, and Cape Verde – in Dubai in November’s international break.
Iran will play Cape Verde, with the winner taking on Egypt or Uzbekistan in the final.