Asian Cup 2019: Iran crushes Yemen before meeting Vietnam

Scorers: Taremi 12 & 25, Dejagah 23, Azmoun 53, Ghoddos 78

Iran took to the field with a 4-1-4-1 formation. They easily controlled the game right from the opening whistle, attacking continuously. When Yemen concentrated a large number of defenders, blocking the way to the 16m50 area, Iran approached the opponent's goal with long-range shots. Only on the third time the students decided to fire a long-range cannon did coach Queiroz celebrate a goal.

In the 12th minute, Sadar Azmoun shot low from a distance, making it impossible for goalkeeper Mohammed Fuad Omar to catch it. Immediately, Mehdi Taremi quickly swooped in to score the rebound, opening the score. Nearly 10 minutes later, the gap was doubled thanks to Ashkan Dejagah. This player's free kick from outside the penalty area hit the post, bounced off the back of the Yemeni goalkeeper and bounced back into the net.

Iran is considered the brightest candidate for the 2019 Asian Cup championship.Photo: AFC

The squad that Coach Queiroz brought to the UAE this time was made up of players who played very well at the 2018 World Cup, a tournament where Iran forced Portugal to a 1-1 draw, while Spain could only win 1-0. That squad quickly proved their position as the number one candidate for the 2019 Asian Cup championship, when they showed a variety of attacking moves.

Not only are they good at long-range shots and free kicks, thanks to their best height in the tournament - an average of 1.84m - Iran are also very strong in aerial combat. In the 25th minute, they increased the score to 3-0 when Ramin Rezaeian crossed from the right, allowing Mehdi Taremi to easily jump high and head past the Yemeni goalkeeper.

Iran played like they had practiced, controlling the ball up to 71%, making 607 passes, making the Yemen players always have to struggle to chase the ball. Although they did not play at their full potential, saving their energy for the confrontation with Vietnam in the next match, coach Carlos Queiroz's team still easily scored two more goals in the second half thanks to Sardar Azmoun in the 53rd minute, and second half substitute Saman Ghoddos in the 78th minute.

Iran did not play at full strength in the match against Yemen.Photo: AFC

The 5-0 victory helped Iran take the top spot in Group D. In the second round, this team will face Vietnam, the new champion of the AFF Cup. Coach Park Hang-seo admitted that it would be very difficult to defeat Iran, so his policy is to focus on earning four points in the two matches against Iraq and Yemen to secure a ticket to the round of 16.