LG Cup: Paraguay to duke it out with Iran Nice write up by http://www.iransportspress.com . Worth a read: "TABRIZ- September 18 (DS): Paraguay, ranked 19th in the world by FIFA will tomorrow (September 19) take on a powerful Iranian side in the final of the four-nations LG Cup Iran 2002 tournament being staged in the magnificent Takhati Stadium in Tabriz, Iran. In qualifiers watched by an audience of over 30,000, Paraguay yesterday put paid to the hopes of South Africa with a 2-0 win. Iran meanwhile narrowly dismissed Morocco when a tense game went to a 4-3 penalty shoot out. Paraguay took the South Africans by storm in a tough first half yet both sides failed to score. In the second half the ‘Bafana, Bafana’ team struggled to score and Paraguay stole the advantage when, in the 35th minute, Zecaya Nelson scored from a magnificent pass. Just four minutes later there was little doubt about the outcome of the game when Paraguyan Veron Dario scored. “Though the South African style and techniques were unknown to us, we were prepared for battle and having fielded a first-class team, we were confident the games was ours,” said Paraguayan coach Ruiz Leite Anibal. “It was a difficult match, the South African team was well-equipped with some good players but luck was on our side,” said Anibal. “Now we are facing a really tough fixture when we meet the Iranians tomorrow.” South African coach, Kenneth Kuhbeka said despite the defeat he was satisfied with his team’s performance. “This tournament is a very useful experience. I had a superb opportunity to evaluate my team and techniques, and now we are looking to take third place, though we recognise Morocco has a strong team,” he said. In a nerve-wracking second qualifier, Iran, one of the Middle East’s strongest soccer sides and LG Cup holders, went all out to secure their place in the finals with aggressive play against Morocco. The plan immediately paid off when Mohammed Nasrate scored Iran’s first goal in the 17th minute. For the remainder of the first half, the Moroccans tried in vain to find a way past Iran’s goalkeeper Ibrahim Merza Por. In the second half, the Iranians seemed in total control but in extra time the Moroccans came back to life when Jalal Kalaei headed the ball into the net, taking the game into a penalty shoot-out. The shoot-out swung between both sides when Morocco’s Sallahuldin Khalifi missed his team’s third shot. Just when the Iranians thought they had the match in the bag, their strike Mohammed Masrati missed the goal. But the Moroccans failed to take the advantage when Yazeed missed their fifth penalty shot. In a carnival-style atmosphere, the opening ceremony of the US $100,000 tournament was performed by Mr S. C. Lee, the Korean Ambassador to Iran and Mr M.B. Shin, President, LG Electronics, Middle East & Africa Operations. LG laid on pre-match entertainment with a display of the modern Korean martial art Taekwondo. During the half-time breaks, some lucky spectators won leading-edge LG products including video players, a washing machine and Flatron TV, which were offered as gate prizes. Tomorrow’s winning side will take away US $50,000 in prize money with US $30,000 going to the runners-up and US $20,000 to the third placed. The closing ceremony will also feature individual player awards, including a newly-introduced ‘Fair Play’ award. LG Cup Iran 2002 matches are being aired by LBC, Future TV, Egyptian Satellite Channel and Nile TV. The final match will be aired at 00.30 am on MBC. Highlights of the tournament will be shown on Al Jazeera’s sports bulletins."
[R] Dude how come you never responded to my message? Are u trying to hide you identity? LOL Please dont put results under other threads. Just make a new one and put [R] .