Sepahan firmly on track

PLDC - Esteghlal lost its first match under the control of Javad Zarincheh, but they only have their diabolic error prone defence line to blame. Sepahan Esfahan, on the other hand, once again displayed how this team is mature, skilful and even under difficult psychological conditions, can excel and gain valuable points while not necessarily being the better team on the day.

Sepahan the leading IPL league and ahead of the much more popular and resourceful teams such as Pas, Perspolis and their opponents on the day, is NOT a coincidence. They have proved it once again today against Esteghlal who played the better football in the first half. Although Sepahan were ahead by a penalty goal from the Young Navidkia. That lead proved that Sepahan is coming in terms with professionalism that is required to sustain a success in a league. 

The controlled football, speed on the flanks, changing of pace, the dynamics of Navidkia and the total skills of the players augurs very well for this team. To sum it up, Sepahan will be a worthy champion of IPL with Farhad Kazemi, the young inspirational coach at the helm.

But the story of the day is the sad status of Esteghlal defence. Not for the first time this season, this defense fell apart. The errors committed by the defenders where amateurish and fatal. Although in goal Tabatabaei performed well and managed to steadfastly quell many of Sepahan’s attackers, he was helpless against his own defenders whom he certainly loss faith with.

While Esteghlal deservedly managed to equalize the match after being 2 goals behind, the defenders were living treacherously, though. In the last few minutes, Esteghlal defenders were guilty of ball watching and claiming foul while Navidkia had the ball in control, passed a couple of them with ease , slotted himself well for a good angle on the goal and finally releasing a powerful low shoot that Taba managed to save for a corner. 

Only few minutes later after that save, 3 of the Esteghlal defenders mingled with the petit Mahmoud Karimi, the Sepahan winger who in the melee dropped on the ground barely 2 meters from Taba’s goal. Karimi connected to the ball while falling but advancing Taba managed to block the ball, unluckily to him the ball ricocheted to Karimi. The Sepahan Winger hardly believed his luck when the ball came back to him while still on the ground to shoot it back behind Taba for the Sepahan winner. Esteghlal defenders…. Ball Watching!!!???

There is a lot of work to be done by Zarincheh for Esteghlal, but Sepahan are just unstoppable for the championship trophy, unless you are a firm believer in miracles.

Posted By: Majeed Panahi