Esteghlal defeats Pas in first league game

PLDC - Esteghlal of Tehran and Pas who faced each other in the first match of the first week today, 17/10/2002, formally kicked off the 2002-2003 Professional League season. Esteghlal managed to defeat their opponents in a very exciting and tough match with the result of 3-1.

Both teams were excited and pushed themselves to their limits to win the match. The very active performance by both teams led to a few disputes early on. Mehdi Pashazadeh received a yellow card in the 15th minute.
Rasool Khatibi of Pas surprised Esteghlal when he scored the single goal by Pas in the 35th minute. Pas was in control of the match in the first half and the break saw Pas holding a 1-0 lead over their opponents after 2 minutes of injury time.

An exciting second half had the fans on the edge of their seats and Esteghlal showed its true colors then. The constant offensives on both sides took their toll on Pas and tired them out giving the advantage to Esteghlal. Despite hard work and a number of close shaves Pas did not manage to score any more. Esteghlal became alive and Vahedi Nikbakht showed his worth when his header placed the ball in the net in the 70th minute. Samereh increased the distance for Estehglal in the 77th minute giving his team their second goal. In the 88th minute, Faraz Fatemi’s offensive on a pass from Vahedi found its mark and gave Esteghlal their third goal. Yadollah Akbari of Esteghlal also received a yellow card in the second half.

Esteghlal now has received their first three points in the Professional League table.