June 21, 2006
AN-GOAL-A
Black Antelopes score 1st World Cup goal in draw with Iran

LEIPZIG, Germany -- The beauty of soccer is that even the most mediocre of matches can be redeemed by one moment of sheer artistry. Ze Kalanga provided that moment Wednesday at the Zentralstadion, lofting a pinpoint cross to substitute striker Flavio in the 60th minute for Angola’s first-ever World Cup goal. However, Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh’s far-post header evened the score for Iran, and the 1-1 draw held through the final whistle, robbing the African side of any chance of advancing to the second round of World Cup 2006.

Flavio, who entered the game in the 51st minute after the team’s star striker, Fabrice Akwa, pulled up with what looked like a groin injury, got open at the far post for a graceful header over helpless goalkeeper Ebrahim Mirzapour.

Bakhtiarizadeh’s equalizer came in the 75th, off a well-placed corner kick by Mehdi Mahdavikia. Netminder Joao Ricardo could not react in time to stop the lively shot.

Zalanga did his best to enliven the Black Antelopes’ attack in the second half, including a “dress rehearsal” of the goal-scoring play in the 59th minute. Mirzapour poked that ball away before the shot could be taken. He tried the same strategy in the 69th minute, but Love’s shot went straight to the Iranian ‘keeper.

Zalanga also came close on a free kick in the 88th minute, but Mirzapour got a fist on the ball.

Iran, winless in their three group games, carried the late momentum, forcing Ricardo to come up with saves on Rasoul Khatibi in the 84th minute, then on headers by Ali Daei in the 88th minute and Ferydoon Zandi in the 89th, to salvage the draw.

Angola did come up with the last solid chance of the game, when Mendonca challenged Mirzapour with a well-taken free kick.

Angola searched in vain for their first World Cup goal before halftime. Neither team showed much in the way of finesse, but Iran was by far the more dangerous of the two through the intermission, forcing Ricardo to make several challenging saves and seeing a sure goal snatched away in the 24th minute by Mendonca’s goal-line save on Zandi’s point-blank header.

Iran’s first solid chance came in the 14th minute, when Vahid Hashemian spun his defender to dish a short ball to Zandi, who hammered a shot straight at Ricardo. In the 23rd, Daei, Iran’s all-time international scoring leader, curled a 20-yard free kick that Ricardo saved at the upper right corner. Barely a minute later, Daei got free for a header that went high for the far post.

In the 40th minute, Ricardo blocked Andranik Teymourian’s free kick and scrambled up to make another save as Teymourian collected his own rebound and launched a follow-up shot.

Angola, who under the best of circumstances needed to make up goal differential on Mexico to advance, took most of the half to get their attack in gear. At one point, a series of four consecutive corner kicks by Mendonca were cleared harmlessly by Iran, and what shots materialized were poorly struck or off-target. Angola’s best chance of the half came in the third minute of stoppage time, when Ze Kalanga crossed from the right side to Akwa. Akwa chest-trapped the ball and launched a hard, rising shot that Iran ‘keeper Ebrahim Mirzapour parried over the bar. The ensuing corner kick ended with Mirzapour on the ground after being elbowed in the face by Akwa.

Slick turf and rough play took its toll on both teams, starting in the 13th minute, when Iran’s Mohammad Nosrati pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury. Angolan midfielder Mateus went down in the 19th, making a hard cut on the left side, and was subbed out. In the 39th, Iran lost Hashemian, also to an apparent injury.

Iran
Ebrahim Mirzapour; Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh, Rahman Rezaei, Hossein Kaabi (Arash Borhani-66), Mohammad Nosrati (Masoud Shojaei-12); Ferydoon Zandi, Andranik Teymourian, Mehrzad Madanchi; Vahid Hashemian (Rasoul Khatibi-38), Ali Daei

Angola
Ricardo Joao; Jamba, Kali, Loco, Delgado; Miloy, Figueiredo (Rui Marques-72), Mateus (Love-22), Mendonca, Ze Kalanga; Akwa (Flavio-50).

Goals
Angola -- Flavio 60
Iran -- Sohrab Bakhtiarzadeh 75

Discipline
Angola -- Loco (yellow card) 22
Iran -- Mehrzad Madanchi (yellow card) 37
Angola -- Mendonca (yellow card) 46+
Iran -- Andranik Teymourian (yellow card) 55
Angola -- Ze Kalanga (yellow card) 67
Iran -- Ferydoon Zandi (yellow card) 91+

Attendance -- 38,000