DOHA: Palestine conceded a goal after just 64 seconds in their opening match at the Asian Cup as Iran launched their title bid with a clinical 4-1 win on Sunday.
The match in Qatar coincided with the 100th day of the Israel-Hamas war, the grim milestone adding extra significance to an occasion that went beyond football.
Palestinian flags were scattered among the crowd of nearly 28,000 at Education City Stadium, one of the venues for the 2022 World Cup, and their consolation goal just before half-time got the biggest cheer of the night.
Loud cries went up for the Palestinian anthem before the game and the team’s players put their arms around each other’s shoulders.
A brief moment’s silence was held before kick-off, the quiet punctuated by cries of “free Palestine.”
Captain Musab Al-Battat said on the eve of the game that the players were determined to “put a smile on the faces of the Palestinian people” despite the team’s difficult build-up.
Some players have lost loved ones in Israel’s bombardment of the besieged, Hamas-run territory of Gaza, a response to Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel.
The Palestinian team have been forced to play matches and train overseas in the lead-up to their third Asian Cup.
The war began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack which resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Hamas, considered a “terrorist” group by the United States and the European Union, also seized about 250 hostages, 132 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including at least 25 believed to have been killed.
Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 23,968 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Palestine were chasing a first victory in their seventh attempt in the Asian Cup.
But they were behind after little over one minute, attacker Karim Ansarifard rattling the ball into the bottom corner for an Iran team who are among the favorites in Qatar.
Iran, who are pursuing a record-equalling fourth continental crown, made it 2-0 on 12 minutes when Shojae Khalilzadeh swept home unmarked from close range following a free kick.
The defender went to celebrate but then appeared to hold back, before he was congratulated by his teammates.
Loud cheers erupted on the rare occasions that the Palestinians, ranked 99th in the world to Iran’s 21, went on the attack.
Iran looked like scoring every time they went forward and they made it 3-0 seven minutes before half-time, Feyenoord winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh playing in Mehdi Ghayedi to side-foot into the bottom corner.
But the biggest roar of the night came right on the stroke of half-time when Tamer Seyam headed in from close range.
The Palestinian pointed skyward in a muted celebration, tears in his eyes.
Iran scored a fourth soon after the break through Roma’s Sardar Azmoun.
Palestine’s next game is on Thursday against the UAE. Iran play Hong Kong the following day.
Palestine score but well beaten by Iran at Asian Cup
https://arab.news/nwtxw
Palestine score but well beaten by Iran at Asian Cup
- Loud cries went up for the Palestinian anthem before the game and the team’s players put their arms around each other’s shoulders
- A brief moment’s silence was held before kick-off, the quiet punctuated by cries of “free Palestine”
Rodrygo’s winner lifts Real Madrid past Alaves to end losing streak
- The victory keeps Real second in the standings on 39 points, four adrift of Barcelona, while Alaves are 12th on 18 points
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain: Rodrygo secured Real Madrid a crucial 2-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday in LaLiga, ending a dismal run of form and keeping them within four points of leaders Barcelona.
Real, under pressure after two straight losses in all competitions, broke the deadlock through Kylian Mbappe’s stunning first-half strike.
However, a resilient Alaves levelled in the 68th minute through Carlos Vicente. The visitors restored their lead eight minutes later, courtesy of a counter-attack led by Vinicius Jr, whose assist was converted by Rodrygo.
The victory keeps Real second in the standings on 39 points, four adrift of Barcelona, while Alaves are 12th on 18 points.
The narrow triumph in the Basque Country provided manager Xabi Alonso with much-needed breathing space after a run of two wins from their previous eight matches across all competitions.
Sunday’s victory demonstrated Real’s resilience and ongoing weaknesses. Despite taking a 24th-minute lead through Mbappe’s spectacular strike, they found themselves outplayed by an Alaves side roared on by a sold-out Mendizorrotza stadium.
Mbappe had opened the scoring in trademark fashion after Jude Bellingham threaded a long pass to the French forward, who ran down the left channel before cutting inside and unleashing a bullet strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Despite Real’s early lead, Alaves grew dominant as the first half progressed. The hosts pressured Real’s makeshift defense, which featured 19-year-old academy graduate Victor Valdepenas in his senior debut at left back.
Alaves’ pressure was eventually rewarded in the 68th minute when substitute Vicente, introduced moments earlier, latched onto Antonio Blanco’s long ball and surged past Real’s high defensive line to finish into the top corner.
Initially flagged offside, Vicente’s goal was awarded after a VAR review confirmed the forward had timed his run perfectly.
Real’s winner came as Vinicius wrestled past a defender on the left flank before driving into the penalty area and delivering a low cross, finding Rodrygo, who slid in to steer the ball home from close range.
“It was a tough, very competitive match,” Alonso told a press conference.
“We started well and took the lead, but then we lost control and, as a result, we didn’t finish well. We had chances in the second half, but we conceded from the only mistake Valdepenas made and Carlos Vicente took advantage of that, after a great pass.
“But the team continued to fight hard, battling it out in a difficult stadium against a very intense opponent. That second goal gave us the three points and we’re leaving here very happy.”
