8/23/2007
Kaveh Mahjoob, lastkick.com

Week 2 of Iran’s Premier League, named Persian Gulf League (PGL), brought exciting matches and surprising results. Last year’s champ Saipa lost once more. This team lost five key players in the off season and was not active in signing quality players. As a result, Saipa is now at the bottom of the table and will be challenged to be a contender.

Pas has been the other surprise. This team was transferred to Hamadan over the Summer, lost many players, yet has two wins for the new city.

Esteghlal lost on the road in a heartbreaking fashion. Malavan scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute of the match, seconds before the whistle blew.

The Results

Home teams are noted first

Saba Battery 1 – Paykan 1

Malavan 2 – Esteghlal 1

Esteghlal of Ahvaz 0 – Sanat Naft 0

Sepahan 2 – Abumoslem 1

Mess 1 – Zobahan 1

Shirin Faraz 0 – Pas 1

Bargh Shirza 1 – Rahahan 0

Saipa 1 – Fajr Sepasi 2

Perspolis 2- Pegah 0

Two weeks into the season, Perspolis, Sepahan and Pas are at the top of the table with 6 points each. Saipa, Abumoslem and Pegah with 0 points are at the bottom of the table.

The Contenders

Perspolis – For the second week in a row, Perspolis met a newly promoted team and once again Perspolis was victorious. In front of a large crowd, Perspolis defeated Pegah but the quality of the match should not have satisfied REDs’ fans that want victory and quality play in every game.

Saipa – Ali Daei’s team was the champ last year and Saipa is to represent Iran in the AFC Champions League. Saipa however has started the season with two consecutive losses and the second one was against the perennial lowly ranked team of Fajr. Fajr always fields young teams and they always fight hard. Another couple of losses over the next few weeks will put serious pressure on Daei’s fortunes to remain as a head coach for his club.

Sepahan – The other representative of Iran in the AFC Champions League was once again victorious. This time, Sepahan defeated a team coached by Khodad Azizi, Ali Daei’s teammate in 1998 world cup. Abumoslem, Azizi’s team, also lost for the second week in a row and will have to face the Perspolis next week. Like Daei, if Azizi loses another match or two over the next few weeks, he will also be on shaky grounds.

Esteghlal – The BLUES had another unsatisfactory game. After managing a shaky victory in week 1, Esteghlal played on the road against Malavan. The Caspian Sea area’s team of Malavan performed well in front of a sell-out home crowd and scored the winning goal on the 92nd minute of the match.

Behind the Numbers

2 – Number of teams in PGL that are not owned by the government or armed forces. Only Shirin Faraz and Esteghlal of Ahvaz are 100% privately owned.

10 out of 11 – In the history of PGL, Perspolis and Pegah have met 11 times. Ten times, Perspolis has won and once the two teams tied.

92 for 2 – The game is not over until the final whistle. Esteghlal players assumed the road tie was in the bag when Malavan scored on a fast counter attack. Saipa also scored it’s only goal in minute 92.

55,000 – Great crowd for Perspolis’s second victory showed up at Azadi stadium.

Kaveh can be contacted at Kaveh_Mahjoob@hotmail.com