5/3/2008
Afshin Afshar, lastkick.com

Saipa 0 – 1 Perspolis, Bargh 3 – 3 Sepahan

The already close race for the Iranian Professional League title just turned even tighter on Saturday.

Front runners Sepahan of Isfahan faced Bargh FC in Shiraz, and trailing four points behind, Perspolis faced Saipa in Tehran’s Azadi stadium.

Things seemed to be going well for Sepahan when their ace striker Emad Mohammed’s back-to-back goals put them ahead 3-1 in the first half. Going into the break the Isfahan club was full of confidence, as they were certain that they had the full three points in the sack. That was not to be however as a double by former Team Melli defender/midfielder, Sattar Zare, tied the game and Sepahan had to settle for a single point.

Later in the day at the Azadi stadium, the much anticipated encounter between Perspolis and Saipa kicked off. This match was not only important because of the three points that were at stakes, but it was also an unspoken grudge match between Saipa/Team Melli coach Ali Daei and Perspolis coach Afshin Ghotbi.

Only a couple of months earlier Ghotbi was all but given the national team job. However, on the eve of the day that his appointment was to be announced by the Iranian Football Federation, the big wigs in the smoke filled back rooms of the federation, and who knows where else, pulled a switch and appointed Daei for the job!

Ghotbi was clearly surprised, shaken, and disappointed by the unexpected turn of the events. But to his credit, the ever professional Ghotbi kept a good front and wished Daei and the National Team all the best. For his part, the jubilant Daei voiced his genuine surprise and admitted that he had not seen it coming!

Almost immediately the fans and the media marked the May 3 encounter between the two teams as the match to watch.

To make things even more interesting, over the course of the last few weeks Perspolis head coach Afshin Ghotbi finally flexed his muscles and dismissed assistant coach Alireza Marzban, and indefinitely suspended defender Shays Rezaei. The two men were reportedly members of a group that was trying to undermine Ghotbi. But that was not all! Only three days ago Ghotbi suspended ace striker Alireza Nikbakht-Vahedi, another member of the reputed gang. Ghotbi was clearly sending signals that he was in charge and was not going to back off, but how would that translate on the field? How would the rest of the team respond? That was the question in almost every fan’s mind as the two teams took the field.

Before the kickoff Ghotbi and Daei warmly greeted each other and spent a few minutes chatting on the sideline as if trying to show everyone that all was well between the two of them.

The match itself had very few real surprises until the very last few minutes.

Perspolis took their customary attacking role and Saipa sat back and seemed content to absorb all the Reds had to deliver. Both teams had a their chances, with Perspolis arguably leading there, but Saipa did create their own chances on a few well designed breaks. Early in the second half Saipa Striker Javad Ashtiani seemed to have been brought down my defender Masoud Zarei, but the referee did not see it that way.

The game looked to be destined for tie when with only a few minutes left Perspolis were awarded a corner. The kick seemed to harmlessly float into the goalmouth area where Saipa keeper Misagh Memarzadeh sould have easily controlled it, but to Saipa fans’ and Coach Daei’s dismay, he badly muffed it and the bulled hopped and rolled over the goal line. Perspolis 1, Saipa 0, and Ghotbi had triumphed on all fronts!

The Reds now trail the Yellow Jerseys of Isfahan by only two points. With three games left, and one of them being a head-to-head with the leaders on May 17, anything is possible.