Mick McCarthy, watching from the stands, saw Iran win 1-0 against the UAE, in a tense encounter in Tehran. The Iranians played much the better football in the first half, but failed to turn good possession into goals. They struck the post twice in the first twenty minutes and it looked like it would be stalemate at half-time, until former Charlton Athletic midfielder, Karim Bagheri, fired them into the lead.
The UAE started the second half in much better style. They passed the ball well on a tricky surface, but lacked the ability to turn early possession into a goal. Iran soon fought back though and established their superiority. From around 60 minutes on, they launched wave after wave attack on the UAE goal. But the absence of suspended striker Ali Daei proved key, as they lacked the cutting edge to score.
The UAE will feel happy enough with the result, in a match they should have lost by several goals. Iran will be looking to the second leg with some trepidation. McCarthy will not have been too scared by the performance of either side, although the presence of Daei would have made a big difference.
Who Ireland will play, for a spot in Korea/Japan 2002, is not really any clearer. The UAE will be a different proposition at home, and Iran showed that they are capable of creating chances. A tense second leg, for both teams, and Mick McCarthy, is in the offing.
Filed by John Raftery
