Iraq out of West Asia games after 1/2 defeat by Iran

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s national soccer team kissed the West Asia tournament goodbye after a 1/2 defeat by Iran in their semi-final game on Friday. Iran scored at the 54th minute of the match but the Iraqis managed to score an equalizer from a header by striker Mustafa Kareem at the 71st minute. The Iranians, however, scored a killer just six minutes before the match referee blew the final whistle. Iraq qualified to the semi-final game after leading Group C after defeating Yemen 2/1 and Palestine 3/0 while Iran led Group A after defeating Bahrain 3/0 and drawing 2/2 with the Sultanate of Oman. Iraq has won the West Asia Cup only once, in its second edition in 2002 after defeating Jordan 3/2 in the final but then played a second fiddle in the competition’s fourth edition after losing 1/2 to Iran in the final. The encounter was the two teams’ 23rd in a series of matches that date back to June 1, 1962, the year that saw their first soccer clash in the Iranian capital Tehran, where the meeting ended in a 1/1 tie. So far the teams played 23 times, 14 of them won by Iran, five by Iraq and four draws. Iran scored 28 goals in Iraq while Iraq scored 15 in Iran. AmR (S) 1