Doha: Three first-half goals, all within 38 minutes from kick-off, were enough for Tractor SC to defeat Al Wakrah as the Iranian side blanked hosts 3-0 in their opening AFC Champions League (ACL) Two match at Al Janoub Stadium yesterday. Croatian striker Tomislav Strkalj and Iranian midfielder Mehdi Torabi struck in the 13th and 16th minutes to give Dragan Skocic-coached side a strong start. That was before Iran international Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh added a third goal just seven minutes before halftime to take the game completely away from Al Wakrah.
The victory also secured Tractor SC the top spot in Group A, after India’s Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Tajikistan’s FC Ravshan played out a goalless draw in Mumbai. Al Wakrah, meanwhile, slipped to fourth in Group A. Al Wakra coach Miguel Angel admitted the difficulty of the match.
Speaking at a post-match press conferencethe Spaniard said: "The match was very tough. We gave the opponent too much space, which led to conceding three goals in the first half. Although we tried to come back in the second half, we were unsuccessful.
" "We’re still at the start of the journey, and we must play better. We’ll analyze our mistakes to ensure we don’t repeat them,"Angel added. Yesterday, Al Wakrah had few early opportunities, but failed to convert their chances.
Egyptian winger Hamdi Fathy found space from 30 yards out but sent his shot over the bar, and Omar Al Osad had his shot saved brilliantly by goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. The failure to make use of the half-chances proved costly, as the Iranian side responded by scoring twice within three minutes to silence the home fans. Assisted by a precise header from Mohammad Naderi, Torabi delivered a strong right-footed kick from the left side of the box, leaving the Al Wakrah custodian Mohammed Al Bakri shell-shocked.
Al Wakrah tried to retaliate but found it difficult to penetrate Tractor SC’s defense. Despite attempts from Fathy and Omar Al Osad, the hosts failed to find the back of the net. In the 38th minute, Hosseinzadeh netted his team’s third goal, tapping in a shot from close range to cement Tractor SC’s dominance as they walked out with a strong 3-0 lead at the half-time mark.
Upon return, Al Wakrah’s defence seemed better organised to stop the Tractor SC attack, but failed to make a significant turnaround, mainly due to the brilliant glove work of Alireza Beiranvand. In the dying minutes, Al Bakri made a stunning save to deny Strkalj a second goal, but that didn’t take the spotlight away from Tractor SC who will now return to Iran with their first three points on the table..
