March 20, 2016
Iran plays its final two matches of this round of Asian elimination play for the World Cup and the Asian Cup this month with its advance to the next round already assured.
Iran is currently on top of the standings in Group D with 14 points. Oman has a chance to pass Iran, but none of the other countries can. As the top two teams in the group advance, Iran is already assured of advancing.
India and Guam are already eliminated and Turkmenistan is fighting to advance from third place to second place in order to move on to the next round. Oman could finish anywhere from first to third, while Iran will finish either first or second.
Iran plays its final two games at home at Azadi Stadium, giving it a decided advantage. It will play India Thursday, March 24, and Oman Tuesday, March 29. Both games will kick off at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
India has only managed a solitary victory, beating Guam 1-0 at home and losing all its other matches. Iran has already beaten India in India by a decisive 3-0 score. Oman is much more challenging. Iran finished in a 1-1 tie with Oman in its game last year in Oman.
The other pair of remaining matches are Guam at Oman on March 25 and Turkmenistan at India on March 29.
India, meanwhile, has found itself in trouble with FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, for a violation in its match with Iran last September.
The Indians fielded an eligible player for the match against Iran, Eugeneson Lyngdoh. He had received a yellow card in each of his previous two games in the World Cup competition and was thus ineligible to play against Iran.
FIFA fined India $6,000 and ordered that India forfeit the game with a recorded score of 3-0. But Iran had beaten India in that game by a score of 3-0. So, in effect, the sole punishment for India is the fine of the not very princely sum of $6,000. What’s more Lyngdoh is currently recovering from an injury and so had not been called up for next week’s game against Iran.