2007 Asian Championship (July 2007)

Iran geared up for the 2007 Asian Championship win a gold medal in the WAFF Games (albeit with a watered down roster) and an 8-1 thumping of Jamaica. Much of the team since the prior year’s World Cup would remain the same although Mirzapour would not make the roster. European Legionnaires such as Rezaei, Mahdavikia, Nekounam, Teymourian, Zandi, Karimi and Hashemian would be recalled while the rest of the team would consist of local players. Iran was grouped with China, co-hosts Malaysia and Uzbekistan.

Iran opened its campaign against Uzbekistan with a surprising lineup that included Roudbarian in goal (ahead of Talebloo or Rahmati) and Zandi at left back. 

The Uzbeks had the better start and created the first chance in the 5th minute when they connected with a cross only to put a header straight at Roudbarian. With only 15 minutes passed, Rezaei chased a hopeful long ball lofted towards Iran’s net. While he headed the ball back towards goal from the edge of the box. Roudbarian had strayed off his line and the ball looped over him to hand Uzbekistan the lead. Each team had a chance score in the remainder of the first half with an unchallenged Uzbek header going wide and Khatibi returning the favor off of a cross from the left by Hashemian. Ten minutes into the second half Mahdavikia swung in a corner from the left and Hosseini rose majestically above the Uzbek defense to equalize with a downward header that just crept in at the far post. Iran turned up the heat and had chances as Kazemian made a run down the right flank and crossed for Nekounam who headed straight at the keeper. Uzbekistan nearly went back in front when a lofted ball and subsequent strike was stopped by the feet of the onrushing Roudbarian. Iran netted the winning goal five minutes later as Teymourian's fine through-ball released Kazemian, who drilled a low shot past the advancing keeper from just inside the area. While Iran would emerge as 2-1 winners, however, the game heated up in the closing minutes and Iran coach Ghalanoei would be sent off from the bench after throwing a water bottle at the fourth official.

Iran next faced China in what it hoped to be revenge for its unjust defeat in the semifinals of the previous edition of the Asian Championship. 

But the game started in disastrous fashion for Iran. China got an early lead only six minutes into the game when Shao Jiayi converted with a brilliant freekick that Roudbarian got a hand to but could not stop. The unmarked winger Mao Jianqing doubled the lead in the 33rd minute when he slammed the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-0. However, this double blow seemed to awake the wrath of the Iranians who launched a flurry of counter-attacks. China held on doggedly but in the 45th minute after Mahdavikia’s tap, Zandi directed a pinpointed free kick past the flailing goalkeeper to halve the deficit. Iran came out stronger from the dressing room and asserted the control they felt was rightfully theirs. China were pushed back into their own half and from a Mahdavikia cross Iran equalized in the 74th minute thanks to a header from Nekounam. The game ended 2-2 and with Iran having an easy game against Malaysia left, advancing seemed certain.

Needing to win order to assure themselves of top spot in the group, Iran were made to work all the way by a heroic Malaysian outfit. 

Early on Hashemian shot from a Teymourian cross that was superbly turned onto the bar and away to safety by Malaysia’s keeper. The keeper was in the thick of things again as he dove to deflect a fiercely struck Enayati shot onto his right hand post. The breakthrough came in the 29^th minute when Karimi's well timed run into the Malaysian box was illegally halted. Nekounam converted the resulting penalty kick to give Iran the lead. The Malaysian woodwork was rattled again only moments later when Rezaei's delicate headed cross was thumped against the bar by Hashemian. 

In the second half Khatibi headed horribly wide from only five yards out before he was booked for attempting to win a penalty with a dramatic dive. Kazemian's lobbed effort went agonizingly wide before Iran's superior possession was turned into something more tangible three minutes later when Teymourian converted a Mahdavikia pass to beat the keeper at his near post. In the dying moments the woodwork once again came to Malaysia’s defense as Karimi's shot was turned onto the bar. 

With the 2-0 win Iran topped the group and would face South Korea in the quarterfinals.

For the fourth time in a row Iran would square up against the Koreans in the quarterfinals.

Prior to the game, although not a starter, Amir Hossein Sadeghi would be dismissed from Iran’s camp due to disciplinary issues during practice. The Koreans would threaten first with a freekick that sailed over the bar and a deflected long range shot that Roudbarian saved. Mahdavikia would then turn the Korean defense inside out but ultimately would shoot wide of the near post. Both teams would continue to waste chances, hitting them high or wide and with few genuine scoring opportunities. Zandi’s arrival in the second half breathed life into the Iranian offense but Nekounam’s long range shot was the best that would come of it. 

After 90 minutes extra time would be needed but the additional 30 minutes would also yield no results. 

Talebloo who had not seen a minute of action in the Asian Cup was summoned off the bench by Ghalenoei to replace Roudbarian in the dying seconds of extra time in order to participate in the penalty shootout. 

Ghalenoei would later justify this move by claiming that Talebloo had saved 17 penalty kicks during training. But while Talebloo was able to use his 1.90 meter frame to keep out a spot kick by Kim Do-heon, saves by his opposite number on Mahdavikia and Khatibi meant that the East Asian side advanced as Iran bowed out of the tournament.

Iran roster: Roudbarian, Talebloo, Rahmati, Amir Hossein Sadeghi, Rezaei, Hosseini, Kaebi, Aghili, Nosrati, Mahdavikia, Nekounam, Teymourian, Zandi, Karimi, Madanchi, Mobali, Rajabzadeh, Ebrahim Sadeghi, Shojaei, Hashemian, Khatibi, Enayati, Kazemian. Coach: Ghalenoei