Russia 2018/UAE 2019 Qualifiers: Guam 0-6 Iran

Having taken an impressive seven points from their first four matches, Guam’s qualifying drive has been derailed with the Matchday 7 loss to the Iranians marking the third successive Group D defeat for Pacific Ocean islanders.

Iran took their first step on the road to their second 6-0 victory over Guam following their identical win in Tehran back in September when Mehdi Taremi, who scored twice in the triumph at the Azadi Stadium, put the visitors 1-0 up with 12 minutes at the Guam FA Field played.

Taremi’s Persepolis team-mate Kamal Kamyabina doubled Iran’s advantage on the half-hour mark to give Carlos Quieroz’s side a two-goal cushion going into the second half, which could have been more had Karim Ansarifard not hit the post from the penalty spot five minutes after setting up Kamyabina for his first international goal

Ramin Rezaeian became the third Persepolis scorer when the defender made it 3-0 four minutes after the interval with what was also his maiden goal for Team Melli before Masoud Shojaei scored number four from the penalty spot in the 51st minute after the Al Gharafa midfielder was fouled in the box by John Matkin, Guam’s Thailand-based forward who was subsequently sent off for his transgression.

Iran needed just two minutes to make their extra-man advantage count when Ansarifard scored number five before Tameri scored a brace for the second match against Guam when he found the net again in the 63rd minute.

Numerical parity on the pitch was restored in the 72nd minute when Alireza Beiranvand was red carded after the Naft Tehran keeper took down forward Shane Malcolm but it was not to be Guam’s day, with Ian Mariano’s missed penalty compounding the home side’s disappointment.

Undefeated Iran’s fourth win of the joint-qualifiers took the Group D leaders’ points tally to 14, three more than second-place Oman ahead of the Gulf Sultanate’s match with Turkmenistan in Ashgabat later on Tuesday, while Guam are fourth in the five-team table below the Turkmen on goal difference.

The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup.