Azmoun saved the national team at the World Cup. Just left the field in time!

Iranian striker Serdar Azmoun, familiar to Russian fans from playing in the Premier League for Rubin, Rostov and Zenit, cannot take this season to his credit. Recently, the striker almost does not play for Bayer Leverkusen.

But in recent years, Azmoun has been considered the main star of the Iranian team, and she counted on the player’s help in a difficult situation.

It is all the more paradoxical that Azmoun helped Iran … with his departure from the field.

Difficult season

The current season is not going well for Serdar Azmun. Forward and can not fully adapt to the championship in Germany. As part of the Lions, the Iranian has not scored a single goal since the start of the championship. In addition, in October he suffered a muscle injury, due to which he missed the last matches of the Bundesliga.

Azmoun did not prepare for the World Cup in Qatar either, but the head coach of the Iranian national team, Carlos Queiroz, included the striker in the final application for the 2022 World Cup. Initially, it was clear that Serdar was not functionally ready by the beginning of the tournament. In the first game against England, the coaching staff did not dare to release him in the starting lineup. The striker appeared on the field only at the end of the game, but he did not mark anything special.

As a result of the meeting with the British, it was already clear that Serdar was out of shape, but Queiroz decided to take a chance and released the striker from the very first minutes of the match with Wales. However, already in the 26th minute, the striker fell to the lawn: his leg muscles were corny. Usually this happens with poorly prepared players at the end of the match, but here it was less than a third of the meeting.

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Left the field in time

The doctors who ran out onto the field put Serdar on his feet, freezing the muscle that was experiencing spasms, and he was able to play until the break. During the pause, doctors and masseurs worked with the attacker. He went into the second half with no apparent problems.

In the 53rd minute, Serdar created a very dangerous moment, making a quick dash after a cutting pass. But luck was not on the attacker’s side either – the ball hit the post. A few moments later, he had another reinforced concrete chance, but finishing off with his head after a partner shot at the post was unsuccessful.

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It’s a shame, but Azmun’s troubles didn’t end there either. At the 58th minute, the muscles of the legs again made themselves felt. This time, the doctors had to conjure much longer on the football player, but he still continued the match, holding out for another ten minutes.

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During this period, Serdar suffered more than he played, and did not even fight for riding balls. Infinitely, this could not continue, and in the 68th minute he was replaced.

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With Azmoun on the field, Iran had a big game advantage, but the scoreboard was lit up with dull zeros. The goals came only after Carlos Queiroz finally replaced Serdar. In extra time, Ruzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeyan scored two goals, giving the Iranians an important victory.