Nick Mayhugh Scores Team-High 11th Goal;
USA Finishes 6th at 2019 IFCPF World Cup
SEVILLA, Spain (July 19, 2019) – In a rematch of the teams’ group stage opener, the U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Team fell to Iran, 4-3, in overtime of the Fifth Place match at the 2019 IFCPF World Cup. The USA defeated Iran on July 8, 3-2, en route to a first-place finish in group play of a world championship tournament for the first time in program history. The sixth place finish is the second highest for the USA at a world finals, coming on the heels of a fifth place finish at the 2017 World Championships.
In match played in blazing sun and mid-90s heat on artificial turf, Iran jumped on the USA with a goal in the first minute when Shahab Rahimikandoleh placed a shot from the top of the arc past Sean Boyle’s diving attempt.
The USA evend the match 10 minutes later. Nick Mayhugh played a ball to Cameron DeLillo inside the box, and with his back to goal, DeLillo turned on his mark before shooting. The Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Zare got his hands on the shot, but Mayhugh was there to put away the rebound for his 11th goal of the tournament.
Following a ten-minute delay to attend to the Iran’s Zare in which an ambulance was called in though the goalkeeper continued playing after having his hand treated by the team’s delegation, DeLillo put the USA ahead – picking off a pass from Zare and nut-megging him for the 2-1 lead.
Iran evened the match at the 30-minute mark when Mehdi Bakhshi tucked a ball into the far post from inside the area. Neither team was able to break the 2-2 deadlock before the end of regulation.
Iran then reclaimed the lead 10-minutes into stoppage time when the referee whistled that the USA’s 110-pound defender Jake Kaplan had tackled an Iranian player in the box and awarded a penalty kick. Rahimikandoleh converted with a hard shot past Boyle.
The USA never quit and once again leveled in the second half of overtime when David Garza rose to head in Ben Lindau’s corner kick.
However with four minutes remaining before penalty kicks, Iran’s Abbas Torabi cut to his left just inside the box and fired a hard shot to the far upper corner for the game-winner.
Up Next: The USA’s next tournament is the Parapan American Games, which will be played in Lima, Peru from Aug. 23-Sept. 1, 2019.
-U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Team Match Report-
Match: U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Team vs. Iran – 5th Place Match
Date: July 19, 2019
Competition: 2019 IFCPF World Cup
Venue: Ciudad Deportiva Sevilla FC
Cisneros Palacios, Sevilla, Spain
Kickoff: 5 a.m. ET
Attendance: TBA
Weather: 96 degrees, sunny
Scoring Summary: 1 2 OT OT F
USA 2 1 0 1 3
IRN 3 0 0 0 4
IRN – Shahab
Rahimikandoleh 1st
minute
USA – Nick Mayhugh 12
USA – Cameron DeLillo 23
IRN – Mehdi Bakhshi 30+
IRN – Shahab Rahimikandoleh (pk) 30+9
USA – David Garza 37
IRN – Abbas Torabi 76
Lineups:
USA: 1-Sean Boyle, 2-Cameron DeLillo (5-Seth
Jahn, 72), 4-Jacob Kaplan (11-Tyler Bennett, 65), 6-Ben Lindau (7-Adam Ballou,
80+1), 9-Nick Mayhugh, 10-David Garza, 13-Josh Brunais (capt)
Substitutes not used: 12-Carter
Alvey, 8-Drew Bremer (injured), 3- Jacob Crumbley, 14-Shea Hammond
Head coach: Stuart Sharp
IRN: 1-Alireza Zare, 3-Mohammed Kharat (capt),
4-Shahab Rahimikandoleh, 6-Abbas Torabi (2-Yaser Rostami, 80+2), 7-Benham
Arandi, 10-Masoud Zhoulidehmalekshadi (8-Hassan Safari, 52), 14-Mehdi Bakhshi
Substitutes not used: 12-Babak
Safarikoirabbasloo, 5-Moslem Mehrabian
Head coach: Naghi Mahdarisoghondikolaie
Misconduct Summary:
IRN – Benham Arandi
(caution) 44t4h minute
IRN – Hassan Safari (caution) 60+2
USA – Nick Mayhugh (caution) 60+2
USA – Sean Boyle (caution) 71
IRN – Mehdi Bakhshi (caution) 80+2
Officials:
Referee: Rojas
Second Referee: Rahimov
Third Referee: LaFuente
Fourth Official: Polkey
