Morteza Pouraliganji runs atop the poll for the best Asian Player in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on the AFC website.
After two weeks of scintillating action, the group stage of the World Cup Russia ended on Thursday with Japan progressing to the Round of 16 as the only Asian team to qualify to the next round, AFC wrote.
Many players of the Samurai Blue shone in the first round while a number of players from Asia’s four other representatives grabbed the world’s attention.
The AFC selected five players from Iran, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Australia so that the public could vote and choose a standout performer.
The five players included Morteza Pouraliganji, Iranian-born Daniel Arzani of Australia, Cho Hyun-woo of South Korea, Gaku Shibasaki from, and Saudi Arabia’s Salman Al Faraj.
In three days and with over 40,000 votes cast, Pouraliganji gained 20% of the votes while the Saudi player is ahead of him, earning 77% of the total votes. The three other players each gained just one percent of the votes.
Placed in the death Group with World Cup winner Spain, African Champion Morocco and Euro Cup winner Portugal, Iran soon caught the sights for the remarkable defense system with only two goals conceded in three games.
Pouraliganji duty in the defense line for Iran was to mark Spain’s Diego Costa and Portugal’s Ronaldo. The Iranian was outstanding in limiting their threat, with Costa grabbing a fortuitous goal and Ronaldo nullified for the first time.
The 26-year-old was handed the monumental task of keeping Ronaldo quiet, and he proved he was up for the challenge, preventing the Portuguese talisman from adding to his four World Cup strikes.
In fact, Pouraliganji nearly got his man sent-off after Ronaldo was caught elbowing the defender, but was let go with a yellow card as he grew increasingly irritated by Iran’s number 8’s tight marking.
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