As our semester began winding down, so did the Qods League, Iran’s national soccer league. While most people, especially in Tehran, paid more attention to each province’s domestic league, however, the Qods League was of more importance as the winner of it would advance to the Asian Club Championship. The competition was held in two groups of 11 with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. Much like Tehran’s Club Championship, the Qods League was also dominated by Esteghlal and Persepolis with each of them topping their respective group. Darayi from Tehran and Malavan from Port Anzali completed the semifinal lineup. In the first leg of one semifinal, Persepolis defeated its fellow Tehran team Darayi with a score of 2-0. Darayi had been a competitive team in the previous years, finishing runner-up in Tehran’s Club Championship the past two seasons, although now they were merely a shadow of their former self. Their presence in the semifinals was more ...