Year: 2014

03/06/2014

Argentina announces the final list.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella announced the 23-man squad that he will be taking to Brazil for FIFA World Cup 2014. Lionel Messi unsurprisingly made the cut but Ever Banega was left out of the squad.

Banega joins Nicolas Otamendi who impressed for Argentina in the last World Cup but lost his place due to the inclusion of Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis. Club teammates Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero will join the center-back in Brazil.

Argentina’s squad boasts an adept strike-force as it comprises of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Rodrigo Palacio and Ezequiel Lavezzi. Ricardo Alvarez is the only surprise inclusion as the midfielder hardly ever featured for his club Inter Milan.

Two-time world champions Argentina, who haven’t been past the quarter-finals since the 1990 World Cup, will play debutants Bosnia in their Group F opener on June 15.

FIFA World Cup 2014: Argentina World Cup Squad & Player List

Goalkeepers: Mariano Andújar (Catania/ITA), Agustín Orión (Boca Juniors), Sergio Romero (Monaco/FRA)

Defenders: José Basanta (Monterrey/MEX), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City/ENG), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica/POR), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City/ENG), Lisandro Lopez (Getafe/ESP), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan/ITA)

Midfielders: Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan/ITA), Lucas Biglia (Lazio/ITA), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid/ESP), Augusto Fernández (Celta Vigo/ESP), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona/ESP), Enzo Pérez (Benfica/POR), Maximiliano Rodríguez (Newell’s Old Boys)

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City/ENG), Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli/ITA), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter Milan/ITA)

03/06/201403/06/2014

Team Melli departs to Brazil.

Team Melli has departed Tehran at the early hours of the morning destination Brazil. After a short reception in the CIP lounge of Imam Khomeni Airport, where the Minister of Youth & Sport was present and wished the players and the squad the best of luck, the squad left to Brazil.

Reporters were initially not allowed into the CIP lounge despite invitations to attend a brief news conference before the squad departure. With the arrival of the Minster of Sports Goudarzi , who was informed about the reporters being denied access, and on his instructions, the security authorities of the airport allowed the media enter the lounge.

The manager of Team Melli, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi , did not fly with the squad. This is the second time that the person who should be leading and supervising the squad, ensuring the comfort and proper facilitation of all the requirements , has not accompanied the team! Mohammad Nabi has cited personal issues as the reason for not accompanying the team.

Last night, the football federation arranged a small farewell party for the squad in Azadi Sport Complex arena. The farewell party was attended by many dignitaries including the Minster of sport who urged the team to be strong and fight to soldiers to defend the honor of the country.

Kaffashian who was also present at the airport to bid the team farewell , will be joining the squad in Brazil on Sunday as the head the delegation .

Also missing from the flight to Brazil was Markar Aghajanian who has flown ahead to analyze the Nigeria game against USA.

Before playing the first match against Nigeria in Group F at Arena da Baixada on the 16th June, Team Melli will have a final preparation game against Trinidad and Tobago behind closed doors in Brazil camp.

02/06/2014

At last HD Broadcast is available in Iran , thanks to Volleyball.

Behzad Kaviani , the Head of Sport Production in IRIB announced that his organization has purchased HD cameras for sport broadcasts.

It is the first time that HD cameras will be available to broadcast sports events and matches. “Because of the requirement of FIVB , we needed to have High Quality (HD) production set including cameras as a pre-condition for broadcasting the matches to the rest of the world. We have obtained those requirements now and we will broadcast the Volleyball matches in HD” Kaviani said.

The National Volleyball team of Iran is currently involved in the 2014 World League and has already played two matches away against the powerful Italians. This is Iran second participation in the elite Volleyball league and after last years relative success, Iran is now in the group of the best teams.

Kaviani said that IRIB was determined to make a good job of the volleyball broadcast. According to the head of Sport Production in IRIB, about 40 million viewers have watched Iran’s volleyball matches last season. “This is an incredible figure which took us by surprise. Volleyball is definitely popular here, I even recall that Amir Ghalenoei called me to update him on the result of an ongoing Team Melli volleyball match as he had no TV available where he was to watch the volleyball match”

Asked about the conflict of FIFA World Cup matches and Iran’s World Volleyball League , Kaviani said “Thankfully , there is no conflict at all between our football teams matches in FIFA World Cup and our Volleyball team matches. However , 4 matches of ours (Iran Volleyball team) will be played during the broadcast of the World Cup matches. We intend to use two different channels to allow the viewers the choice.”

Mr. Kaviani did not specifically mention football matches in Azadi and whether HD broadcast of matches will be available in Iran, however the broadcast right holder of nearly all the major football competitions in the Middle East, BeIn sport (Formerly Al Jazeera Sport) , transmits the matches in HD quality.

02/06/2014

Spare a thought for Mohammad Reza Khalatbary.

The World Cup is the ultimate dream of any player in the world, more so the players from third world countries. Missing on the World Cup can be morally devastating for some especially if such a player has done enough to justify his selection in the national team that had made it to the World Cup. When the player has contributed towards the qualification, it seems cruel to give such player the pink chit and tell him thank you but your services are not required in the World Cup.

The media in particular relishes such stories, some of them dramatic especially if it is associated with some firework in form of statements and verbal war.

Our story does not have that sort of drama, in fact it is honorably accepted by the player who has opted to keep silent and take out his sorrow in the privacy of his surroundings rather than public outcry.

In this article we want to spare a thought to Mohammad Reza Khalatbary, the Persepolis winger who was surprisingly omitted from the final list of 23 players.

A quick look at Khalatbary contribution towards the FIFA World Cup 2014 campaign paints more than a decent picture of a valuable player. Khalatbary played a total of 13 matches (9 as a started 4 as a substitute). He scored 2 goals; the first one was a goal for the record books as it was scored in the injury time against Uzbekistan in Tashkent in the first match of the finals rounds of qualification. A true gem of a goal , a more boosting strike and a savior for Team Melli.

Khalatbary value as a pacey skilful winger has been in evidence in Team Melli and his clubs numerous of times. His explosive runs on the flanks , his ability to dribble , his bravery, his assists , his crosses and finally his sheer commitment and devotion made this player a number is not easily ignored by coaches.

But Carlos Queiroz had other ideas not strictly according to the script and formbook.

So, who is the player who has taken Khalatbary’s place in the plane to Brazil? All fingers direct towards Masoud Shojaei who also operates on the right midfield and plays also as pseudo winger.

Shojaei’s contribution toward Iran’s qualification to the world cup was 5 matches and no goals. It also included one red card against South Korea in Azadi.

Khaltabry is 30 while Shojaei is a year younger, however, there is marked difference between the pace and stamina of the two players. While Khalatbary’s speed is his hallmark especially in short distances, shojaei looks lethargic in comparison and hardly been known for his pace.

Despite the better qualities and contribution of Khalatbary over Shojaei in this campaign, the Las Palmas midfielder was picked and we largely believe that it is his playing in 2^nd division team in Europe plus the previous experience with Osasuna in the La Liga that has put shojaei ahead of Khalatbary in the picking order.

Whether this is justified or not or whether players other than Shojaei have been preferred over Khalatbary is immaterial as Queiroz has his own justification and selection criteria that is, if not respected or appreciated by the fans, it should at least be accepted. What is wretched in particular about Khalatbary’s exclusion is that he might never have a chance to play in the biggest football event in the world.

Spare a though for Mohammad Reza Khalatbary , who has been fighting and giving his best anytime he has been called for duty. Perhaps he is not everyone’s cup of team, but no one can not accuse him of not trying or lack of passion for his team. The Ramsar winger that entertained the crowds for years and reached the piicle of his career when he was picked by the great Diego Maradona a to play for Al Wasl, may never have a chance to show some of his magic to the rest of the world.

We salute Khalatbary.

02/06/2014

Condemning report by auditors on Persepolis and Esteghlal activities.

General Accounting Office of the Government of Iran submitted its final report after a six monthly regular audit on the activities of the government ministries. This report included the auditing of both Persepolis and Esteghlal clubs as part of government properties. The eagerly awaited audit report on the Tehran clubs takes prominence after the parliament and public outcry created following the public exposure of players and coaches contracts with these two clubs. The astronomical figures that the clubs were paying their staff have shocked the nation that has suffered immense financial difficulties due to economic sanctions. Members of parliaments accused the two clubs of corruption and wastage of public funds while fingers were also pointed at some of the Ministry of Youth & Sport personnel accused of collusion with the management of the two clubs to deceive the public.

The audit report accuses both clubs of financial irregularities, shoddy dealings , unauthorized expenditure , payments to unknown bank accounts for unspecified services , lack of documentation on several large payments , violation of the state laws , accounting & bookkeeping practices that does not meet the public accounts standards , creating shadow accounts illegally depositing funds from club revenues, and several other minor violations.

The extensive report which covered the activities of many ministries, including the Ministry of Youth and Sport, as the responsible ministry for both of the government owned sport clubs Esteghlal & Persepolis. The ministry has ordered these two clubs to generate their own revenue instead of depending on government handout and claiming public money at the time when the whole government is exercising belt-tightening policies.

The damning report cast a shadow on the activities of both clubs that have been for years under poor authority’s oversight resulting in huge financial difficulties. Uncontrolled or unaccountable expenditures left both club in critical debt situation exceeding their ability to pay the creditors or balance the books in the forthcoming years. It is difficult to see how they can survive without a bail-out by the government.

The report included accusation that some of the clubs revenues from commercial activities like advertising and merchandise , were being deposited to unauthorized bank accounts not belonging to the official club bank account(s) on records.

The GAO was also critical about the fact that of those millions of public funds that two clubs have siphoned, little or none was channeled towards infrastructure, building facilities such as football pitches for the younger generation to utilize.

This is not the first time that GAO has produced such critical reports. It is not clear if any action , will be taken against the culprits apart from the customary changing of the guards (chairmen and board members) of both clubs, which has already been carried out with the exit of previous chairmen of Persepolis and Esteghlal, preempting the GAO report.

All bank accounts belonging to Persepolis Club has been suspended by a court order as a result of creditors’ claims and long over-due nonpayment of various bills including tax due by the government itself.

01/06/2014

Omitted players’ reactions.

Mohammadreza Khalatabry was contacted by FarsNews Agency to get his reaction on being left out of the squad by Queiroz. The Persepolis winger was dumbfounded and shocked , however he refrained from commenting on the issue” Thank you for seeking my opinion , but at this moment I have nothing to say. I don’t know what has prompted this, and why I was left out but I rather not comment.”

On the other hand , Sardar Azmoun who has created much hype about his impending transfer to Arsenal , Barcelona and Tottenham among a few other elite European clubs, was initially too upset to comment. However , after returning home to Gonbod Kavos to see his family , the Rubin Kazan player was reached by ISNA Sport reporter and managed to get his reaction.

“Initially I was very upset, It was like a ton of brick dropped over my head. but Carlos Queiroz has contacted me to explain why I was excluded. I appreciate what Queiroz has done for me, he made sense to me. I don’t like to badmouth the coach , the squad or anything else just because I am bitter. I wish Team Melli all the best in the World Cup. I hope to make the next list in 4 years time.”

However , Khalil Azmoun , Sardar’s father and Agent , was not so prudent in his comments. His harsh reaction contradicted his son’s. “How could Sardar be dropped from the list ? Who is better than him (…)? Nobody believes he is dropped, Queiroz must answerable to this , not even one person in Iran can believe that my son is not going to the World Cup. !!!” The over excited father said in his reaction to his son’s being left out of the list.

With such a manager or Agent , we doubt that Azmoun will get professional and Quality guidance in his career. His future will be doubtful if such attitude persists.

01/06/2014

Final list of Iran’s Squad to the FIFA World Cup 2014

Iran’s football federation has announced the final list of 24 players , rather than 23 that will be sent to FIFA for the World Cup 2014 . The extra player will be decided between Khanzadeh and Beikzadeh depending on the later’s injury report. Khanzadeh will be accompanying the team in any case, but will not be part of the squad if Beikzadeh recovers in time.

The only surprise omission in this list is Mohammad Reza Khalatbary who did not feature much in the friendly games. Taking into account his pace and explosive runs on the wings, he would have been ideal fit for Queiroz game plan, however , he must have come short in other areas which the Portuguese coach found essential. Sardar Azmoun will be disappointed not to make the list , but on the bright side and as expected the other young and promising forward, Alireza Jahanbakhsh has made it.

The full list

Team Melli World Cup List

	Name	Club
1	AHMADI, Rahman	Sepahan
2	ALE NEMEH, Ahmad	Naft Tehran
3	ANSARIFARD, Karim	Tractorsazi
4	BEIGZADEH, Hashim	Esteghlal
5	BEITASHOUR, Steven	Vancouver Whitecaps
6	DAVARI, Daniel	Grasshoppers
7	DEJAGAH, Ashkan	Fulham
8	GHOOCHANNEJAD, Reza	Charlton Athletics
9	HADDADIFAR, Ghassim	Zob Ahan
10	HAGHIGHI, Alireza	Sporting Covilhã
11	HAGHIGHI, Reza	Persepolis
12	HAJSAFY, Ehsan	Sepahan
13	HEYDARI, Khosrow	Esteghlal
14	HOSSEINI, Jalal	Persepolis
15	JAHANBAKHSH, AliReza	NEC
16	KHANZADEH, Mohammadreza	Zob Ahan
17	MAHINI, Hossein	Persepolis
18	MONTAZERI, Pejman	Um Salal
19	NEKOUNAM, Javad	Al Kuwait
20	POOLADI, Mehrdad	Persepolis
21	RAHMANI, Bakhtiyar	Foolad Kuzestan
22	SADEGHI, AmirHossein	Esteghlal
23	SHOJAEI, Masoud	Las Palmas
24	TEYMOURIAN, Andranik	Esteghlal

01/06/2014

5 Iran players to watch at the World Cup , with a twist

John Duerden is a well know sport journalist who has a vast knowledge of Asian football. His work, news and analysis of football in Aisa has been carried by several Websites and News agencies. In this article , Mr. Duerden has compiled the list of 5 Team Melli players for the Associated Press, which will no doubt have a global distribution. As our bread and butter is Team Melli of Iran , we have some reservation on Mr. Duerden list , but will publish it nevertheless and have our comments at the end of the list.

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by JOHN DUERDEN, Associated Press – 31 May 2014
With several European-based players in the squad, Iran will be heading to the World Cup with plenty of top level international experience.

Forward Reza Ghoochannejhad was born in the Netherlands and plays in England, while winger Ashkan Dejagah was raised in Germany and spent much of his career in the Bundesliga before moving to Premier League club Fulham. Goalkeeper Daniel Davari is another, born in Germany and playing in the Bundesliga.

Combined with Javad Nekounam, the team’s captain and one its most experienced players, Iran will need to come together as a team to have any chance of making it out of Group F.

Here are five players to watch:

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REZA GHOOCHANNEJHAD

Reza Ghoochannejhad is a relatively recent addition to the team — visa issues delayed the debut of the Dutch-born player — but the fleet-footed Charlton forward played an important role in Iran’s successful qualification campaign, scoring three goals in his first three qualifiers.

He has now scored nine goals in 11 games.

A January move from Standard Liege to Charlton in England’s second division has increased his playing time ahead of the World Cup and now the player dubbed “Gucci,” who has become one of Iran’s biggest stars, should arrive in Brazil fit and ready for action.

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JAVAD NEKOUNAM

Long-serving Iran captain Javad Nekounam has been a mainstay of the national team since making his international debut in 2000.

The dynamic Al-Kuwait midfielder has a habit of coming up with a goal just when his team needs it most and has found the target 37 times in his 136 international appearances.

Now 33, Nekounam does not cover as much ground as he once did but he reads the game as well as any.

This year’s tournament is likely to be his last World Cup.

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MASOUD SHOJAEI

Although talented attacking midfielder Masoud Shojaei can be inconsistent, the Las Palmas midfielder can also make a difference. When he plays well, Iran plays well.

Injuries have prevented him from showing Spanish fans his best, but there have been enough flashes to demonstrate an eye for an unexpected pass and a fancy flick.

Shojaei doesn’t score as many goals as he possibly should, but he can make things happen for others.

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DANIEL DAVARI

German-born Daniel Davari could make or break Iran’s chances in Brazil, although with only three international appearances to date there is still something of a question mark hovering over the Eintracht Brauschweig goalkeeper.

Davari’s European experience is one reason why Iran coach Carlos Queiroz holds him in high esteem. While Eintracht Brauschweig may not be in the Bundesliga for much longer, being a goalkeeper for the bottom team at least results in plenty of practice.

Davari made a positive initial impression on the international stage but made some major mistakes against Guinea. He still has much to learn, but if he can settle with the defense before the World Cup, he could be what Iran needs.

___

ASHKAN DEJAGAH

Fulham forward Ashkan Dejagah can play on the right side or as the main striker.

Dejagah came to prominence in Germany with Wolfsburg, making 150 appearances for the Bundesliga team before moving to the Premier League and Fulham in August 2012.

It took Dejagah, now 27, time to settle in England but he has since showed his value with direct running and the ability to take on defenders and chip in with regular goals.

Injuries curtailed his first season in the Premier League but if he can stay fit, Dejagah will have a major part to play for Iran in Brazil.

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While we have no argument about the selection of Ashkan Dejagah and Reza Ghoochannejad in the list , we have our reservation on the other 3 in the list. Incidentally , Ghoochannejad was born in Iran in the City of Mashad. He immigrated to the Netherlands with his family as a boy.

Davari has shown very poor form in the matches he played so far for Team Melli. His latest was against Angola in the last friendly match a couple of days ago. Even if he makes the final list , and that would be due to the obsession of Queiroz with players playing outside Iran , he will be a serious liability . We also need to remember he was relegated with his team in the Bundesliga. Davari will be playing in the Swiss league next season with Grasshoppers. We have a great hope for him in the fy=uture, but as of now, he is a long way away from being a star performer.

Masoud Shojaei , perhaps due to his long injury and several failed operations, has not performed well for Team Melli for as long as one cares. As with Davari , it is the fact that he plays in Europe that has endeared him to Queiroz. Shojaei’s repeated poor performance in front of the local fans in Azadi has resulted in him being booed by the fans. That is very unusual for Team Melli fan , but shows the level of their frustration with this player. It is true that Shojaei has some magical touch and crowd pleasing moves, however , he has not delivered for a long time. We doubt that he will be a star performer in Brazil , but we do not mind miracles.

Javad Nekounam is going through a soft patch. It is unfortunate as the most senior player and the Captain of the team is suffering from loss of form perhaps consistent with his age. He was a shadow of the player he was with Osasuna when he made his move to Esteghlal. He is still a valuable player , but not a five star performer he used to be. Again , we do hope for miracles here as well.

Our list will include

ANDRANIK TEYMOURIAN

A reliable , solid and highly dedicated player. His defensive qualities and ability to mark and neutralize the best of the opponents players, has been remarkable. Teymourian has also a lethal shoot and scored some beautiful crowd pleasing goals. A tireless runner who is full of stamina, the type of players that Queiroz always yearns for. He is also one of the few players with World Cup and English Premier league experiences. With such background, Teymourian has all that it takes to be a star performer for his team.

ALIREZA JAHANBAKHSH

There is no guarantee that this young tenacious player will even make the list , we, however will bet on him. As a rookie in the Dutch Eredivisie, the young Jahanbakhsh has performed beyond expectation. He scored goals , and assisted too. 2 of his goals in the final day of the regular season , saved his club from direct relegation and those were scored against the recently crowned champions Ajax. He has pace and power , two combinations that he helped pass defenders and score. Jahanbakhsh is a daring player , not shy of trying anything in front of the goal. He can play in several position and is comfortable as a striker, midfield player or a winger. It is very difficult to ignore this type of quality player.

01/06/201401/06/2014

Azmoun “My injury is not serious”

Young Sardar Azmoun who made his debut against Angola on 30th May in Hatrberg , Austria said that his injury is not serious and nothing to be worried about.

The Rubin Kazan forward Azmoun was substituted on the 23rd minute of the first half after he suffered what looked like breathing difficulty as he sat on the ground for sometime before he could manage to walk off the pitch.

“It was noting too serious now. In the match , an Angolan defender kicked me in my chest . It was quite painful and difficult for me to continue. However , there was no damage and I am back to normal now.” Said the young forward who displayed a few nice glimpses of his skill during the 23 minutes he was playing.

Asked whether he thinks he will make the final 23 players list , Azmoun was cautious and said “This is up to the coach. In all cases , I wish Team Melli all the success in Brazil whether I am around or not.”

Meanwhile , the other young star of the team , Alireza Jahanbakhsh was more resolute in making the list. “Of course it is up to Carlos Queiroz to decide, but as far as I am concerned, I really want to be in the list and do well.”

“We had a very good training camp in Austria, We worked hard and ii believe it was a good training for everyone.” Jahanbakhsh said.

Asked if he will select Ajax or Manchester United as his next destination , Jahanbakhsh said “I will most probably continue my football in Holland. I will not be looking at big name clubs. FC GRONINGEN has been mentioned , but I dearly like to play with a club that will be competing in the Europa league or Champions league next season. It is important competition and I like to be part of it.”

01/06/2014

Team Melli U-17 qualifies for Semi-Finals of Caspain Cup.

Team Melli U-17 defeated host nation Azerbaijan U-16 4-0 to reach the semi finals of the Caspian Cup currently being held in Baku.

The young Persian have started the tournament with a 3-0 victory against Kyrgyzstan.

On Sunday , the rest of the teams will be playing while Iran’s U-17 will have to wait for the team that will qualify for the semi-finals which will be played on Tuesday. The winners of the match between Azerbaijan U-17 and Afghanistan U-17 will meet Iran in the semi finals.