Al Ain, UAE

teammelli.com reports

After what looked like a close and competitive match in the first half between Japan and Iran , the second half saw a total collapse of Team Melli resulting in the heaviest defeat in official matches that Team Melli has suffered in 26 years. The 3-0 loss to Japan today was only equalled by the same result against South Korea in the World Cup 1994 qualifiers in Doha when the Team Melli collapsed under the coaching of Ali Parvin.

Team Melli was soundly beaten by a better team in all departments, but there is no escape finding the biggest culprit in this defeat and that is one Carlos Queiroz. The Portuguese coach simply ran out of ideas in the second half. Instead of the neat football that we have enjoyed in the last few games especially against China in the last round, Queiroz resorted to route one football. Direct balls from defense to the attack.

Sending Hail Mary footballs in the hope that Sardar Azmoun could out-muscle the Japanese defenders by nicking the ball and heading for goal. It simply did not work today. Azmoun was closely marked, not by one but sometimes two defenders. He was obviously closely studied by Japan and they have cleverly neutralized him. Yet, Queiroz insisted on doing the same again and again!

Karim Ansarifard who was introduced on the hours to supplement Azmoun, was not even in the game most of the time,

There was hardly any balls fed from the half backs Milad Mohammadi and Ramin Rezaeian. No crosses, no runs that could be counted as productive. The latter had a miserable day defending too. Alireza Jahanbakhsh was not really anywhere near his best and Vahid Amiri was a poor imitation of what we have seen of him.

That meant that Askhan Dejagajh had to burden the heaviest of loads, Ashkan did not disappointed, but a football match in this level cannot be won single-handedly by one player. It is a teamwork that Iran did not execute and plans collapsed.

Team Melli faced a real stiff opposition in the Japan players who are tactically accomplished, mentally superior and physically as strong as any team in Asian. While emotions and hypertension was evident in Team Melli players after the penalty, the Japanese played professionally and calmly.

And in their young coach Hajime Moriyasu, Queiroz found a real competitor. The recently appointed Japan coach  out foxed and outmaneuvered his much more illustrious and experienced counterpart Carlos Queiroz. The man has done his homework on Iran perfectly while Queiroz and his Captain Shojaei always insisted during press conferences that Team Melli will always plays the same regardless to the competition. “We will always play the way we play”!!!

Japan has certainly taught Iran a lesson that needs to be reviewed comprehensively if Team Melli has aspirations to progress.

It was a sad end for a team that has showed so much promise to collapse in such a manner. Despite the very obvious shortfalls of Carlos Queiroz in this match and his inability to match the tactics of the Japanese, it is prudent to learn from the good legacy of Queiroz and build upon it.  What Team Melli does not need after Queiroz’s departure is to go a few step backward and opt for a local option to coach the team because of financial difficulties. What Iran requires for Team Melli is another Queiroz class coach