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30/11/202230/11/2022

The dream is over.

Team Melli narrowly lost to USA 1-0 in the last game of Group B of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. With that loss, Iran is eliminated from the World Cup as it sits third in the group the same position as the last World Cup but with a point less. USA qualified for Round of 16.

It was the inevitable result and one that is fair comparing the circumstances and form of the two teams. Added to the sporting factors, the external pressure on the Iranian players when the country is under mass protests, citizens losing their lives and limbs, or being incarcerated in mass on daily basis, was perhaps too much to bear.

The oldest team in the tournament, with one of the oldest coaches who only took the job two months before the start of the FIFA World Cup, did not sound much of a hopeful team. Add to that formula, a ridiculously poor preparation, lack of new blood in the squad, and a host of other factors all suggested that Team Melli stood very little chance of qualifying. There was a lot of wishful thinking and much hope for a miracle, but it was not to be as the best two teams in this group qualified on merit. Team Melli and the badly run federations (FFIRI) must go back to the drawing board, however, fans should not hold their breath for vast improvements. The next big assignment is in fact not too far away, again in Doha. The AFC Asian Cup 2023 in June 2023.

In the match against the USA, it was quite clear that the Americans are the much more organized side, with clean and accurate passing, good pace in transition, sensible defending, and sharp offensive moves. They were the more dangerous side. Iranian players on the other hand were found wanting. Lethargic, unable to play even a short series of passes, lack of understanding between the players, confusion and lack of coordination marred the performance of the team. Mehdi Taremi had another bad day up front, the midfield was lost, and all the pre-match analysis about the shortfalls of Team Melli was proven to be true in this match.

The Team came alive late in the match with the introduction of Saman Ghoddos, Abolfazl Jalali, and Mehdi Torabi, but it was too little too late.

Queiroz’s outdated game plans and tactics were easily counteracted by the American coach Gregg Berhalter who outclassed his opposite coach in all departments. Team Melli had 1 shot on target against 5 for the USA. Pulisic proved to be the winner as the defenders had no real solution to contain him.

The same team lineup played exceptionally well against Wales and won deservedly, but four days later it was the same players and the same game plan, however, the opposition was much smarter, stronger, and better organized. There was nothing to cheer about in this match for Team Melli despite the admirable effort by the Iranian fans to cheer Team Melli on. The fans were great, not so was the team.

In the other match played at the same time, England easily defeated Wales 3-0 to confirm its leadership a the top of the table and qualify for round of 16 to meet the African Champions Senegal. For the US Team, it is a difficult encounter against the Netherlands nest.

Iran and Wales are out,

29/11/2022

Line up Iran vs USA. Beiranvand is starting.

Queiroz opted for a 4-4-2 starting lineup against USA. Beiranvand is the only change from the team that played Wales and won 2-0. It seems that the Iran number keeper is good to go for this crucial match against the US Team that is also the decider on which of the two will make it to the round of 16.

The line-up is as follows:

1	Alireza Beiranvand
8	Morteza Pouraliganji
23	Ramin Rezaeian
19	Majid Hosseini
5	Milad Mohammadi
3	Ehsan Hajisafi
21	Ahmad Noorollahi
6	Saeid Ezatolahi
17	Ali Gholizadeh
9	Mehdi Taremi
20	Sardar Azmoun

29/11/2022

Guessing the lineup for US game tonight.

A win against the US Team will assure Iran’s qualification to the round of 16 of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for the first time. No need to emphasize the importance of this day and match to the squad and what is expected from them.

With two different lineups against England and Wales, Queiroz was a few days wiser and perhaps realized the players’ selection and game plan errors he committed against England while working to strengthen his much-improved performance against Walse when Team Melli dominated the game.

We will take a look at the possibilities of tonight’s lineup vs a desperate US team.

Goalkeeper.

The “Masked man” is ready! Alireza Beiranvand suffered a broken nose during the game against England when he clashed with Majid Hosseini, so he was replaced by Seyed Hossein Hosseini. Although Hosseini could not be faulted for the heavy defeat, he showed his abilities in the match against Wales by keeping a clean sheet, only the second in Iran’s history in the World Cup.
However, Beiranvand, in a rather petulant manner wants to play on and with a protective mask, which has given Queiroz a selection headache. Will the Portuguese opt for Beiranvand, a keeper that he blindly trusts in, or take no risk and play Hosseini or Abedzadeh as a second choice?

It remains to be seen as this one could be a last-minute decision.

Defense
To say that the disastrous defending against England has improved against Wales is an understatement, and that has given Queiroz some peace of mind, but that does not mean it is perfect. The way that Rashford and BUkayo Saka bamboozled Iranian defenders to score was an embarrassment and could well occur again.

Group defending and defenders’ positioning is still lacking coordination. Iranian players seem to be over-enthusiastic at times and at times they pay for that. A defensive coordinator in the coaching staff needs to work hard to assure the threats of the likes of Weah and Pulisic in the US team are neutralized.
Saying that perhaps the defense line has picked up itself for the US game after the Win against Wales.

In the central role, Majid Hosseini and Morteza Pouraliganji could be Queiroz’s picks. It is hardly unlikely to disturb the stability here. On the flanks, it is also logical for Ramin Rezaian to maintain his post despite the shaky start initially. At left back Milad Mohammadi has not performed as best he can and was short of confidence in both matches. His inclusion is under question against the USA, as Queiroz has two good options there. Players such as Vahid Amiri or Abolfazl Jalali can fill the role with the latter being a useful player on attacking.

Midfield

Perhaps Team Melli’s weakest link. Lack of leadership, poor control, and shortage of creative players have marred this line. Al Gholizadeh stands out among the weak midfiled and he has proven that he can change the outcome of the match with his clever passing and shooting. He has already earned his place in the starting lineup. Ahmad Nourollahi has been disappointing as an offensive midfielder and lacks the capacity to control the game and provide quality balls to the forwards. He also has a slight knock from the previous game that will force Queiroz to leave him on the bench.

Team Melli needs creativity and pace here. This can be provided by Saman Ghoddos and/or Mehdi Torabi who can complement Ali Gholizadeh. It remains to be seen if Queiroz is brave enough to opt for an offensive lineup such as this.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is suspended for getting himself two yellow cards so he is out.

On the defensive side of Midfield, Ehsan HajSafi, with his superior performance against Wales, can once again be the starter next to the disappointing Saeed Ezatollahi.

Forwards

The least of Queiroz’s worries. Two excellent forwards who can play alongside each other and disturb any defense as the match against Wales proved.

Aggressive or cautious;

Is it the main issue? If Queriz wants to be conservative, he will play Mehdi Taremi in the starting lineup without Azmoun, or vice versa otherwise, both strikers will be playing against USA America.

Game Plan

Perhaps being cautious is a good thing when Team Melli needs to avoid defeat to make it to the round of 16, but the World Cup has taught us that goals can be scored with half chances and at any time in the game including added time. Team Melli scored against Wales in minutes 98 and 101. So, it is not very wise to depend entirely on the defense trying to achieve a draw. Iran has the tools and the players that can excel in offensive games and score against any team. The team has already scored four goals, a record in its own right. This has to be utilized and force the Americans back. The USA despite two draws, is not a team that is to be taken lightly. Christian Pulišić (Chelsea), Timothy Weah (Lile), Weston James McKennie (Juventus), and Haji Amir Wright (Antalyaspor) are all potential threats to Team Melli’s defense.

Gregg Berhalter, the USA coach must have done his homework on Team Melli. There are no secrets and no hidden weapons here. What Queiroz needs to do is play a balanced game. Tight at the back but effective on offenses and less of those Hail Mary direct one football.

29/11/2022

A knockout like match between IRAN and USA.

Team Melli is still brimming with joy following the dramatic victory over Wales. It was a well-deserved win for Iran, especially after the embarrassing 6-2 hammering by England. It was also timely and Team Melli boys should be full of confidence going into Tuesday’s match against the US team in a politically charged World Cup match.

As for the Americans, there is no other choice except to win, or else they would be on the first flight home. It is claimed that this group of U.S. players is considered the best generation of American soccer. But they finished third behind Canada and Mexico in World Cup qualifying and now face a must-win final group-stage match. Their game against England showed the quality of the Americans. They were brave and logical in the game plan. The US team rattled the post from a thunderous shot by Pulisic. They were also the better team against Wales and could have put the game to bed by the first half. In the second half, Wales took control and managed to equalize through a late penalty. The American players themselves, know the difficulty of the task ahead as their star player Weston McKennie said: “The most important thing is that we control the outcome of our journey in this tournament with the last game against Iran, So the next thing is just to go out and get three points against Iran.”

“We got to win the game,” midfielder Gio Reyna said. “We’re not really thinking about anything else, just three points and then we’re through.”

In their last and only meeting in the FIFA World Cup, Iran famously beat the U.S. 2-1 in a 1998 World Cup match in Lyon, France which eliminated the Americans and caused thousands of flag-waving fans to pour into the streets of major Iranian cities in celebration. That was perhaps the greatest post-revolution victory for Iran’s football. In the leadup to the rematch on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation angered Iran’s government by briefly displaying Iran’s flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. Calls by the Iranian side including Queiroz to kick US from the tournament was nothing was “A Storm In A Teacup” meant to politicize the match.

“I just hope we don’t leave it to the 90th-whatever minute,” said Stu Holden, a midfielder on the bench that night and now a Fox commentator. “It would be pretty cool to call a last-second U.S. winner, but selfishly I’m quite OK with us just getting that done early and moving on to the round of 16 because that would be a lot better for my blood pressure.”

As for Team Melli’s readiness, it seems that both Alirezas will be absent. Beiranvand is still unfit after the broken nose in the opener against England, while Jahanbakhsh got himself booked again against wales hence he will serve a one-match ban.

The expectation is that Queiroz will stick to the same game plan that was used against Wales. Why change a winning team?
However, the match against the USA will be much more difficult than the last one as the Americans have to win and that will mean constant pressure and a barrage of attacks. This might be a good thing for Team Melli if the defense does its job and will possibly leave the back line of the US team a bit light. Unfortunately, Team Melli has proven to be slow in transition and counterattack up front. Taremi in particular lacks pace, and the way Queiroz insisted to send the balls directly behind the Welsh defense for Taremi, simply did not work. Goals have been a struggle for a U.S. team, which got just three from forwards in 14 World Cup qualifiers. Team Melli is much better off keeping the ball and penetrating on the wings and through the middle. With some players who can shoot, it is also a good option too.

Nothing significant has changed on the field of play for Team Melli. Beiranvand’s absence should not be felt as Hosseini or Abedzadeh are well capable of guarding the goal, while Jahanbakhsh’s absence is not a great loss as he has been struggling in this World Cup.

The absence of a schemer in the middle of the field has forced Queiroz to use route one football. It is not pretty and most of it ends up as lost possession allowing the opposition to mount counterattacks. The is still a card in Saman Ghoddos who can be an asset in the midfield and well capable of feeding Azmoun and Taremi. Whether Queiroz has enough trust in the Brentford midfielder is not known.

29/11/2022

US AND IRAN PULLED INTO POLITICS

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The American and Iranian soccer teams are the only ones putting politics aside as the sides meet in a match to determine if either nation continues in this World Cup.

The two met at the 1998 World Cup in France when memories of the 1979 Islamic Revolution were still fresh for both countries. Even the White House was talking about the game as then-President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeline Albright used the match to discuss the possible resumption of diplomatic relations with Iran, which had been cut off since the 1979-81 hostage crisis.

The State Department a month before that game called Iran the world’s “most active″ sponsor of terrorism, so nerves were frayed for both nations. And just a week ahead of kickoff, a French television station broadcast the 1991 film “Not Without My Daughter,″ a movie based on the true story of an American woman who escaped Iran with her daughter against the wishes of her Iranian husband.

The Iranians claimed the broadcast was a purposeful insult.

Iran won 2-1 but neither team advance to the knockout round. They met one other time — a 1-1 draw in a 2000 friendly.

Now the teams head into their final Group B match Tuesday and the United States can only advance with a win. Iran would advance with a win, and perhaps a draw depending on the results of England’s match against Wales.

But headed into one of the most politically charged matches — rematch in this case — in tournament history, the conversation was again not centered on winning or losing.

In Monday’s pre-match news conference, United States captain Tyler Adams and coach Gregg Berhalter were asked about a variety of social and political subjects that had nothing to do with what happens on the field. Adams was asked to defend the U.S.’s treatment of Black people and chastised for pronouncing the opponent “Eye-ran” instead of “E-ran.”

Berhalter was questioned about U.S. immigration and Naval policy and also apologized for the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to strip the emblem of the Islamic Republic from Iran’s flag in a since-deleted social media post.

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz was asked about the social media post, which led the governing body of Iranian soccer to demand FIFA expel the United States from the tournament. He said he did not intend to use the controversy as motivation.

“If after 42 years in this game as a coach I still believe that I could win games with those mental games, I think I did not learn nothing about the game,” Queiroz said. “We have solidarity with the humanitarian causes all over the world, whatever they are or who they are. If you talk about human rights, racism, kids that die in schools with shootings, we have solidarity to all those causes, but here our mission is to bring smiles for the people at least for 90 minutes.”

TWO AT A TIME

Tuesday marks the final day of play for both Groups A and B, and it is the first day of simultaneous kickoffs.

The practice of starting two games at the same time began in 1986, four years after a match dubbed the “Disgrace of Gijon.” The match was scandalous because West Germany and Austria both knew that a German win by one or two goals would advance both teams at the expense of Algeria.

After Germany scored an early goal, neither team tried to score again.

28/11/2022

Team Melli statistics FIFA World Cup

IRAN

Below is a list of historical FIFA World Cup statistics for Iran. These will be updated as and when required as the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar progresses.

GENERAL TEAM RECORDS

Overall record

Pl: 17
W: 3
D: 4
L: 10
GF: 13
GA: 30
GD: -19

Biggest win

2-0 Iran-Wales (25/11/2022)
2-1 Iran-USA (21/06/1998)
1-0 Iran-Morocco (15/06/2018)

Biggest defeat

2-6 Iran-England (21/11/2022)

Highest scoring draw

1-1 (three times)

Highest scoring game

8 goals – IR Iran-England (21/11/2022)

Most goals scored in a game

2 goals – twice

Most goals conceded in a game

6 goals – Iran-England (21/11/2022)

Most goals scored at a FWC

4 – 2022

The fewest goals scored at a FWC

1 – 2014 (3 games)

Most goals conceded at a FWC

8 – 1978 (3 games)

Fewest goals conceded at a FWC

2 – 2018 (3 games)

STREAKS

Successive wins

1 (1998, 2018)

Successive defeats

3 (1998-2006)

Successive draws

2 (2006-2014)

Successive games without a defeat

2 (2006-2014)

Successive games without a win

7 (1998-2014)

Successive games with a goal scored

2 (1978)

2 (2014-2018)

2 (2018-ongoing)

Successive games without scoring

2 (2014)

Successive clean sheets

1 (2014)

1 (2018)

1 (2022)

Extra time matches

Penalty shoot-outs

W0 L0

Goal Scorers

1- Iraj DANAEIFARD (1978)
2- Hassan ROWSHAN (1978)
3- Hamidreza ESTILI (1998)
4- Mehdi MAHDAVIKIA (1998)
5- Yahya GOLMOHAMMADI (2006)
6- Sohrab BAKHTIYARIZADEH (2006)
7- Reza GHOOCHANNEJAD (2014)
8- Own Goal (2018)
9- Karim ANSARIFARD (pen.) (2018)
10- Mehdi TAREMI (2022)
11- Mehdi TAREMI (pen.) (2022)
12- Rouzbeh CHESHMI (2022)
13- Ramin REZAEIAN (2022)

27/11/2022

Iran releases footballer Vouria Ghafouri, prominent dissident on bail, say reports

The arrest on Thursday of VoUria Ghafouri, who is Kurdish and had spoken out in support of the protests, had sparked an outcry as the Iranian team plays in the World Cup in Doha.

Agence France-Presse November 27, 2022 09:29:53 IST

FIFA World Cup: Iran releases footballer Voria Ghafouri, prominent dissident on bail, say reports

File image of former Iran international Voria Ghafouri. AP

Iranian authorities on Saturday released on bail former international footballer Voria Ghafouri and prominent dissident Hossein Ronaghi, two of the most prominent figures detained in the crackdown on the protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, reports said.

The arrest on Thursday of Ghafouri, who is Kurdish and had spoken out in support of the protests, had sparked an outcry as the Iranian team plays in the World Cup in Doha.

“Voria Ghafouri and Hossein Ronaghi were released on bail,” Iran’s Fars news agency said on its social media accounts.

The Iranian newspaper Shargh also said that Ghafouri had been released following his arrest during a training session on Thursday.

“Hossein was released tonight on bail to undergo treatment,” Hossein Ronaghi’s brother Hassan wrote on Twitter.

Their father Ahmad posted a picture of Hossein in hospital, saying he had been released after a hunger strike that lasted 64 days.

According to the UN, around 14,000 people have been arrested in the crackdown on the protests that erupted after the death of Amini who had been arrested by the Tehran morality police.

Among those detained are dozens of prominent journalists, cultural figures, lawyers, and also sportspeople .
Former Team Melli players, Parviz Broumand and Hossein Mahini have also been arrested and released recently.

Ghafouri, an outspoken figure who appeared 28 times for Iran up until 2019, was arrested after a club training session over accusations that he spread “propaganda” against the Islamic republic, Fars said on Thursday.

Originally from the Kurdish-populated city of Sanandaj in western Iran, Ghafouri had been particularly critical of the crackdown in Kurdish-populated areas of western Iran where activists say dozens have been killed in the last 10 days.

Ronaghi, 37, a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, has for years been one of the most fearless critics of the Islamic republic still living in the country.

Ronaghi was taken to Evin prison after his arrest on September 24. His family had said he risks dying due to a kidney condition.

Other prominent figures remain in detention in the crackdown on the protests, which are seen as the biggest challenge to the Islamic republic since the 1979 revolution.

They include the prominent dissidents Arash Sadeghi and Majid Tavakoli as well as journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi who helped expose the Amini case.

Renowned Iranian film-makers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof were meanwhile detained this year even before the current protest wave began.

27/11/2022

World Cup 2022 Golden Boot

Mehdi Taremi sits on the third rank of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 top scorers list. With two goals against England and an assist to Rezaeian against Wales. France superstar Kylian Mbappe leads the table with 3 goals and 1 assist.

World Cup 2022 Golden Boot standings

Position	Player	Nation	Goals	Assists
=1	Kylian Mbappe	France	3	1
=1	Enner Valencia	Ecuador	3	0
=3	Mehdi Taremi	Iran	2	1
=3	Richarlison	Brazil	2	0
=3	Ferran Torres	Spain	2	0
=3	Olivier Giroud	France	2	0
=3	Bukayo Saka	England	2	0
=3	Cody Gakpo	Netherlands	2	0
=3	Lionel Messi	Argentina	2	0

Correct as of November 26, 2022.

27/11/2022

Queiroz tells Klinsmann to resign and visit Iran camp after BBC comments

German said fouls and confronting officials was ‘in their culture’

Carlos Queiroz has demanded Jürgen Klinsmann resign from his role on Fifa’s technical study group after calling his comments about the Iran team “a disgrace to football”.

After Friday’s 2-0 win over Wales, the BBC presenter Gabby Logan talked about Iran’s “gamesmanship” and said they just stayed on the right side of the law before handing over to Klinsmann. “Yes, that’s their culture,” he said. “Their way of doing it, and that is why Carlos Queiroz fits really well [with] the Iranian national team.”

Queiroz demands that former striker resigns from Fifa role

The former Germany international added: “[Queiroz] struggled in South America, he failed to qualify with Colombia, and then he failed with Egypt to qualify, and then he went back and guided Iran, who he worked already with for a long, long time. So this is not by coincidence, this is done on purpose.

“This is just part of their culture and how they play, then they work the referee, you saw the bench always jumping up, working the fourth official and the linesman, constantly in their ears, constantly in your face. Kieffer Moore will probably tell you more after the game about little incidents that we didn’t see.”

On Saturday evening Queiroz was moved to respond to Klinsmann in a series of tweets in which it was clear the Iran manager was furious. “No matter how much I can respect what you did inside the pitch, those remarks about Iran Culture, Iran National Team, and my Players are a disgrace to football,” he said.

“Nobody can hurt our integrity if it is not at our level, of course. Even saying so, we would like to invite you as our guest, to come to our national team camp, socialize with Iran players and learn from them about the country, the people of Iran, the poets and art, the algebra, and all the millennial Persian culture. And also listen from our players how much they love and respect football.”

27/11/2022

What are the possibilities for Team Melli qualification?

On Day Two of the Group stages in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Team Melli valiantly defeated Wales 2-0 to earn a precious and vital victory after a bitter opening-day defeat to England. The goalless draw in the other group match between USA and England gave Iran some breathing space and a very good chance to qualify from the group for the first time in its history.

In this edition of the FIFA World Cup that has turned into a political battlefield, the two nations that have received a barrage of criticism and attack are the host nation Qatar and Iran. The reasons are all politically and at times racially motivated. Iran’s Team Melli is perhaps the worst affected of the two side nations and has been the subject of much criticism, anti-team slogans, accusations of representing a tyrannical regime, and promoting the oppressors of the people. On the other hand, there are groups who support Team Melli without indulging in politics. p

The fact is that Team Melli players are in a predicament and have emotional stress. They are between a rock and a hard place. Those who accuse them of being government agents just because they wear the Jersey of a country that is totally controlled, physically and spiritually by radical and religious clans., alas ignore the duty of any athlete and or footballer to represent the country to the best of his ability to bring joy and pride to the people. Granted, the politicians and the opperssors will manipulate these victories and credit themselves for it.

Victory for Team Melli will be celebrated by the regime and forms the biggest propaganda. But the real winners will be the people of Iran.

The players, or some of them at least, dedicate the victory of Team Melli to the oppressed people of Iran and remind us all that they are playing for the people of the country.

so, with that in mind, Team Melli is looking forward to the vital, knock-out-like match against the USA. The ultimate, political and sporting match.

At this time all four teams in this group have a chance to advance. to the next Knockout round (Round 16). In the meantime, the undoubted qualification solution would be for Team Melli to defeat the Americans on Tuesday. which is easier said than done as it would be a difficult task. However, a draw could also suffice depending on the other result between Wales and England.

Iran’s win will give it 6 points, and regardless of the other result, it is assured of qualification.

A loss will be the end of the road for Team Melli and with it the end of the dream. The USA will have 5 points and will qualify. England already has 4 and even if it loses against Wales , it will be a case of head-to-head and goal difference.

How will Iran become the leader?

Scenarios.

Iran vs USA – Win for Iran
England vs Wales – Draw

If Team Melli can defeat the USA and the match between England and Wales ends in a draw, Iran will have 6 points and will qualify as top of the group. England will qualify as well as the second stage with 5 points.

Iran vs USA – Draw
England vs Wales – Draw

Team Melli’s draw against the USA and England’s draws against Wales means Iran will end up with 4 points, while England will have 5. Both Teams qualify with England as the group leader

Iran vs USA – Draw
England vs Wales – Wales win

Team Melli’s draw against the USA and Wales beating England means three teams on four points. The USA is eliminated with 3 points. With head-to-head, disciplinary records, and goals difference, Iran stands to lose out and Wales and England qualify.

So, it is clear that Team Melli has to go for a win against the USA. That requires Queiroz to change his mindset and be brave enough to attack and abandon his park-the-bus mentality. Something similar to the game plan against Wales will most probably be enough to defeat the Americans who have several vulnerabilities.