Category: World Cup 2018

A point lost against Syria in a drab goalless draw.

Seremban: Syria held Islamic Republic of Iran to a 0-0 draw in their FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 qualifier at a drenched Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Malaysia on Tuesday.

The wet conditions not only delayed the kick-off for 45 minutes but made playing conditions difficult for both teams.

IR Iran, who stayed top of Group A with eleven points from the first five games in the third round of qualification and a point ahead of Korea Republic in second, had the better of the chances but were unable to put the ball in the net.

Syria stay in fourth with five points after five games, four behind Uzbekistan in third and still in the running.

“We knew that the match against Iran would be difficult as they are a strong team, which they proved again today,” said Syria coach Ayman Hakeem.

“The conditions were difficult for both teams but we worked very hard to get the result. It is hard to score against Iran but we did stop them from scoring. We would have liked to create more opportunities going forward but this was not easy to do. We worked hard for each other and were rewarded with a good result. We’ll have to keep doing the same over the next five games.

IR Iran had the first real chance of the game inside the first five minutes and it came down the left. Ashkan Dejagah rolled the ball to Mehdi Taremi but his low shot was well-saved by Ibrahim Alma in the Syrian goal who was in great form throughout.

Dejagah was again involved ten minutes before the half, with a shot on the turn from outside the area that again was gathered by Alma. Soon after Saeid Ezatolahi had a header blocked as Iran looked to break the deadlock.

With the heavy pitch and Syria sitting back and defending in numbers, it proved to be tough for IR Iran to find any space in the pitch. Syria were trying to disrupt Iran’s rhythm but the group leaders started to pile on the pressure as the game progressed.

Chances were few and far between but a piece of individual brilliance from Alireza Jahanbakhsh almost beat the Syrian goalkeeper in the latter stages.

In space on the right side, the attacker fired a swerving and swirling shot from distance that had Alma backpedalling to push the ball over the bar.

The best chance of the game however came with three minutes remaining and it fell to IR Iran.

Milad Mohammadi galloped down the left wing to send over a perfect cross to the far post where Jahanbaksh rose unchallenged only to send his downward header wide of the post.

IR Iran tried to push forward again but ran out of time and had to settle for a point.

“I have nothing to say about the game, just that I’m proud of every single one of my players,” said IR Iran coach Carlos Queiroz.

“They gave their best right until the end. These were tough conditions to play football in. We are top of the group after five games and there are still five games to go. There is still lots of hard work ahead but we are working hard and we are still unbeaten and have not conceded a goal. We now look towards the next game.”

 

Photos: Lagardère Sports

Teymourian denies any rift with Queiroz

Andranik Teymourian has denied any rift with the head coach of Team Melli following his exclusion from the squad which is playing Syria on the 15th of November in the 5th round of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers.

Despite losing two vital players through suspensions in Azmoun and Hajsafy , Queiroz complicated the matters further with  his exclusion of the Team’s Captain and a player with vast experience.  There was no public announcement by the Portuguese head coach on reasons for this sudden omission of a player who has been at the top of Queiroz favorites and reliable list.

In a statement to to ISNA , Teymourian denied any contact or giving statements to any media outlet after the announcement of Team Melli’s list against Syria. “I have talked to no one in the press, did not make any public comment , did not question the decision by the coach and furthermore, I have no grudge against this decision and respect it fully”

“I am a soldier for Team Melli. I will play when I am needed and called, I will help in any capacity asked from me. I fully respect and always respected Carlos Queiroz and will not question his decision. All that has  been mentioned in the press about this issue is pure speculation and fabrication, nothing but.” Ando declared.

“In my years of working with Queiroz, we always had mutual respect and as a player I have leaned a lot from him. I want to keep it that way. If I am asked to play again , I shall do it without any hesitation. I wish people leave it at that and not spoil the good spirit of Team Melli while an important encounter awaits us against Syria.”

Andranik Teymourian, is currently playing for the bottom of the league club, Machine Sazi of Tabriz.

 

Ando Teymourian is axed from Team Melli!

The latest squad of Team Melli has one unpleasant surprise as the Captain Andranik Teymourian has been omitted from the list.

Teymourian, who has not started the last 2 matches for Team Melli, has been left behind and will not make the trip to Malaysia for the training camp or the match against Syria.  Team Melli will be leaving on Tuesday.

23 players have been named in the final list with notable absentees being Sardar Azmoun and Hajsafy who are both suspended. The foreign based players will join the squad in Malaysia.

Other players who have been given leave are Souresh Rafei, Alireza Haghighi , Shojaeian and Aghayei

 

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Mohammad Reza Akhbari, Rashid Mazaheri, Sousha Makani

Defenders: Ramin Rezaeian, Hussein Mahini, Pejman Montazeri, Morteza Pouraliganji, Seyed Jalal Hosseini, Ezatollah Pourqaz, Mohammed Ansari, Milad Mohammadi

Midfield: Ali Karimi, Saeed Ezatollahi, Omid Ebrahimi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Torabi, Ashkan Dejagah, Masoud Shojaei, Vahid Amiri, Kamal Kamyabinia

Forwards: Mehdi Taromi, Reza Ghoochannejhad and Karim AnsariFard

Iran punished by FIFA for disciplinary misconduct

IRIFF is to pay a hefty CHF 85,000  (US$ 87,784) fine to FIFA as a result of sanctions imposed on the football association for incidents during recent 2018 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying matches, including the discriminatory and severe unsporting conduct of spectators as well as religious manifestations.

In the match against Qatar , the altercation and the chaos that ensued Iran’s first goal resulted in a fine on two players , Azmoun and Hajsafy and a 3 match ban for assistant coach Javad Nekounam. Improper conduct among supporters,  Unauthorized persons in the field of play (Nekounam)  and Team misconduct were in violation of articles 52 and 67 of the FDC article 26 par. 9 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Regulations, according to the ruling body. That has incurred a CHF 40,000  (US$ 41,310) fine and a severe warning against future misconduct.

In the match against Korea, where the religious authorities extremely upset about the match being played in tasooa , a Shia mourning remembrance day. (the greatest of the sins) turned  Azadi stadium into a massive Husseiniya in clear defiance to the spirit of sport and FIFA regulations banning any form of religious and political expression in stadiums during football matches.

FIFA also accused Iran of organizing religious ceremony before the game and at half-time . Use of a drone during  the ceremony,  improper conduct among spectators by holding and displaying religious banners throughout the game,

As a result of violations of article 52 of the FDC + articles 4 & 5 of the Regulations of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia , FIFA has imposed a sanction on FFIRI amount of CHF 45,000  (US$ 46,473) in addition to a reprimand letter and a severe  warning.

Iranian football is notorious for displaying all sort of religious expression. In league matches, it seems that the authorities or at least the radical religious faction in the country promote and encourage such behaviors, while the Football Federation is too scared to punish the offenders in fear or reprisal by the radical religious faction

Despite many warning, this seems to be a repeat offense by Iran and subject to future sanctions or banning of matches being played in the country or matches being played behind closed doors.

IRAN 1-0 KOREA REP. : Another fine performance by Team Melli

A goal by Sardar Azmoun in the 25th minute of the first half was enough for Team Melli to seal the three points and maintain the lead in the Group A of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers.

In a packed Azadi stadium , Queiroz once again started the match with a different line up from the previous game against Uzbekistan. Azmoun and Dejagah both returned to the line up while Shojaei who performed immaculately in Tashkent was benched. Not that this change had any adverse effect in the style and game plan as Team Melli continued their fine form picking up where they left off in Tashkent.

Early periods saw several chances for Team Melli. Alireza Jahanbakhsh was guilty of missing a couple of good chances until the 25th minute. Ramin Rezaeian, so solid in the last couple of matches after a slow start to the qualifiers, took the ball past the Korean markers on the left before sending a nicely weighted ground ball to the centre where Azmoun was running alongside his marker. Azmoun cleverly deflected the ball into the far corner where the Korean keeper was over stretched but unable to prevent the goal.

After the goal , Iran was more focused on controlling the ball and exchanging passes. They were excellent on all fronts. The match continued on the same rhythm all the way with the Koreans unable to threaten Biranvand and completely overwhelmed by the tight Iranian defence. The Korean frustration showed in the number of fouls committed in the match.

Ashkan Dejagah was masterful in the midfield as he was leading by example. Dejagah with his skills. ball control and ball distribution made the difference for Iran.  Saeid Ezatolahie is improving with every match and his supporting role to Dejagah completed an almost perfect performance for Iran’s midfield. 

It must be disappointing for Uli Stielike to witness his players hardly creating a single scoring chance in the match . It is even more worrying for the German when his star-studded team with many playing in Europe looked nothing better than an ordinary Asian team that no one seems to fear anymore. 

It is no secret that SON Heung min cares more for his Tottenham career than playing for his country and this match showed that the most expensive and most glamorous Asian player needs really to step up his performance and show his worth if he cares about glory for his nation.

Iran now leads the table going into the long break. Both the results and performance must have been quite satisfying for the fans and critics. Korea on the other hand needs to find a few answers before they find themselves out of the run in this closely fought group.

Man of the Match : ASHKAN DEJAGAH

 

# Team MP W D L F A D P Last 5 matches
1 4 3 1 0 4 0 +4 10 WWDW
2 4 3 0 1 4 1 +3 9 WLWW
3 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 7 LWDW
4 4 1 1 2 1 2 -1 4 LWDL
5 4 1 0 3 3 6 -3 3 WLLL
6 4 0 1 3 2 6 -4 1 LLDL

Religious leaders: “Turn Azadi into Azadari (Mourning) place”

Team Melli players and fans are in  real dilemma for Tuesday’s game against South Korea in the 4th round of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers.

Tuesday is Tasooa and the following day Ashoora is commemorated by Shi’a Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hossein ibn Ali , the grandson of Prophet Mohammad at the Battle of Karbala. These days are marked by mourning and no major activities or celebrations are conducted in Iran.

As the FIFA plan for the match against South Korea coincided with Tasooa , Iran’s FA requested a change of date as a sign of respect for the mourning periods in the Shia Islamic calendar. FIFA , AFC and South Korea all refused the Iranian request due to the busy world football calendar , a decision which put a lot of pressure on the football administrators and the IRIFF headed by Mehdi Taj who was in an unenviable position.

After it was clear that the game must go ahead as schedule, the president of IRIFF declared that his federation is under the command of the government and will obey any directive. Iran refusal to play the match, technically considered a withdrawal, would have been excessively costly and virtually would have signaled the end of the competition for Team Melli as the ruling body FIFA could disqualify Iran from the World Cup for withdrawing from a match. It also would have wiped all the 3 matches result.

The situation created an immense pressure on the government of the pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani. His opponents, the religious hardliners, found it an opportunity to discredit him and accuse his administration of showing disrespect to the Imam and bowing to foreign external (…) pressure!

The hapless IRIFF executives, the players, who could only observe in silence and the media, were all nervously awaiting the verdict on the match and whether the hardliners, a very small group in numbers but powerful and actively backed by Ayatollah Khamanei, would have their way by ushering the crowds to Hosseinia (mourning places) instead of Azadi stadium.

Sanity prevailed at the end, and the match was allowed to go on as per schedule. The hardliners and the religious hierarchy realized that they would be committing a grave mistake if they stood against playing the match. If Iran pulled out of the match and subsequently disqualified from the world most prestigious football competition, the history would have never forgotten that neither would have the passionate football loving fans. The popularity of the religious factions in Iran, already on shaky ground and beaten in many battles especially after the Nuclear Treaty with the west, would have dipped even further if Team Melli was victimized. Simply said, there was far too much at stake on one single football match.

Not entirely content with defeat however, the religious hierarchy is warning against any chants that express joy or enjoyment during the game on Tuesday and instead they are urging the crowds in Azadi to turn it into black and conduct the traditional azadari (mourning) instead of singing and chanting for Team Melli!

The Imam Juma of Tehran who leads the Friday sermon declared that he will be watching the crowd action very closely for any inappropriate behavior in Azadi that would be disrespectful to the memory of Imam Hossein. For all intents and purposes, that means any signs of joy normally associated with scoring a goals is deemed an insult and disrespectful.

It is one very complicated situation the like of it has never occurred in Tehran Azadi stadium. The illustrious and passionate Iranian fans have always adapted and normally carry a few tricks up their sleeves. Leaders of the fans, no doubt will be closely watched by the secret police and religious minders, would be urged and pressured to exercise azadari (mourning) rituals and the fans to follow them.

 What about the players?

Although none of them would like to be targeted by the religious hard-liners, however, even if they do celebrate scoring a goal or two, they would hardly be considered traitors to the cause while playing for the country. The religious hard-liners in Iran are mostly a pressure group in the parliament and unlike the Saudi extremist wahabis , the Shia equivalents are non-violent and much more savvy and wary of the public sentiments.

 

 

 

UZBEKISTAN 0-1 IR IRAN

Tashkent

Tashkent: A Jalal Hosseini header ended Uzbekistan’s 100% record in third round qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup as Islamic Republic of Iran defeated the Central Asians 1-0 in Tashkent on Thursday.

Uzbekistan came into the tie on the back of 1-0 wins over Syria and Qatar, but Hosseini’s goal on 27 minutes proved the difference maker as Carlos Queiroz’s team picked up their seventh point in three games to remain unbeaten so far.

Samvel Babayan’s side tried to respond in the second half but having lost playmaker Server Djeparov to injury just before the break, the White Wolves failed to breakdown a stout Iranian defence and suffered their first defeat of the qualifying campaign.

“I think we deserved this victory,” said Queiroz. “Uzbekistan also played well, but they controlled the ball in their area. We tried to go on the counterattack when we took ball.

“We didn’t give many chances to Uzbekistan. They didn’t show their usual performance, and that was to our advantage. We blocked them every time they had dangerous shots and I congratulate my team on this positive result.

“I think the battle for the World Cup will continue. We took three points today, but we need more victories and points. It is just one more step towards our target. If any team makes any mistake in Tashkent they will lose.”

Uzbekistan went into the game without captain Odil Akhmedov due to his inability to recover from injury, while Queiroz made a raft of changes to his midfield and attack with an eye on the crunch match with Korea Republic on Tuesday.

One of those changes, Reza Goochannejhad, could have opened the scoring inside 10 minutes but he sliced his volley high and wide after he was picked out inside the area by full-back Ramin Rezaeian’s fine cross.

Iran did go in front before the half hour mark, though, as centre-back Hosseini connected with a smart header from Masoud Shojaei’s inswinging free-kick from the right that left goalkeeper Aleksandr Lobanov helpless.

The hosts suffered a further blow five minutes before half-time as two-time AFC Player of the Year and captain on the night Djeparov was withdrawn from the field in a great deal of discomfort to be replaced by Alexander Geynrikh.

Uzbekistan begun the second period strongly and pushed forward in search of the leveller but struggled to penetrate the Iran backline.

Inside the final 20 minutes, substitute Jaloliddin Masharipov was brought down on the edge of the area in a hugely promising position but Geynrikh’s free-kick summed up Uzbekistan’s night as it hit the wall and rebounded away harmlessly.

And Iran could have ended the match even more comfortably as Sardor Azmoun, a second half replacement for Ghoochannejhad, played in Vahid Amiri but Lobanov was quick off his line to deny the midfielder, but Queiroz’s team still managed to see out the remaining minutes unscathed.

“Unfortunately we lost the game,” said Babayan. “The players tried to battle until the end of the match, but we couldn’t create chances without Akhmedov. We created some moments, but the team didn’t realise them. Now we have the next game and we need to pay attention to it.

“We lost the fight in the first 30 minutes tonight. Besides that, we couldn’t create any chances through the middle and those were the main reasons for our defeat tonight. We can’t play well in midfield without Akhmedov. Our defenders played well, but we lost many battles in the centre.”

Photos: Lagardère Sports.

Full marks for Team Melli vs. Uzbekistan

Team Melli shared the top of the table in Group A of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2018 after beating Uzbekistan 1-0 in the capital city of Tashkent. The lone goal of the game came from a header by Seyed Jalal Hosseini from an immaculate free kick by the rejuvenated Masoud Shojaei.

Iran and South Korea are both on 7 points after the third round of the qualifiers with Uzbekistan following closely on their heels with 6 points.

Queiroz , who must have been disappointed with the last two games of Team Melli made a major change in the starting line up. Dejagah , Azmoun , Teymourian were all benched, in their places Amiri, Taremi and Ghoochannejad started the match.

Despite the solidly built defensive team, Iran was in fact the side that took the initiative and for over 20 minutes attacked the host not allowing a single coordinated attack on Biravand goal in the process. Team Melli could very well have been 1-0 up in the first 15 minute except for the narrow miss by Ghoochannejad.

Before the half hour, Team Melli scored from a beautiful set play and an immaculate cross by  Masoud Shojaeui. The midfielder who was carrying the Captain’s armband for the first time , sent his perfect free kick from the left flank towards the box where Jalal Hosseini met it with a powerful header past the hapless Lobanov.

The first half ended 1-0 for Team Melli .

In the second , the home side took the initiative but all to no avail. Alireza Biranvand, excellent on crosses, hardly had any save to make during the half and the match for that matter. Iran’s defence marshalled by Hosseini and the excellent Pouraliganji was more than a handful for the Uzbek players who could not pass Go! The only question mark was the form of Milad Mohammadi who seemed to be uncertain and occasionally wild at some of his plays.

Carlos Queiroz introduced Azmoun , and Jahanbakhsh in the 2nd half and the duo’s substitution nearly produced a goal to increase Iran’s lead. Finally Teymourian was introduced to solidify the midfield defensive power.

It was an excellent performance by Team Melli. Much more slick ball movement and smoother touches while the number of fruitless crosses decreased significantly against the towering Uzbek defenders.

The next match at Azadi on Tuesday against South Korea will clarify the shape of the qualification.

 

Uzbekistan v. Iran : match preview

This is hardly a do-or-die match for Team Melli, nevertheless a crucial one in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers double header.  They don’t come more difficult than that as the first match tomorrow in Tashkent is against table leader Uzbekistan with maximum points from two matches, followed by a home game on Tuesday against their nemesis, South Korea.

Iran is setting comfortably between these two opponents in the table with 4 points, a narrow defeat in Tashkent will not be the end of the road, but a good result in Azadi is crucial.

Queiroz has managed to build a solid back line and his defensive mentality has served the team quite well so far. However, this team needs winners as it needs to score goals. The ingredients are there but what is lacking though is a game plan that can surprise the opponents most of whom are so familiar with Queiroz mentality and can so neutralize Team Melli with ease.

In fairness to the coach, it is difficult to blame him entirely for the futile offence as the feeding of balls to the forward line has been seriously flawed. Ashakn Dejagah , who is the midfield dynamo and a player that the team depends on so strongly in midfield has not been firing on all cylinders. He lacked precision and seemed to run short of ideas at crucial moments. Ezatolahie who has shown a remarkable progress in his club still could not run the midfield with the efficiency that senior players can. Teymourian will be too occupied with his defensive duties and would not venture too deep either.

So, it is left to the qualities of the balls from the flanks to create much of the offensive weapons where Sardar Azmoun will be waiting and fighting the battle against the tall and strong Uzbeks. Mentioning Sardar, who has been a true revelation for Iran, he really needs to be at his best in these two matches

It is all a question of will. Does Queiroz have the guts to surprise the Uzbek at their own home or will he maintain his cautious approach? Most probably it will be the latter with the Portuguese coach who is much more comfortable holding back rather than venturing forward.

 

Samvel Babayan, Uzbekistan
“Thursday’s game see us come up against the group favorites. They are the number one ranked team in Asia and they have many high level players playing at European teams. But we have studied Iran very well and we will try to show good football.

“They are all strong teams at this stage of qualifying. For example, Syria showed a good performance against both us and Korea Republic in the first two matches. Each game we play becomes the most important game at this stage. But we are thinking only of Iran now. We watched many of their games and we will try to find way to beat them. My players are ready for any situation in the match and our aim is to win.”

iran-v-uae_coach Queiroz

Carlos Queiroz, Iran
“We will play against the best team in our group on Thursday. Uzbekistan won their first two matches and are leaders in Group A. Nonetheless, my team will try to secure the win for the Iranian people. My team is clearly improving year on year. When I began to work in Iran we had only one player playing for a European side, now we have 11 who are at various clubs in Europe.

“[Ashkan] Dejagah and [Alireza] Jahanbakhsh were injured some time ago, but they have recovered and are ready to play against Uzbekistan. It is good news for Iran and bad news for Uzbekistan. Of course, Iran has star players aside from those two, we are a team not individuals, and we have no player selection issues for the game.”

Sardar Azmoun injury concern.

Team Melli center forward Sardar Azmoun was injured and taken to hospital by an ambulance during Friday’s match between FC Rostov vs. Krylya Sovetov Samara in the Russian Premier League.

Sardar was substituted in for Dimitry Poloz in the 64th minutes. Rostov won 2-1 to climb the table to 4th place with 10 points from 6 matches.

Early report indicates a suspected injury to the arm, however no confirmation was given on his status. FC Rostov will be meeting Bayern Munich in their first ever appearance in the UEFA Champions League group stages.

Team Melli’s next game will be away to Uzbekistan on the 6th October in Matchday 3 of the FIFA WC Russia 2018 third round qualifiers. Iran is in the second place behind leaders Uzbekistan with 4 points. The Uzbek has two victories against Syria and Qatar.