Tag: FIFA World Cup 2018

Queiroz “We will request to move Qatar match to Tabriz”

Team Melli head coach suggested that the first match against Qatar in the final rounds of FIFA World Cup 2018 should be moved to Tabriz’z Yadegar Imam  stadium because of friendlier atmosphere!

“I have asked Mr. Taj to move our match against Qatar to Tabriz because they treat us much better there.”  Queiroz said in a statement to the press after the conclusion of the Team Melli practise session in Azadi this afternoon.  Iran has always played major Team Melli games in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. The last time a match was played in Tabriz was 16 years ago. A decision to move to Tabriz, would should surely antagonize Queiroz fans in Tehran. Queiroz did not mention how he figured out the friendlier atmosphere in Tabriz while he never experienced playing there with Team Melli.

Queiroz who is never far from controversy , hostility and a battles against his alleged enemies, also had some harsh words for the Manager of Azadi sport complex. He accused the person without naming him of being an enemy of Team Melli  and treating his squad with contempt.! 

It is believed that this idea of moving to Tabriz is more directed to the alleged bad treatment of the stadium  management rather than the fans sentiments.

Queiroz said that he will be taking 24 players to Macedonia for the friendly international in Skopje. The final list has not been produced yet pending health report and injury condition on couple of the players.

Queiroz also said that he will present a comprehensive report on the new Team Melli kit to Mehdi Taj , the head of IRIFF , however he declined to disclose any details. Team Melli has just changed its kit to a little known Italian kit supplier.

When confronted by a journalist about his broad and repetitive accusations, a defiant Queiroz admitted that but said “I know that I have been repeating the same things over and over again for a few years now, but as long as these people (…) are there and acting hostile , I will talk. No body can stop me from talking against them and exposing them!”

It is clear that no one seems to dare to stop the Portuguese from trash talking , and it is also clear that many are tired of his rhetorics, however , what really matters is how he will lead his team in the World Cup qualifiers. The competition is tough but Iran is well capable of making the trip to Russia if the Portuguese plays his cards right and not come up with the excuses such as Qatar and China are rich and investing!

 

Tough test for Team Melli.

Team Melli will host Oman in the final round of Group D Asian zone FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers on Tuesday. The match is of a crucial importance to Oman while Team Melli will be entering in the match in a much calmer attitude.

With a superior goal difference by 15, Iran are almost certain to finish on top even if they lose their three-point lead with a defeat to second-placed Oman at the Azadi Stadium.

The Omanis are currently seventh in the rankings of the runners-up but, with only three points separating second from eighth, could make a final day surge by beating Iran.

Oman has always been a tough opponent for Team Melli. In the away match in Muscat , Team Melli managed a draw in a match that the Omani’s were the better team and exposed some vulnerabilities in Team Melli midfield and defense lines.

However, this match will be quite different.

Azadi is like no other venue for the guests, especially when it is filled with passionate Persian mass  fever. The biggest stadium in Asia can hold up to 110, 000 fans and the noise generated buy such mass can take the opponents apart before even the kick off. The Omani’s will find it that much harder to play their football under such environment. Although Azadi is not expected to be full, the fact that the match admission is free and many Iranians are still in Nowrooz holiday, the crowds numbers will be significant.

Carlos Queiroz embarked in another brave move by selecting what was virtually his second team last time against India, Despite some glitches the new look Team Melli managed to score four past India the weakest team of group D. It could have easily been double that figure, though.

Oman on the other hand did not find it so smooth against the resilient and vastly improved Guam in their last match in Muscat. They barely managed to score late in the game to keep their hope of qualification to the next round alive,

Oman is still the underdog in tomorrow’s match, but surprises are aplenty in football. The Wiley Queiroz , will be having a different team this time round as Dejagah , Teymourian and the rest of the first choice players will be back in the lineup to prevent any possible surprises by the Omani’s.

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A look at Guam preparations and prospects.

In less than a month, Guam has once again ascended to its highest-ever FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking – No. 146 in the world – with the latest release published by FIFA.com.

HARMON – The new ranking comes ahead of the Matao’s next set of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Joint Qualification Round 2 fixtures – Sept. 3 against I.R. Iran in Iran and Sept. 8 against Oman in Guam.

“This is a very exciting time for Guam football – just last month I was praising Guam’s national program for reaching the 150s in the world for the first time in history,” said Richard Lai, Guam Football Association President. “Now, we’re in the 140s and ranked above countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia, all with a long history of football achievements in Asia. I am looking forward to see what more we can do. We couldn’t have accomplished what we have in recent years without the full support of FIFA, AFC, EAFF, the local community and business sponsors.”

With the rise in world rank, Guam is also ranked No. 22 in Asia, surpassing 25 other more established football countries in the continent.

“I’m very pleased with the progress the team continues to make in recent years, though I truly feel that Guam has not yet reached its peak,” said Gary White, head coach of the Guam men’s national team. “There really is no limit as to what Guam can achieve in international football as evidenced by the national team’s recent first-ever victories over Turkmenistan and India in June to lead Group D in the joint qualification and many other ‘first-ever’ results in recent years. In fact, before the June matches, hardly anyone took me seriously when I stated that I believed Guam would lead Group D – a group that includes Asia’s No. 1 country, I.R. Iran – at the conclusion of the opening matches of its 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign. 

“With every historical milestone we achieve, we’ll continue to set our standards even higher. This is not only for the team, but for Guam’s entire national football program. There are now certain high expectations to meet each time Guam competes,” White added.

Following the FIFA World Cup Qualifier matches in September, next on the Matao’s schedule is its second fixture against Turkmenistan, scheduled for Oct. 13 in the Central Asian country, followed by a match against India on Nov. 12 in Bangalore. The team returns to Guam for a Nov. 17 match against I.R. Iran at the GFA National Training Center, before waiting until Mar. 24 next year to face Oman in Oman.

Tickets for the upcoming Guam vs Oman match scheduled for Sept. 8 may be purchased beginning this week at GFA. Ticket prices range from $20 to $40 based on seating sections.

guam

Garry white writes:

Since learning of Guam’s opponents, I, along with my coaching staff, have done a considerable amount of research coming to the final stretch before the scheduled matches. Before facing I.R. Iran on Sept. 3, the team will be in a short training camp in Japan, and after the match, will return to Guam for a home match against Oman — a 30-hour flight each way!

With Guam in a considerable lead in group standings, these highly anticipated matches will be closely watched not only by fans from the competing countries, but fans and media around the world, all who have kept the discussion about Guam’s progress and success alive to this day. Fans in Guam will have the rare opportunity to witness the Guam-Oman fixture live, with so much riding on the result of the match.

If you haven’t done so already, buy your tickets at GFA to watch the match against Oman, set to kick off at 4 p.m. on Sept. 8, following the Labor Day holiday. Not only will you be treated to an intense, high-caliber match, but your support may be the necessary fuel for the team’s success, as felt during the Matao’s first two FIFA World Cup Qualifier wins.

The match will be in the same week as the opening Saturday of the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth League, and will hopefully inspire the next generation of the Matao and Masakåda, Guam’s senior national teams.

Gary White, or the “Gaffer,” is Guam Football Association’s technical director and head coach of the men’s national soccer team.

 

Iran to play Japan on October 13th.

The friendly international against Japan has been finalized and will be played on FIFA Day on 13th October 2015 in Azadi Stadium.

The match will come 5 days after Team Melli has played Oman its main Group D rival in FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers in Muscat. This friendly has been discussed  between the two federation but only finalized yesterday to nicely slot between the two teams commitments in the World Cup qualifiers.

Both the Asian giants have stumbled in the first round of FIFA World Cup qualification rounds 2018 with Japan surprisingly being held by Singapore at home, and Iran facing the same against Turkmenistan away. As such , this edition of the competition might be a shade more difficult than both Iran and Japan has expected and matches like this friendly will be beneficial for the two main contenders for a place in World Cup 2018 finals in Russia.

The friendly in Tehran will be the first between the two teams in 10 years . The last time the two have met was in the World Cup 2006 qualifiers where Iran lost 2-1 in Yokohama. None of the players in that match will be featuring in the October friendly.

The Iran and Japan rivalry goes back to the fifties of last century. The two teams met for the first time in the Asian Games 1951  semi-finals in New Delhi, where the match ended goal-less. In the replay the next day Iran drew first blood and won in a closely fought match 3-2  with 2 goals from Mehdi Masoud-Ansari and one from Masoud Broumand. Japan goals came from Masanori Tokita and Toro Kagawa.

16 matches have been played between the teams with Iran edging Japan by 6 wins against 5. 5 matches were drawn.

Disappointing draw for Team Melli.

Team Melli was unable to capitalize on its supremacy in the match against Turkmenistan and ended the match in a 1-1 draw in the first match of Group D of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers. These rounds of matches are also considered as the qualifiers for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

The match started brightly for Team Melli taking full control. The goal came as early as the 4th minute when the Sardar Azmoun dribbled past two defenders before slotting the ball at an acute angle between the Turkmen Goalkeeper and the upright. Team Melli was 1-0 up and threatening to run riot.

The match continued its one way direction with chances one after other being missed by Iran. Amiri, Torabi , and Heydari all had good chances to score but the 2nd goal was not coming. Nikita Gorbunov standing firm in Turkmenistan goal.

Turkmenistan finally reached Iran goal after 16 minutes, however that first attempt exposed the shaky Haghighi who was not too confident against the shot.

Heydari then sent a perfect cross from the right, met majestically by the flying Azmoun who headed powerfully against crossbar with Nikita Gorbunov stranded, the ball was cleared on the rebound.

SHOCK GOAL

And then an amazing lapse of concentration in the back of Team Melli resulted in an unexpected equalizer for the host. The Turkmen midfielder passed Hajsafy with ease, then outrun Ando Teymourian to cross, with both Pejman Montazeri and Hossein Kanani just watching. Ruslan Mingazov came from behind to pip Ghafoori who was the nearest to the ball to slot an easily ball with Haghighi stranded on the other side of the goal, could not save. An undeserved equalizer for Turkmenistan against a pedestrian Iranian defense.

The manner that the goal was conceded must worry Queiroz. Certainly not acceptable for a team that is looking to reach the world cup.

The 1st half ended 1-1 in a half that Iran has controlled and should have been 2 or 3 goals up. However , there were gaps in the performance and some profligacy by players especially Masoud Shojaei. This player seems to be permanently fixed player although his form for the last few years has been abysmal with club and country. Queiroz obsession with this player is an enigma!

Nevertheless, even Queiroz , his ardent supporter must have realized that the pedestrian Shojaei was a liability and rightly replaced by Omid Ebrahimi in the second half.

SECOND HALF

The 2nd half of the match started in the same manner as the first. Iran had much of the ball and several half chances were created. Weak finishing prevented Team Melli regaining the command of this match.

Mehdi Taremi committed a totally unnecessary foul to get himself booked while he was on the pitch on for a few minutes only. Another player that might be a source of concern.

With the match continuing, Turkmenistan players grew more confident and more aggressive in this half as the result of scoring the goal and managing to stop Iran from scoring further.

Haghighi blunder nearly cost Team Melli when he fumbled the ball after a mild shot, Kanani cleared the rebound.

Ruslan Mingazov came close for the hosts with a thunderous shot that beat Haghighi but also was wide of the upright.

In the last quarter of the match, Team Melli continued pressing using the good old crosses, which seemed to be the only option. Several crosses ended up with Azmoun and Taremi who missed the target by small margins.

This tactics of crosses was the result of the bad pitch that did not aid playing on the floor and also due to the parking the bus of Turkmenistan. The only shortcoming was all the crosses came from the right side as Team Melli had little options from the left, something that Queiroz must be worried about.

And then the Turkmen players started time wasting as early as the 70th minute!

The onslaught by Team Melli continued right to the end without a result. Alarmingly the only shot on target from distance came right at the end of the match when Ando released a ferocious shot in 88th minute. Gorbunov only parried the ball then cleared by the defense.

 At the end, it was a disappointing result for Team Melli. This team is definitely work in progress, There are obvious shortcomings one of which is the acute shortage of creative players. The midfield is simply short of idea and skills to feed the forwards.

Uzbekistan vs. Iran : Match preview

Despite a disappointing AFC Asian Cup 2015 , Mirjalal Qasimov is determined to bounce back strongly in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The friendly against Iran at Bunyodkor’s Metropolitan Stadium, Tashkent is seen as tough test against the top ranked Asian team before starting the long road in the qualifiers. A strong showing by Qasimov’s men will augur well for their first match against North Korea away in Puyong Yang.

Mirjalal Qasimov – Head Coach of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s top priority is making it to the FIFA World Cup 2018 being held next door in Russia. Nothing short of qualification for their first ever World Cup will be satisfactory for the Uzbek who seem to have put all their resources into this project.

Uzbekistan is going through a transition where the older generation has all but disappeared and Qasimov is counting on young promising players to achieve their objective. Players like Sardor Rashidov of Bunyodkor  was excellent in the AFC Asian Cup 2015 while Igor Sergeyev (Pakhtakor) and Ikrom Aliboev are awaiting their chances to shine for their country.

Qasimov still has some of the veterans on hand. Former AFC Player of the year Server Djeparov (2008 and 2011)  and the tough tackling Vitaliy Denisov are still part of the squad but playing peripheral roles. Their experience is considered vital by Qasimov in their quest to make it to Russia in 2018.

7 Uzbek players make their living abroad including  Fazil Musayev who had quite a successful season in Iran’s winning the league title with Sepahan Esfahan.

 

Iran

Iran on the other hand , is considered on of the favorites to make it to the FIFA World Cup 2018. Like Uzbekistan , this match will be a stern test and a good warm up for Carlos Queiroz who found Uzbekistan quite a tough nut to crack when they last met in the qualifiers of the last World Cup.

It is not expected that Queiroz will divert away from his solid defensive game plan. With the skeleton of the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Asian Cup team , Queiroz will continue with the same strategy minus Javad Nekounam who has retired from international football.

The most significant blow to Queiroz will be the absence of Ashkan Dejagah , one of Iran’s best players for the last few years. However , with the excellent Vahid Amiri in form and the emergence of Ehsan Hajsafy in midfield, Dejagah’s absence will be minimized.

The only real concern for Queiroz will be in the goal. Team Melli might find it tough going without a quality keeper between the posts.

 

Prediction

It is expected to be a tight and closed match with  the most likely result being  goalless or a small margin win for either sides. Entertainment value is not expected to be high.

 

 

Match details

UZBEKISTAN vs. IRAN

Venue: Bunyodkor’s Metropolitan Stadium,

City : Tashkent

date: Thursday 11th June  2015

Time: 17:30 (Tehran)  13:00 GMT

 

 

 

IRAN vs. UZBEKISTAN

Head to Head results

H / A / N Matches W D L Goals + / –
Home 1 0 0 1 0 – 1 -1
Away 2 1 1 0 1 – 0 +1
Neutral 2 2 0 0 6 – 1 +5
Total 5 3 1 1 7 – 2 +5

 

Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
14.11.2012 World Cup Qualifier H 0 – 1 Azadi Stadium , Tehran 40,000
03.06.2012 World Cup Qualifier A 1 – 0 JAR Stadium -Tashkent 9,000
05.09.2009 Friendly A 0 – 0 Tashkent / Pakhtakor 9,500
11.07.2007 Asian Cup / Group C N 2 – 1 National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 3,000
14.12.1998 Asian Games N 4 – 0 Suphachalasai 2,500

 

UZBEKISTAN Squad

# Players’ name Date of birth Football Club

Goalkeepers
1 Eldor Suyunov -1991 Nasaf
2 Akbar Turaev -1989 Bunyodkor
3 Ignatiy Nesterov- 1983 Lokomotiv

Defenders
4 Anzur Ismoilov- 1985 Changchun Yatai, China
5 Shavkat Mullajanov -1986 Lokomotiv
6 Shukhrat Muhammadiev -1989 Nasaf
7 Egor Krimets -1992 Pakhtakor
8 Islom Tuhtahodžaev -1989 Lokomotiv
9 Vitaliy Denisov -1987 Lokomotiv, Russia
10 Akmal Šorahmedov -1986 Bunyodkor
11 Farrukh Sajfiev- 1991 Nasaf

Midfielder
12 Aziz Haydarov- 1985 Al Shabab U.A.E.
13 Odil Ahmedov- 1987  -Krasnodar, Russia
14 Server Djeparov -1983 -Ulsan, Hyundai
15 Lutfulla Turaev -1988 -Lokomotiv
16 Sandzhar Tursunov- 1987 vorskla, Ukraine
17 Sardor Rashidov -1991 Bunyodkor
18 Shohrukh Gadoev- 1991 Nasaf
19 Ikrom Aliboev -1994
20 Khasanov Jasur – Locomotive 1983 Lokomotiv
21 Fazil Musayev – 1989 Sepahan, Iran

Forwards
22 Zohir Kuzibaev -1986 Mash’al
23 Nasimov Baҳodir – 1987 Padideҳ Eron
24 Igor Sergeyev -1993 Pakhtakor

Team Melli’s training camp in Turkey is off.

Team Melli’s proposed camp in Turkey is off , according to Team Manager Afshin Peyrovani.

The camp was scheduled for 2nd June to 9th in Istanbul or Ankara, however due to various logistical and financial difficulties, the camp is now canceled, Peyrovani said to the reporters.

The Manager of Team Melli went in length to explain all the reasons behind the cancelation but at the end, it was apparent that money or lack of it was the main reason for cancelation of the training camp in preparation to the Turkmenistan game.

Peyrovani added that Team Melli will be flying to Uzbekistan on a chartered flight and then proceed to the city of Daşoguz , Turkmenistan for the opener match of Iran’s FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification rounds. Peyrovani explained in details on who is paying for the cost of each leg of the flights!

On the subject of the venue, it is apparent that the AFC competitions commission has turned down FFIRI’s protest against the venue and the match is cleared to be played at Turkmenistan’s 3rd largest city. There was no reason to reject Daşoguz just because it is 600 km away from the capital.

As it is becoming fairly obvious that cost and expenditure is a major concern for FFIRI and Team Melli, expenses and cost are mentioned on every opportunity.  FFIRI seems to have difficulty in meeting the requirements of the squad including logistics.  Peyrovani talked about the proposal by Guam to play both legs of the matches in the Group D of the World Cup qualifiers in Iran. The suggestion from the Pacific nation is conditional on Iran paying for the expenses of the Guam squad including air fares. Peyrovani said the suggestion sounds good and it will be seriously considered. “If that is approved, one of the matches with Guam will be played in another Iranian City away from Tehran to allow the fans to watch their national team.”

No doubt that the accountant in FFIRI HQ is busy counting bearing the cost of Guam in Tehran versus flying to  Hagåtña in Guam some  9445 km (5869 miles) away. Both teams will be travelling a good 17 to 18 hours to reach destination considering a good connection in at least two airports for connecting flights.

Typical Flight Times:

Tehran to Manila 13:15 hours (transit through one of the Persian Gulf airports)

Manila  to Guam 3:55 hours

Three countries request to play World cup qualifying matches in Iran.

Due to security situation prevailing in their countries, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have applied to the Iranian football federation and the government to play the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying home games on Iranian soils.

As Team Melli has its own schedule and since the matches are conducted on the same day in each round, complicated scheduling and arrangements have to be carried out in order to accommodate all the three countries request.

All these countries are important political allies for Iran and the welcoming rug has been extended by the government, however, the logistics and timing will prevent the availability of the stadiums for 4 teams at the same time.

Afghanistan is the first country to think of withdrawing its request to play on Iranian soils although it is the team that has the most fans in Iran. A recent youth tournament attracted over 90,000 Afghan fans in Azadi. Alireza Aghazadeh, the secretary of Afghanistan Football federation has said “The Iranian authorities and federation have been quite accommodating and welcomed our request. We know that Iraq and Syria have requested the same, so we need to be fair and look elsewhere. Syria is in our group which makes it even more complicated playing in Iran. We are looking at Tajikistan and UAE to host our matches.”

Afghanistan will be hosting Syria in the first match. As yet, the venue has not been decided.

FFIRI complains to AFC about Turkmenistan venue change.

Ali Kaffashian has confirmed that his administration has lodged a written complaint with the AFC in regards to the venue change of the upcoming match between Turkmenistan and Iran.

The host Turkmenistan, Iran’s neighbor to the north, has moved the venue form the capital city Ashgabat to the third largest city  Daşoguz ,  600 miles north of the capital. This city is right on the boarder of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and farthest away from Iranian boarders.

The move is a ploy by the Turkmen in order to discourage Iranian fans from Khorasan and Golestan from travelling to attend the match and support Team Melli. The two teams will be meeting on 16th June in Group ‘D’ of the Asian Zone Qualifications round of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Kaffashian said “We have told AFC that we cannot play at that venue and it has to be changed.” The president of FFIRI did not give any specific reasons for the request nor did he indicate if the AFC has responded to Iran’s request.

Meanwhile, the friendly match against Japan is still on according to Kaffashian. “We will play this game either in Oman or here in Tehran. We shall finalize that in due time.”

Commenting on Team Melli’s training camp in Turkey, Kaffashian said it is 50-50. “We have to wait and see on that although our preference is to conduct that camp for the benefit of the team. In any case, there are no friendly matches arranged in Turkey.”

Kaffashian was speaking to reporters before his departure to Zurich to attend FIFA 61st General Assembly Congress.

dashoguz