Tag: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers

Late strikes secure Iran victory against Lebanon

Group A: Late strikes secure IR Iran victory against Lebanon

Saida: Stoppage time goals from Sardar Azmoun and Ahmad Nourollahi saved the Islamic Republic of Iran at Saida International Stadium on Thursday as Dragan Skocic’s side claimed a dramatic 2-1 win over Lebanon in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar 2022.
Azmoun showed his predatory instincts once again for his country as he cancelled out Soony Saad’s opportunistic first half opener before Nourollahi smashed home a low drive to earn the visitors all three points as the qualification campaign for Qatar 2022 reaches the halfway stage.
It was a remarkable escape for the five-time FIFA World Cup qualifiers, who remain on top of Group A as a result of win that broke the hearts of a Lebanese side that looked set to hold on for a historic victory.
The Iranians move on to 13 points and stay two clear of Korea Republic at the summit of Group A while Lebanon remain on five points from the first five games of the campaign.  The result, though, was a cruel blow for Ivan Hasek’s side, who put on a disciplined defensive performance that frustrated their visitors until deep into injury time.
IR Iran started the game on the front foot and seemed set to dominate when, with less than four minutes on the clock, Alireza Jahanbakhsh saw his shot was deflected wide for a corner after Vahid Amiri had danced through the Lebanese defence.

Goalkeeper Mostafa Matar had to be alert in the 28th minute when the Lebanese midfield stood off Jahanbakhsh as the PSV Eindhoven winger drove into the home half before unleashing a long-range effort that was tipped over the bar.

In the 37th minute, however, the hosts took an unlikely lead. Hasek’s side had made few incursions into the Iranian half but a cross from wide on the right touchline by Abbas Asi caught out a defence that expected the ball to sail out of play.
Instead, the strong wind from behind the Iranian goal held the ball up and Saad, the only player alert to the situation, controlled with a deft first touch before clipping a neat finish over a startled Alireza Beiranvand.
The Lebanese almost doubled the lead 10 minutes into the second half when Beiranvand’s mishit clearance fell at the feet of Mohamad Haidar, but his attempt was deflected wide for the home side’s first corner of the game.
That was a rare sight of goal for a Lebanese side that started to drop deeper as the second period wore on.
Azmoun looked set to equalise as the half approached the midway point only for Matar to push the Zenit St Petersburg man’s right-foot shot over the bar while Ali Gholizadeh squandered another opening 12 minutes from time.
Azmoun, though, finally broke through in the first minute of added time with a trademark finish from inside the area as the pressure finally paid off and, four minutes later, Nourollahi smashed his drive home from the edge of the area to cap a remarkable comeback for Skocic’s team.

Lebanon all hyped up for the match vs Iran

Saida: Lebanon captain Hassan Maatouk will miss his country’s Group A clash in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar 2022 against Iran on Thursday with a shoulder injury as Ivan Hasek’s side look to build on last month’s win over Syria.
The Lebanese will host the Group A leaders, who dropped their first points of the campaign when they drew with the Korea Republic in Tehran in October, at Saida Municipal Stadium in Saidon sitting in third place following their victory against the Syrians in Amman.
Sweden-based midfielder George Felix Melki and Al Nejmeh defender Kassem El Zein are available for Lebanon after serving one-match bans while goalkeeper Moustafa Matar is expected to feature despite picking up a shoulder injury playing for Al Ahed last weekend.
“After the performance, we had against Syria in the last match we proved that we can beat any team,” said midfielder Nader Matar. “There is great determination in our team and we promise our fans to give our best in this match in order to get a positive result.”
Lebanon, who are unbeaten in their last 12 games on home soil, are third in Group A with five points from their first four games and trail the Iranians by five points as the group approaches the halfway point.
Only the top two teams in the group are guaranteed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with the third-placed finishers entering into a series of playoffs.
Dragan Skocic’s side started their campaign to secure the country a third successive FIFA World Cup qualification – and sixth in total – with three wins in a row before being held to a 1-1 draw by the second-placed Koreans.
The Croatian has not selected Porto striker Mehdi Taremi for the games against both Lebanon and Syria, who they face on November 16, while defenders Morteza Pouraliganji and Aref Gholami as well as Turkey-based midfielder Ali Karimi have been ruled out due to injury.
The game will be the first between the two countries since they faced off in qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 in November 2013. The Iranians won that game 4-1.
Lebanon and Iran last met in FIFA World Cup qualifying earlier the same year, with the Carlos Queiroz-coached Team Melli notching up a comfortable 4-0 victory in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.
Lebanon v IR Iran
Venue: Saida Municipal Stadium (Saida)
Kickoff: November 11, 20:00 (UTC+2)

Karim Bagheri update on Team Melli.

Karim Bagheri has been loaned to Team Melli as an administrator and advisor. He recently commented on the latest situation of the Team Melli squad which is preparing for two crucial matches against Lebanon and Syria in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers,

Bagheri said: “No match is an easy one, especially at this stage of the competition where all teams are trying to get the results to qualify for the World Cup. The same goes for Lebanon. This team (Lebanon) is playing at home and is determined to achieve the best result.” He added: “on the other hand, our side is the national team of Iran with the best players it has. We always do our best to get good results in every match. It is important for our national team to win this one. We also have a tough game ahead against Syria. In these few days, we have prepared ourselves well and the players are ready to play hard with good recovery and training.”

Referring to the team’s training in Lebanon on artificial turf, the national team coach emphasized: “The first training session was held on artificial turf because the situation did not allow us to train on natural grass. We have this issue on Tuesday as well, but this is no excuse at all as we will practice with all our might on the main field the day before the game.”

Regarding the controversy created after dropping Mehdi Taremi from the latest Team Melli list, Bagheri said: “In the last few days, things happened that created a lot of conflict and disputes. These disagreements and conflicting opinions have always existed in football. On the subject of Skocic and Taremi, our media friends could have reflected the issues much better and more rationally. We have two important games ahead. All the media outlets could have paused and kept the issue under control until we finish with these two games and then proceed to discuss and comment on the issue.”

He pointed out “There was a lot of talk in these few days. Mr. Skocic, Mr. Khorshidi  (the Manager of Team Melli) and I called Taremi several times to resolve any problems. Dialogue can solve problems. We could have arrested this controversy, but unfortunately, Taremi did not answer me or Mr. Skocic!” Karim Bagheri emphasized: “The last person told me to call Mehdi, but I already have called him twice, unfortunately – Taremi did not answer. He could have his own reasons for such. God willing, these problems will be solved and Mehdi will return to the national team. Mehdi is one of our most in-form players, both in the national team and his club. He works hard and has made very good progress in his career. We do not deny this. “

The coach of the Iranian national team clarified: “If Mehdi had talked to me or Skocic, the case would have been settled more easily. Mehdi’s failure to speak fueled this problem. I ask everyone not to drag this issue by blowing it out of proportion. I see on some sites that they are polling who is right and who is lying!! Support the national team because this team is for Iran and not for one or two people. We have to look at the national team as a whole. I ask the press, television, and media to support the national team. Creating controversy, inflating the situation could have negative effects on the squad. Only the name of the national team should matter, not the interest of a person. We need to come out heads high after these two games.”

Iran is playing Lebanon on 11th November in Sidon.

Lebanon-Iran : WC qualifiers preview

Team Melli will meet Lebanon in Sidon to consolidate its position at the top of the table in Group A of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar qualifiers. This is the final round before the midway stage of the robin format as the qualifiers will resume against Syria 5 days later.

While Iran topping the table is not much of a surprise, Lebanon’s third-place ranking is certainly is as the Lebanese team started the qualifiers as the lowest ranking team in the group. However,  Lebanon picked up their first victory in the group last time out after a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind win against Syria, with a quickfire brace from Mohamad Kdouh and a decisive strike from Soony Saad securing all three points. Lebanon lost narrowly to South Korea while picking up a draw against Iraq.

The Cedars will be looking to continue the momentum but face tough outings against Iran and the UAE in the week ahead. Having played all four of their games away from home so far, though, Ivan Hasek’s side will be eager to take advantage of home comforts in five of their next six matches. Lebanese FA effort to open the gates for the fans at home has failed to materialize as the match against Team Melli will be played without spectators.

Lebanon’s game plan is quite simple. The brute defense even with 8 or 9 players, frustrate the opposition and pray for a counterattack opportunity. Lebanon is a hardly ambitious forward-going team, as they only managed to score in one of the four matches only. Their intensity is in the physical strength of their players and good defensive discipline regime.Torabi against Syria

 For Team Melli, it will be the same as what has transpired so far under Dragan Skocic, except for the absence of Mehdi Taremi. With three wins and a draw against the Koreans, Team Melli will be fighting hard to get the fourth win in Lebanon. There is going to be a minimum of changes in the team lineup with the goalkeeper and defense pretty much unchanged. Where the Team Needs improvement is in the middle of the field as the last matches showed that this area is lacking creativity, enterprise, and a schemer amongst other things. Saman Ghoddos is surprisingly being ignored while he is the one player that can split defenses with his passing and clever positioning. There is no carrier of the ball from the heart of the midfield, a player who can beat one or two markers inside to provide a killer pass for  Azmoun and co. Most penetrations come from the flanks. As such, Skocic’s game plan is quite predictable and can be easily read by the opposition coaches.

Team Melli needs variety in the offensive part, changing of guards, some players’ positions, and tactical variation will do the team a world of good. The inclusion of the Captain and star of Omid team, Yasin Salmani in the squad is one promising move. The exciting 19 years old Sepahan midfielder might just claim a place in the lineup and make his international debut. It will be a gallant move by Skocic and could silence many of his critics.

With an opposing team that can frustrate you and presses hard on the ball carrier, it is important for the Team Melli players to keep their composure, especially with Lebanon resorting to simulation, time-wasting, and many other tricks to frustrate the Team Melli players.

FIFA RANKING

November 2021

IRAN LEBANON
World Ranking 22 92
Points 1545 1250
Asia Ranking 1 15
Highest Ever Ranking 22 81
Lowest Ever Ranking 122 161
Average Rank 44 122

PAST 5 GAMES  – IRAN

15/06/21 WQA Iran 1 – 0 Iraq
S. Azmoun 35′
02/09/21 WQA Iran 1 – 0 Syria
07/09/21 WQA Iraq 0 – 3 Iran
69′ M. Taremi
07/10/21 WQA UAE 0 – 1 Iran
70′ M. Taremi
12/10/21 WQA Iran 1 – 1 Korea Republic
0 – 1
1 – 1

PAST 5 GAMES  – LEBANON

3/06/21 ARC Lebanon 1 – 0 Djibouti
02/09/21 WQA UAE 0 – 0 Lebanon
07/09/21 WQA Korea Republic 1 – 0 Lebanon
07/10/21 WQA Iraq 0 – 0 Lebanon
12/10/21 WQA Syria 2 – 3 Lebanon
1 – 0
1 – 1
1 – 2
1 – 3
53′ Soony Saad
2 – 3

Head2Head

In 25 years of competition, Lebanon managed to score two goals only while Team Melli has a handsome 27 against the Lebanese.

The only win for Lebanon came in a World Cup Qualifier.

Venue Matches W D L Goals + / –
Home 4 4 0 0 14 – 0 +14
Away 5 3 1 1 11 – 2 +9
Neutral 1 1 0 0 2 – 0 +2
Total 10 8 1 1 27 – 2 +25

Date Comp. Venue Final score Result Stadium Attendance
19.11.2013 Asian Cup Qualifier A 4 – 1 W Sports City, Beirut xxx
11.06.2013 World Cup Qualifier H 4 – 0 W Azadi Stadium, Tehran 91,300
06.02.2013 Asian Cup Qualifier / Group B H 5 – 0 W Azadi Stadium, Tehran 19,733
11.09.2012 World Cup Qualifier A 0 – 1 L Camille Chamoun Sports City, Beirut 10,000
17.06.2004 WAFF / WAFF H 4 – 0 W Azadi Stadium, Tehran 40,000
28.11.2003 Asian Cup Qualifier H 1 – 0 W Azadi Stadium, Tehran 20,000
19.11.2003 Asian Cup Qualifier A 3 – 0 W Madina Al Riyadhiya, Beirut 5,000
03.09.2002 WAFF / Group 1 N 2 – 0 W Al Abbassyin  Stadium, Damascus 2000
12.10.2000 Asian Cup / Group A A 4 – 0 W Sports City, Beirut 52,418
13.11.1996 Friendly / Friendly A 0 – 0 D Beirut 50,000

Taremi is out of Team Melli squad for Lebanon & Syria matches

The names of twenty-seven players invited to the camp of the Iranian national football team were announced.

Team Melli will face Lebanon and Syria in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers on November 11 and 15, respectively. For this mission, the names of the players invited to the national team by Dragan Skocic were announced as follows:

GOALKEEPERS:Alireza Biranvand ,Amir Abedzadeh ,Payam Niazmand

DEFENDERS: Shoja Khalilzadeh, Hossein Kananzadegan, Majid Hosseini, Siavash Yazdani, Milad Mohammadi, Omid Nourafkan, Sadegh Moharremi, Saleh Hardani, Ehsan Haj Safi

MIDFIELD: Saeed Ezatollahi, Ahmad Nourollahi, Vahid Amiri, Milad Sarlak, Saman Ghoddos, Soroush Rafiei, Yasin Salmani, Ali Gholizadeh, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Torabi,

FORWARDS: Mehdi Ghaedi, Sardar Azmoun, Karim Ansarifard, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, Kaveh Rezaei

The shock of the list, although expected, was the exclusion of Mehdi Taremi.

The FC Porto Player was the best Iranian scorer in the third qualifying round of the World Cup but his remarks against the coach in a social media posting have angered Dragan Skocic.

In a recent interview with the media in his country, Dragan Skocic described Iranian players as lacking in tactical ability, despite past praise: “Iranian footballers are technically and physically strong and are at an enviable level. What they lack, and I see progress there, is tactical ability. Iranian players are still not that good in tactical ability, but in the long run, it can be improved.”

Following that remarks, Porto-based Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi, who scored the most goals for the national team during Skocic’s tenure, tweeted against Skocic: “I have to say that in addition to individual technique, Iranian players and Fighting and.… Have a very high understanding in terms of football knowledge and tactics, but unfortunately, the problems lie. elsewhere. Long Live Iran”.

This issue was associated with a lot of controversy in Iran, forcing the Manager of the national team, Mojtaba Khorshidi, to declare “This is a family problem and it will be solved. There is nothing to worry about.”

Taking Taremi’s place is the young striker Allhyar Sayyadmanesh who has been brilliant this season with Zorya in Ukraine. He has been scoring goals and with his compatriot, Shehab Zahedi helping the club win matches in the Europa Conference league.

Another bright edition is the star of Omid team the 19 years old Yasin Salmani. By far the best player in the recent AFC U23 qualifiers held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the Sepahn Midfielder makes his first appearance in the squad.

Also back on the list are three former players Soroush Rafei, Sivaush Yazdani, and Kaveh Rezaei.

Cracks in the dressing room!!

While Team Melli is comfortably sitting at the top of the table in FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers with a two-point cushion against the closest rival South Korea and 5 points margin against 3rd rank Team, Lebanon, signs of discord and possible conflict are appearing in the squad.

There are always distractors or saboteurs lurking around in Iranian football circles to create controversy with the aim to dictate their agenda by someone stirring up troubles and following the great tradition of creating ” Hashiya”. This time it seems that Skocic is the target while Taremi and Ghoddos are part of the whole episode.

The core of the matter is that Dragan Skocic expressed his opinion about the Iranian footballer’s quality to which Mehdi Taremi took an exception. What Skocic said was nothing far from the truth, as we have witnessed these attributes for decades. Skocic said what accounts to that Iranian players lack technical abilities but physically are the best and capable.
Taremi did not like that and he tweeted against his national team coach perhaps dragging other players into it creating a toxic atmosphere in the dressing room of Team Melli.

Ghoddis’s case is about not being given playing time in the last two matches and his possible absence from the squad for the next match against Lebanon and Syria.

We can all take sides in an argument as people are free to express their opinions however before such decision making one has to look at facts and circumstances when parting judgment.
Taremi is a clear-cut case. He is being silly and as usual, lacks discipline and professionalism, regardless of how many goals he scores. He has undoubted abilities in scoring, his physique is of a great classical forward,  and no one can deny that, however, he is far from a technically accomplished player, yet he is still of great value for Team Melli.

Ghoddos case is more complicated  He is the only Iranian player who plays in the English Premier League and that is no mean feat. He is creative with vision and quality. Ghoddos is the very player that Skocic complains that Iranian teams lack. Yet this skillful creative midfielder that can make an impact on a game is warming the bench!
Whatever the reasons Skocic has for benching Ghoddos, it conflicts with his statement about lack of skill in Iranian footballers. The player has also the right to say that if you don’t want me and I do not get playing time, I might as well stay in London and practice with my club to get better opportunities with Brentford. It is only fair.

Our verdict is with Ghoddos on this despite not knowing the exact details of the reason Goddos left the Azadi without even informing his coach.

One thing that Skocic needs to realize is that needs to keep his words to the absolute minimum. He definitely knows that there are many packs of wolves after him and his job. Despite his immaculate record with Team Melli so far, his name is not Carlos Queiroz so he is not the real charismatic coach that some want. It’s a ridiculous thought, but its is all real with many.

Iranian players sulk if they are criticized and seem to be least comfortable with criticism. They accept and expect nothing short of praise as soon as they turn up. That is a reality that Skocic needs to skillfully deal with. In a football league where coaches blame the earth and the sky and anything in between for their team losses, the management/organization of football is close to comical, a partisan media & fans and lack of strong leadership,  under these circumstances, the Croatian head coach needs to be wise when selecting his word, and wiser in dealing with the players. unfortunately, he can little to change their mentality in a few days where he meets his player.

The improvement of players’ mentality, technical abilities, professionalism, self-discipline, and respect for peers starts at the grassroots level in any country. Iran is no exception. There were the problems lies

So, if Skocic needs to act wisely if he wants to prevail and continue with Team Melli.

Skocic consciously reduced number of midfield players.

The head coach of Team Melli says that he knows that his team has a problem in the middle of the field.

According to ISNA, the Iranian national football team stopped today (Tuesday) in its fourth match in the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar against South Korea with a result of one, one.

“In the first half, we realized that we had a problem in the middle of the field and we tried to reduce the distance between the Iranian and Korean players by making changes,” Iran’s coach Dragan Skocic told a news conference after the match.

“We knew we had a three-on-three duel in the middle of the field. In the second half, we had a better view with the addition of the Nourafkan. In the first half, I was aware that if the two strikers went forward, the balance would be upset, but I did it consciously.”

“All the players did their best,” commenting in a question about Sardar Azmoun’s performance

“Today was not the best day for Sardar, but he is one of our most important and key players. His goal in the previous stage made us reach this stage of the competition and continue the dream. “

Asked what he expects ahead for his team and its mission to qualify for the World Cup, Skocic said explained: “I am not satisfied with the result of today’s draw and I am not convinced, but I must say that Korea was a great team and has world-class players. Today’s game was against our direct opponent. We move forward with positive thinking and we are alert to the shortcomings and need to solve the team’s problems and have a better performance.”

Asked if he was surprised in the first half against Korea, Skocic said: “If you had listened to me, you would have realized that we were not surprised. We consciously decided to have more players on the offensive line and the reason for that was to increase the pressure on their defenses. But when we realized that such a plan is upsetting the team balance, we changed the tactics. We were ready for other events. I repeat that I deliberately reduced the number of midfielders and it was a risk that I accepted as head coach.“

Top of the table clash ends in a draw- Iran 1 – 1 Korea Rep

Team Melli drew 1-1 with Korea Rep in a top-of-the-table clash in Azadi. The hosts scored first in 48th minutes by Son Heung-Min while Iran’s equalizer came through Alireza Jahanbakhsh assisted by Sardar Azmoun.

Both teams adopted a cautious approach in the first half, although the Koreans had the better ball possession at the beginning. Team Melli was content in defending or sending long direct balls to the forwards in the hope that either Azmoun or Taremi beat the solid Korean defense.

The rhythm of the game remained slow and lethargic with far too many easy missed passes by the two teams and both having problems in the final delivery of the ball. Despite the better ball possession, the Koreans have failed to register any shot on goal. As the game was in the last 5 minutes of the first half, it suddenly burst into action.

Sardar Azmoun tested the Korean keeper Kim Seung-Gyu from just inside the box with a powerful shot. The keeper could not control the ball and had to deflect with the ball somehow found Taremi. The FC Porto forward acrobatically hit a scissor kick that badly tested the keeper again, but Kim’s reflex and a fingertip save kept the ball from entering the net.

A third assault followed but to no avail.

Early in the second half, Son Heung-Min did what he does best. With one shift of the body, he easily left Sadegh Moharrami for dead and was one on one with Beiranvand. The Tottenham winger made no mistake finding the net. Iran 0 -1 Korea.

It was then that Team Melli came alive starting with a rather bold substitution by Skocic. He introduced Omid Nourafkan instead of ineffective Gholizadeh.  Nourafkan, who is originally a midfielder would be playing as the left-back and winger. However, it was the same old same old with this player. It only took him 6 minutes to get a yellow card for another silly foul. He is now suspended after two consecutive cards in two games.

The change in game plan was working well for Team Melli but there was always the threat of a quick counterattack. Saeid Ezatollahi hit a delightful shot against the woodwork as Iran was denied an equalizer. The attacks continued while Team Melli’s defenders dealt very well with the Korean counters. The Koreans were unable to penetrate the walls and hardly gave Beiranvand any trouble.

Team Melli equalized on minute 76 when Sardar Azmoun did a brilliant job of following what looked like a wasted ball on the left of Korean keeper Kim who followed the ball initially but retreated when he realized that Sardar was faster and closer to the ball.  Azmoun controlled the difficult ball just before it crossed the line and crossed towards the on-rushing Jahanbakhsh. The team Melli captain scored from a header again to maintain parity with the Koreans. With few minutes left on the match, Taremi hit a swerving shot that once again bounced from the post, the second time in the match that Iran hits the woodwork

In the last minute of injury time, there was a scare for Team Melli but Beiranvand heroically saved his goal and parried a ground shot into a corner kick.

Pre-match Preview Iran vs. Korea Rep. Lessons to be learned.

With Team Melli sitting comfortably at the top, this particular match remains the most crucial of all the matches. A win by Iran will lead to practically unassailable command for Team Melli and 70% of the mission accomplished towards the qualification for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Of course, the results of other matches are also significant, but not as important as the three points of this one.

Korea Rep will always be a tough and uncompromising opponent for Team Melli never mind the Table or the Ranking. The Koreans are 14 places behind Iran in the FIFA Ranking of October 2021 and 59 points behind. No one should be fooled by such numbers though because the Koreans will surely give it all for this particular win.

FIFA RANKING

RK

Team
Total Points
Previous Points

+/-
22
IR Iran
 Iran
1538.08
 1522.04 16.04
26
Japan
 Japan
1520.46
 1529.45 -8.99
32
Australia
 Australia
1493.99
 1477.21 16.78
36
Korea Republic
 Korea Republic
1479.41
 1474.96 4.45

During the Queiroz era, this match would have been the right candidate for combustions. There was no love lost between Queiroz and the Korean coach. Eventually, Queiroz was instrumental in his counterpart losing his job following defeat to Team Melli. That is all settled now as no such hostility exists between Bento and Skocic.

Politics of the game aside, when it comes to the power, tactics, and influential players, the teams are neck and neck. There is, however, a marked decline of standard and form by the Koreans, versus the ascendency and improvement of Team Melli in the last few years, but particularly under Dragan Skocic.  Despite having arguably the best Asian player in its rank, in the shape of Son Heung-min , the Tottenham winger has been less than effective in a team of many new faces. The Iraqi’s managed to close all doors away to the Koreans,  with the match ending goalless. Lebanon was next where the Koreans won by the tightest of margins. Then came the third match against Syria. The match was drawn 1-1 until a momentary lapse of concentration in the 89th minute of the match by the excellent Syrian defense allowed Son Heung-min to score the easiest of goals and his first for his country since 2019. Son Heung-min was unmarked and the goal came from a set piece.

Sadegh Moharrami during a practice session before the Korea Rep match

The winning goal scored by the Koreans is a lesson to be learned by Team Melli. number one is that players should never relax against them and number two,  Son Heung-min can not be left unmarked in or around the box. That goal was similar in circumstances to the one that was conceded by Team Melli against Iraq in Amman in Round 2 of the same qualifiers, a goal that ended in defeat for Team Melli.

Singling Son Heung-min as their main threat is also misleading as there are many such good players in the squad, however, this team has been surprisingly profligate, wasteful, and squandering chances by the dozen in the last three matches. The other area where the team has seen a decline is the accuracy of the passes and the end result. While passing the ball around might appear neat, the final passes were mostly disappointing. In fact, the Koreans despite their control and passing stats in all three matches, have created only a handful of real scoring chances in relation to their superiority.

KOREA REPUBLIC MEN’S RANKING

The official World Rankings of the international Men’s team

36

40

17

69
Recent Ranking Average Ranking Highest Ranking Lowest Ranking

Team Melli’s perfect record in round three is also somehow misleading. Out of the three matches, only against Iraq that the team shined quite well and the result reflected the good performance. The last one played against UAE was perhaps the most worrying, but we can excuse the team performance as they were playing in a humid and warm climate that normally seeps the energy of players not accustomed to such conditions. As such it results in exhaustion, dehydration, adverse physical conditions, and lack of concentration. A very good example of that was the penalty kick carried out by Sardar Azmoun right at the end of regulation time of the match. His body language did not augur well for a player who is about to take a penalty. He was visibly tired and his feeble kick was easily saved by Khausaif, the UAE keeper.  The miss did not change the outcome, but it could have been costly in other circumstances. Another lesson to be learned by the coaching staff.

We cannot conclude any Team Melli match preview without mentioning the proverbial discipline. While Korea was lucky to get the winning goal against Syria, Iran were lucky not to lose their key central defender with around another half an hour to play. Such fouls like the one committed by Shojaa Khalilzadeh against Ali Mabkhout, was amateurish by a player who was until that time, one of the best players in the match. What instigated this foul was more emotional than tactical. Granted that Mabkhout beat him and was heading towards the goal at the edge of the penalty box, a professional and composed defender would have left his goalkeeper deal with the forward, after all, Beiranvand is one of the best in Asia especially since Mabkhoiut was not in full control of the ball anyway, and he runs behind to cover Beirnavand. Khalilzadeh, took the weaker option by pully Mabkhout!

It was all immaterial at the end because there was a VAR decision that an offside occurred earlier on and Shojaa’s red card was rescinded. A lesson learned? perhaps.

Mental and Emotional control, composure, and cool balanced heads are in short supply at team Melli level. There is always a possibility of combustion and fans have grown accustomed to seeing silly fouls and acts from the players. We just hope that tomorrow in Azadi against Korea is not one of those black days.

 

 

 

The Koreans intent to change history in Tehran.

the-afc.com
Tehran: Korea Republic have never won in Iran, but Paulo Bento’s side will see Tuesday’s top-of-the-table AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar clash as the perfect time to put that record right.
Seven times the Korea Republic men’s national team have ventured to Tehran, and a pair of draws – in 1977 and 2009 – are the best it has ever got for a team that has historically been one of Asia’s giants.
The last three visits to the famed Azadi Stadium have all yielded 1-0 defeats, and it has been six matches across 10 years since the Koreans have gotten the better of Team Melli at any venue.

With seven of a possible nine points accrued from three successive home games, and with attacking weapons like Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan in tow, Bento and co will be hoping the 2021 visit to the Iranian capital is the one which ends a decades-long drought, but they will arrive to find a star-studded and in-form opponent.
Boasting firepower of their own in the devastating strike duo of Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi – and buoyed by a perfect record of 10 wins from as many matches since Dragan Skočić took the head coach role at the outset of 2021 – Iran will hold no fear, even if the Azadi Stadium will remain empty.
Three wins from three and no goals conceded in the Final Round underlines Team Melli’s strength at the back as well as upfront and extends a remarkable run which has seen the team concede only seven goals in their last 25 Asian Qualifiers matches.
Thursday’s win over the United Arab Emirates in Dubai was emblematic of the dual strengths of Skočić’s side.

It was the quality and understanding of Taremi and Azmoun which created Iran’s goal, while the Emiratis, themselves featuring the prolific Ali Mabkhout, didn’t manage a single shot on target over the 90 minutes.
That victory puts Team Melli, even at this early stage, within sight of a third successive FIFA World Cup appearance.
With nine points, the Iranians are two ahead of Korea Republic and seven clear of a chasing pack featuring UAE, Lebanon, and Syria, meaning a draw or defeat on Tuesday would not derail their campaign, but a victory would represent a major accomplishment on an increasingly smooth Road to Qatar.
Iran v Korea Republic
Venue: Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Kick-off: 17:00 hours (UTC+3:30)