One would be excused to notice that the two goalkeepers that have performed so admirably in the AFC Asian Champions League matches yesterday are nowhere near being Team Melli’s first choice .
The fact is that one Alireza Biranvand, a lackluster keeper with a questionable attitude and prone to errors, has been the number one choice for Carlos Queiroz and that is worrying.
Biranvand , the guardian of Persepolis has been quite poor this season. Single handedly he cost his team a precious win in Abu Dhabi last night conceding 3 goals, all of which could have been saved with some agility and better effort. Young Goalkeepers like Biranvand at such age normally develop and reach their peak at a much later stage of their careers unlike other outfield players. Biranvand has played for Team Melli youth teams and forced himself to the senior team on sheer merits at the time that Iran had a dearth of goalkeeping talents.
However, Biranvand , seem to have stopped developing, but even worst , he is losing his touch too. There is a long list of shortcoming that has marred his performance particularly this season, from failure to judge the flight of crosses to poor reaction, to poor timings of coming out for a ball. Biranvand has cost his club many goals and lots of points, the type of which he had not experienced before at Persepolis.
Admittedly, the problems he had with his club, had affected him. Contractual and financial issues, the lure of better contract at other clubs resulted in him requesting a transfer while he was tied by a contract. The club turned down his request, which resulted in Birnavand’s rebellion, absence from training and refusing to attend team meetings. He was the target of the boo-boys amongst the passionate Persepolis fans in Azadi. Branko Ivankovic was ready to kick him out of the team for his petulant attitude and discord he created in the team while they were fighting on two fronts, to win the league title and the AFC Champions league. Eventually, Biranvand came to his senses and returned, but traces of that episode are evident in his poor performances following that period.
On the other hand, Zob Ahan goalkeeper and number 3 choice in Team Melli , Rashid Mazaheri was majestic in his performance against Esteghlal in the same stage of the AFC champions league match. Estaghlal lost to late penalty for Zob Ahan to take a slender lead to Azadi. Despite that eye catching performance in goal for Zob Ahan, It would be very difficult to name Mazaheri as the best goalkeeper in Iran, because right in the opposite end of the field was none other than Seyed Mehdi Rahmati whose saves and reflexes was world class. An outcast in Team Melli, his skills and experience has saved Esteghlal time after time in that match. It was a sterling performance from the veteran keeper and Rahmati was at his best.
Two great performances from two Iranian keepers in the same match, was the highlight of this round of AFC Champions league. Two exceptional performances that has brought back some of the confidence lost in Iranian keepers and their qualities. Queiroz has no more than 3 games to check on his choice of goalkeeper for the World Cup. Birnavand has served him well and the Portuguese head coach is known to be loyal to his troops. But he has also shown that he can be demanding and would not hesitate to make drastic changes or drop star players if their performances and forms are not up to his standard.
Every player makes mistakes, and with goalkeepers by their nature being the last line of defence, theirs will be the costliest. Queiroz has one serious problem on his hand at that end.
