Team Melli has two crucial games against Syria at home then away match against Iraq in Doha, in which the full six points will propel Iran to a commanding lead in this group.

Although none of the matches will be a forgone conclusion as even the weakest team of the group, Lebanon can spring one or two surprises, it is important for Iran to start on a winning note.

As witnessed in the second part of the qualifiers in round 2, Team Melli was excellent in terms of results getting the maximum points. On the field, performance was not too shabby either with some excellent display of skills by the individual players. Skocic and his coaching team strategy for concluding the matches were admirable. Taking into account the harsh climate, the psychological pressure from depriving the team of playing its home games at home thus giving an unfair advantage to the opposition in form of the Bahrain Team, in General, the team was quite well and achieved the objective with full marks.

What was ignored by the press and media in Iran was that playing the four matches in Bahrain in a round-robin format, had a great advantage for Team Melli as well as the obvious disadvantages. This squad had hardly enough time to train with the full team players available to Dragan Skocic. In Bahrain, it was a perfect opportunity for continuity, consistency, and tactical work while training on a daily basis.

In round three of the qualifiers, the picture is different. No doubt Skocic will stick to the successful formula in which it brought maximum points last time. Emphasis on players shifting the ball from attack to defense and vice versa flawlessly.  Pressing high against teams with counter-attacks strategy and ensuring solid defense with cover from the midfield.

Skocic Game Plan

 In general, the system that Skocic deployed for these games was 2-4-4, which in some matches was transferred to a diamond. Or it was the 1-4-1-4 system that forced Taremi to play as a pseudo-striker behind Azmoun. The coaching staff used Taremi and Azmoun at the same time enabling the duo to put pressure on the opposing players and forcing the opposing coaches to have his midfielders cover the Iranian two forwards.

Perhaps the presence of both Azmoun and Taremi, was considered a point of criticism against Skocic by some, but a clever coach can complement the two if the right and effective plan is used. It is a misconception that you have two top attackers, and you should not use them at the same time. One of the advantages of the 2-4-4 system is that it can help the team in the spaces and, of course, put the players in a situation where they first maintain the result and then think about scoring the winning goal.

Improvements

Given that we know that Syria and Iraq are fighters and like Iran, they stick to the physical style of the games, Skocic has to choose a way that can cover these characteristics. Unfortunately, Team Melli has a persistent problem in the defense. The defenders do not put playmaking on the agenda and often resort to direct play and long aimless balls.

Team Melli needs to improve the transition from attack to defense with the focus on improving the mental switch to react quickly and recover to defend.

The coaching staff needs to address the role of each player when the team loses the ball, and the opponents get possession with intent to quick counter. Syria and Iraq have their eyes on the counterattack, that is why Team Melli players must act quickly in transition and changing the mode from attack to defense.

One area of concern with Iranian players in general and it is not specific to Team Melli is the psychology and mental strength/agility of the players. Unfortunately, Iranian are quite emotional people and at the time when the brain must be engaged much more than the heart, they become vulnerable.

Players get easily frustrated and easily intimidated too by tricky oppositions. Time and again, Iranian players have lost concentration and opportunities which lead to negative results. Understandably, Skocic is limited in what he can do in short spells with the players, nevertheless, it must be recognized and addressed at all times with the players.

It is hoped that with the integration of the legionnaires, this side of Iran’s weakness is improved and even eliminated soon.

Syrian style

The Syrians played more with its three coaches with three defenders. It was 2-3-3 in attack and 2-3-3 in defense. The full-backs were added to the three central defenders during the defense and also played a role in the attack. The dominant style of play in Syria was to cross from the wings so that the team’s target striker could use them. This plays well for Team Melli as the aerial prowess of the defenders is quite good in Khalizadeh and Kanani.

In general, Syria is a team that does not have complicated tactics as its football is based on strength and hard work. The players of this team try to defend sparsely on their own ground, even with a new coach. Another thing that was visible was that they were trying not to be crowded in front of their own goal and to keep the opposing team in the middle third of the field. This caused more powerful teams to target the space behind the Syrian defenders in many games and create many opportunities.

Syria is not the kind of a team that is able to dictate the game to Iran. However, underestimating the Syrians is a big mistake. The Iranian flanks must be quite active in sending the balls to Azmoun and Taremi, however, too much emphasis on such tactics makes Iran predictable, and also solutions can be provided by the opposition. Penetration from the center and quick one-two, the type that Amount-Taremi used in Bahrain, can easily split the Syrian defenses.

The counter-attacks are their main weapon offensively. In Mahmoud Al-Mawas they have a classical pacy forward that needs special attention With the half-backs of Team Melli venturing forward, during the transition to defense, Al-Mawas needs special handling else he could be a serious threat.

There is a great chance that Syria will park the bus in Azadi on Thursday. The onus is on Skocic to use a variety of tactics to break such defense. Also, emphasis on Team Melli players not to get frustrated.