Tag: Teymourian

Macedonia vs. Iran

 

Team Melli carried out its last practice session on Wednesday in Skopje’s main Stadium Philip II in preparation for the game against host Macedonia in the friendly international on Thursday.

The training session led by Carlos Queiroz was mostly light drills including acceleration practise, shooting and group passing. This was the only practise for the match stadium which will kick off at 1730 local time  (20:00 Tehran Time)

Macedonia played against Azerbaijan on Sunday winning 3-1 with goals scored by M. Radeski, Goran  Pandev and  Nestorovski .  The 32 years superstar of the team and Captain Goran Pandev  is the most senior player and plays in Italy with Genoa. 

Team Melli will be playing with the same usual line up possibly with two attackers, Azmoun and Taremi. However , Queiroz might find it more appropriate to solidify his midfield which could relegate Taremi to the bench while leaving Azmoun to spearhead the attack.

The absence of Teymourian could be significant loss , however there are plenty of good options for Queiroz in the midfield area although none has the experience of Teymourian. Ashkan Dejagah will be leading from the midfield.

Goalkeeping remains the most critical of the lines with 3 options that have not been performing up to a satisfactory level. Queiroz will be working extra to ensure a solid defense line featuring  Hosseini , Montazeri in the middle of the defense while Hajsafy will occupy the left back position and Rezaeian on the right. 

This will be the 4th match between Macedonia and Iran at full international level. The honors are even between the teams with a win each and one draw.

CURRENT FIFA WORLD RANKING

MACEDONIA  141        –       IRAN   42

FYR of MACEDONIA  Squad

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Club
GK Stole Dimitrievski 25 December 1993 (age 22) Spain Granada B
GK Igor Aleksovski 24 February 1995 (age 21) Republic of Macedonia Makedonija Gj. P.
DF Vanche Shikov 19 July 1985 (age 30) Austria Austria Wien
DF Stefan Ristovski 12 February 1992 (age 24) Croatia Rijeka
DF Kire Ristevski 22 October 1990 (age 25) Hungary Vasas
DF Leonard Zhuta 9 August 1992 (age 23) Croatia Rijeka
DF Darko Velkovski 21 June 1995 (age 20) Republic of Macedonia Vardar
DF Egzon Bejtulai 7 January 1994 (age 22) Republic of Macedonia Shkendija
DF Gjoko Zajkov 10 February 1995 (age 21) Belgium Charleroi
MF Ivan Trichkovski 18 April 1987 (age 29) Cyprus AEK Larnaca
MF Aleksandar Trajkovski 5 September 1992 (age 23) Italy Palermo
MF David Babunski 1 March 1994 (age 22) Serbia Red Star
MF Enis Bardhi 2 July 1995 (age 20) Hungary Újpest
MF Bojan Najdenov 27 August 1991 (age 24) Republic of Macedonia Rabotnichki
MF Nikola Gjorgjev 22 August 1997 (age 18) Switzerland Grasshopper
MF Boban Nikolov 28 July 1994 (age 21) Republic of Macedonia Vardar
MF Dejan Peshevski 5 August 1993 (age 22) Slovakia Podbrezová
FW Goran Pandev (Captain) 27 July 1983 (age 32) Italy Genoa
FW Ilija Nestorovski 12 March 1990 (age 26) Croatia Inter Zaprešic
FW Marjan Radeski 10 February 1995 (age 21) Republic of Macedonia Shkendija

Head2Head

Venue Matches W D L Goals + / –
H 3 1 1 1 5 – 4 +1
A 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 +0
N 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 +0
Total 3 1 1 1 5 – 4 +1

Matches

Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
18.11.2009 Friendly H 1 – 1 Azadi Stadium – Tehran 1000
11.11.2005 Friendly / Tehran Intl. Tournament H 1 – 2 Azadi Stadium, Tehran. 27000
09.06.2000 Others / LG CUP H 3 – 1 Azadi – Tehran 40000

Iran and Oman draw in Muscat.

Iran maintained its top of the table position after grinding out a hard-fought 1-1 draw against its main rival Oman  in 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifying clash on Thursday. The match was played in difficult weather condition with high humidity restricting the players of both teams from giving their best.

The host created a host of chances at Sultan Qaboos stadium in the first half but the closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Qasim Saeed shot wide from close range.

Team Melli also had opportunities of their own but none to seriously bother Ali Al Habsi who had a comfortable half commanding his area quite well.

Signs of defensive vulnerability in Team Melli came in the first half as Omani forwards outpaced their opponents. Jalal Hosseini and Pejman Montazeri were both caught out in several situations by the fast attacks and especially in transitions.

In the 52nd minute, this vulnerability soon translated into a goal for Oman as a blunder by Hosseini, Alireza Haghighi in the middle and a complete absence of covering by left back Ehsan Hajsafy, for Saad Suhaill to score an easy goal.

However , both the guilty parties in this goal conceded by Iran combined a few minutes later for Team Melli’s goal.

Hajsafy on the left flank ran with the ball all the way into the Oman box before sending a diagonal ball which Al Habsi could only fumble into Hosseini’s legs. The Center back had the easiest of the chances to slot it in for Iran’s equalizer.

.

Both teams exchanged control of the match through the midfield. Iran suffered badly due to the weak performance of the trio Ebrahimi, Teymourian and Dejagah. The latter has one of his worst performances since he played for Team Melli. Teymourian defensive duties prevented him from being a force while Iran was on attack.

Up front Taremi and Azmoun did not click and found wanting in front of a strong and compact Omani defense.

However, the middle of the defense was perhaps the most worrying of all the three lines in which Queiroz needs to do some serious patching work.

Team Melli will have a chance to keep the lead when they meet Turkmenistan next. Before that, the Japan friendly will give Queiroz a perfect opportunity to try to solve some urgent issues with the tactics and personnel.

Team Melli continues preparation for Guam

Carlos Queiroz gathered Team Melli squad around the hotel to conduct a early training and warm up session this Friday morning.

The new look team is short of few Legionnaires mainly the 3 Russian contingent Sardar Azmoun and Saeed Ezatollahei from Rostov and Alireza Haghighi of Rubin Kazan, while those playing in Qatar league are all present.

Guam is arriving to Tehran full of confidence after two wins out of two as they have guaranteed themselves to stay above Iran even in case of a loss. The tiny Pacific island state would have traveled an epic journey to make it to Iran. The squad is expected to arrive in Tehran a full few days before the match.

team melli August2015

The selection of several young players has changed the complexion of Team Melli to the extent that many faces will be unfamiliar to the majority of the fans. From the old guard , Ando Teymourian , Montazaei , Dejagah , Hosseini and Khosrow Hedari are still available to add much needed experience to the squad.

The last time Queiroz used the youth team in a friendly against Uzbekistan , the new players performed admirably well and won the match. However , as soon as Queiroz reverted back to the old squad , for the official qualifiers , the team  faltered against Turkmenistan and came out with a disappointing draw.

The one admirable move by Queiroz this time round is his dropping of Masoud Shojaei and Karim Ansarifard. Shojaei , for the last few years an Achilles heel of team Melli has faced massive criticism from the media and the fans in the stands for his lackluster displays. But by the sheer fact that he was playing in Europe, albeit either at end of the table teams or lower divisions, he found favors with the Portuguese coach. Finally Queiroz has faced the reality that this particular player has passed his best years.

Ansarifard has suffered similar drop of form but that is mostly attributed to his lack of consistency, changing clubs every season and not settling well with his teams. Ansarifard is still a quality player who is expected to return to form and back in favor with Team Melli after he settles down and maintain a team for a few seasons.

The match in Azadi will be Team Melli’s first home game in the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers.

Azmoun seals Team Melli’s 3rd consecutive win over the Koreans.

Tehran

Team Melli defeated South Korea 1-0 in a match in a friendly match in Azadi stadium on Tuesday Evening. The only goal was scored from a free kick by Nekounam which hit the left post and rebounded on the right one before the rushing Azmoun headed the rebound into the goal in the 82nd minute.

The poorly attended match is the only official match of Team Melli in its preparation for the AFC Asian cup. South Korea , with the new appointed coach , the German Uli  Stielike had seven players change from the last time the two met in Ulsan , while Queiroz stuck to his old guards except for the forced change with Pooladi being excluded due to military service issues.

 Ehsan Hajsafy took the left back position as Beikzadeh was injured and played an excellent game in that position.

Korean fans including females in Azadi Stadium

The slow starting match was suddenly came alive when the Koreans made several serious moves starting on the 9th when Hajsafi cleared a ball right of Heung-Min Son,

A minute later Heung-Min Son weaved passed his marker to shoot a powerful ball that Haghighi managed to parry for a corner. The sustained Koreans attack when Iran managed a counter-attack that threatened the Korean keeper.

The first half continued with a slow pace before Team Melli’s best chance of the match went astray. On the 36th minute Reza Ghoochahjad shoot powerfully into the goal , Jin-Hyeon Kim had difficulty in controlling the ball and only managed to deflect it in the path of Ando Teymourian. The Esteghlal midfielder had enough time to control the ball and a clear path into the goal , but he shoot wide from close range for Iran’s best match to be wasted.

 The last serious action of the first half was created by the dangerous Heung-Min Son whose powerful shot was saved by Haghighi

 

Scuffle near the end of the match

In the 2nd half the match tempo decreased as both teams concentrated in keeping the ball in the middle of the field.  Despite the Koreans being more energetic and active , with their younger team , their final ball was always going to be handled well by the excellent Team Melli defense or Haghighi in the goal. The Rubin Kazan keeper who is on loan to a Portuguese club was faultless and his timing was perfect on the crosses, an attribute that was found wanting in many of the former Team Melli goalkeepers.

A few half-hearted threatening moves by both teams was taking the game into a sleepy mode when the Uzbek referee whistled for a foul on Omid Ebrahimi by the Koreans right outside the box. There was no question who was taking the free kick with Nekounam building a name for himself as the one who terrorizes the Koreans.

Captain Nekounam beautifully struck ball hit the let post fort before rebounding behind the keeper to the right post , bouncing ball met gallantly by the 19 years old substitute Sardar Azmoun to head home from close range despite the desperate attempt by the Korean keeper Jin-Hyeon Kim to stop him.

Tempers flared in the closing stages, as the Korean players reacted poorly to time wasting tactics from their Iranian counterparts.

The apathy shown by the fans was highlighted in th poor attendance in Azadi stadium. Despite Team Melli’s win , the team has no change of strategy , and soon ran out of ideas when approaching the target. The midfield , despite being the highest experience of the 3 lines was also the poorest. The midfielders failing to feed Ghoocahnejad and Jahanbakhsh with any ball worthy of mention. Both the forwards were substituted without really being given the service they deserved. Despite the collective poor midfield, Dejagah , was arguably the best player. The midfield m however , was guilty of keeping the ball far too much , resulting in him being double teamed and easily losing the balls. He was also slow on some passing failure to spot free players. However, Dejagah was the player who created the most number of offensive moves troubling the Koreans to no end.

The absolute worst performer was Masoud Shojaei whose continuous inclusion in Team Melli is becoming a scandalous affair. His contribution to the team continues to be meagre, and paltry while he is taking a valuable place of young and emerging players.

The defenders were excellent despite a few scares when the fast Korean players managed to dribble past one or two, however there was always the final defender to deal with the threat and clear the ball. As a group , including Haghighi in goal , the defense is solid and still looks the best of the lot.

The apathy of the fans was clear in the performance of the team. Tactically speaking , it was another poor showing by Queiroz whose hands are so known by the other teams. The performance does not augur well for Team Melli and rather worrying , although the result was quite sweet especially against their nemesis South Koreans.

A hat trick of wins, is quite satisfying and morale boosting against one of the better Asian teams.  It might even be a catalyst for a change of mentality by Queiroz in deploying a more adventurous & attractive football, better game plan ,and a wee bit more adventurous offensive mentality.

More Iranians in the Premiere League.

It has taken sometime, but eventually some foreign clubs showed interest in two Iranian players who were part of Team Melli squad in Brazil. Although the 2014 FIFA World Cup was less than brilliant for Iran as a team, the bigger disappointment was at the individual level , where most of the star players did not perform nor deliver.

There was so much expected from the likes of Ashksn Dejagah and Reza Ghoochannejad and to a lesser extent , Andranik Teymourian and Javad Nekounam. None of those performed anywhere near what the fans were hoping for. While experts and fans alike, expected one young Alireza Jahanbakhsh to set Brazil alight , he was also unable to deliver what he is capable of despite Queiroz giving him some limited playtime.

Surprisingly the pick of the bunch were Mehrdad Pooladi at the defense line , who was the 2nd best performer in the world cup after the first round and Ehsan Hajsafy , whom many thought that Queiroz made an error of judgment taking him off in the Argentine game. Both Pooladi and Hajsafy operate on the left side.

Now , a few English clubs have shown interest in the duo and it is pretty certain that Pooladi will end up in the English Barclays Premier League.

As much as this piece of news will be welcome by many fans, the fear is that the English league is not quite the happy hunting ground for Iranian players. Very few Iranian players played in that league; in fact we can mention them all. Bagheri , Kaebi ,  Teymourian , and much later Dejagah and Ghoochannejad. The first two had a torrid time in England while they were at their prime as professional players, Ando fared relatively better and managed to score a few goals as well, while the last two are still struggling in the current league.

It is a big question if the Iranian players like Hajsafy and Pooladi can adapt and make the grade in England in a league known for its competitive toughness, physical & mental strength, endurance and power. EPL is not overly famous for producing players with finesse and high individual skills as the tough and long English seasons, without a break , is quite demanding with injuries very common to players. The English club has a large pool of players for this particular reason especially the top clubs that also compete in European leagues.

The onus is on the players to adapt, especially at the training grounds, where the English coaches make most of their decisions on their players. It will be a huge cultural transformation in sporting and social sense for Iranian players, and success hardly taken for granted.

Looking deeper at Iran chances.

Now that it is safe to assume that Team  Melli players WILL exchange shirts with the rivals after each match in the World Cup, we can look relax and think of more important issues like what are Iran chances in Group F.

There is no denying what is the fans expectations are.  We have arranged several polls here at TeamMelli.com and have come to an early conclusion that the majority of the fans across the globe expect Team Melli to succeed. The majority wants and expects Team Melli to qualify to the next round ahead of Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Is that a realistic expectation or just one of those wishful thinking bits that passionate football fans always dream of beyond but it is beyond the capabilities of their beloved teams.?

If you are looking for a quick answer , we do not have one, but if you are patient enough to read our outlook , then please do so and then come up with your own conclusion versus ours.

DejagahAThese days, friendly or practice matches prior to the World Cup is dime a dozen. There are lots of them as each team is examining the strength and the weaknesses of their line up or try to sort out the tactical plans or maybe to put the final touches. The giants like Spain, Germany, France, England and Brazil have been toying with weaker opponents and having a ball. Out of all of those friendly matches, none was more dignifying,   encouraging, and inspiring than the Germany vs. Cameroon match. No need to go into the historical background of the two teams for level comparisons, all one can say is the Germany at home should have easily dispensed of their less glamorous African opponents with ease. They did not and one reason for that is the motivation of Cameroon players and coaches , their willpower and their courage. Something that Queiroz and his men must take a note of.

Cameroon , did not park the bus in Mönchengladbach, they dared to attack and attack they did. They were rewarded and scored the first goal. Germany hit back and scored the equalizer then the second goal , both brilliantly taken. The locals were waiting for the third to cap good day work for Germany , but once again Cameroon dared to attack the Germans at their home and managed to score a beautiful well-earned equalizer. It ended all square 2-2 in Germany.

We have not seen Queiroz being bold enough or daring in any of his matches, and expecting him to change his mentality overnight is wishing for a miracle. The man is conservative by style and that is his right as there is a lot at stake at this level of football.

NekounamJWhat  though , if the boys are given a bit more freedom to go attack, Teymourian , Nekounam and Dejagah daring to attack and taking the battle into the enemy premises. What if Pooladi or Beikzadeh on the left and Heydari on the right feed the box with accurate crosses for our forwards and midfield player to take a chance or two?

It is a question of desire rather than ability. In Dejagah , Team Melli has a winner in every sense. Both strikers have some beautiful touches and finishes. They have both proven their qualities. And then we have a gem of young player Jahanbakhsh who is rearing to go , if he is given a chance or two, He is not short of courage , running and willpower.  We sure do have the tools and the resources, what is needed is the will ,  the desire and some bravery. Cameroons of this world do not score by parking the bus. They dare to attack and they reap the reward.

Saying all that, we do not advocate chaotic offensive game plan as the defense is very vital. Unless we do attack , take the time to organize the players forward, we will not be able to win matches.

Apart from Argentina, which incidentally is not known for its World Class defending, the other two teams are not superior to Iran. Sometimes, strong desires and mentality can overcome tactics and skills and wins you matches.

Our conclusion is if Queiroz opens up and employs some of his weapons, Team Melli can surprise a few people and possibly qualify. Deploying defensive strategy is more difficult to see the team making it to the next round.  Fortunately, team Melli has been pretty impressive in quick counter attacks, which has won them at least three matches in the Qualifiers. Whether such strategy will work at this much higher level , is something that has to be seen

Team Melli players’ preoccupation with club careers.

While Team Melli will be hitting the trail again in the next few days , destination Vienna , Austria, many of the players will carry along with them one heavy additional baggage. Club careers are pre- occupying their thoughts and possibly disturbing their concentration at the wrong time.

Domestically and in the aftermath of uncovering players wages in the media, with some very hefty wages that is well above the Iranian high professional pay scales, the public questioned the merits of these wages especially and particularly that the source of money paid to footballers is from Public Fund and not generated by the clubs.

The Minister of sport was highly critical of the situation and under pressure from the parliament and his peers, changes in the pay structure and club managements have ensued. Both the top clubs, Persepolis and Esteghlal will see major management changes, stricter payments to players and coaches, belt tightening policies and proper audit system for accounting those expenses. Persepolis has started the ball rolling with the appointment of a new CEO. Rahimi , the ex- CEO of Sepahan was recently appointed to replace the short stint of Ali Parvin as the boss. Esteghlal will follow suite.

Such changes have not gone unnoticed by the players many of whom still waiting on payment arrears by their clubs. Almost all the clubs in Iran are under debt, some much bigger than others. With the uncertainty raised due to the recent development, many players are concerned and worried while thinking of moving on. As such, the business of players agents is picking up sharply in Iran, with significant activities in the last few weeks.

أحمد آل نعمه

Much of the negotiations are carried out in secret as no one is willing to discuss anything that might threaten a deal. What is known though, is that many agents will be in Vienna during the Team Melli camp looking for players’ signature. The Qatari clubs have been quite active followed by some German Bundesliga clubs. It is also rumored that the English clubs will be sending some scouts to watch Iran games, but as these things operate, these scouts or agents will hardly reveal any names preferring to operate quietly and in privacy giving the media little indication of their targets.

What the observers expect is a big clear out and club changes of Iranian players after the World Cup. Legionnaire players such as Dejagah , Ghoochannejad, Jahanbaksh and possibly Sardar Azmoun could be on the move. Shojae’s future with Las Palmas is dependent on whether the Canary Island Team is promoted or not.

shojaei-profile

Many domestic players are looking West. Reza Haghighi is leaving Persepolis to a Bundesliga team pending formalities, Teymourian has many proposals, Nekounam , despite the rumors, will stay with Al Kuwait barring any last minute hitches, Khalatbary is looking at Qatar again, Bakhtiyar Rahmani has many proponents in Doha as well. Ahmed Ale Nemeh is also on the list of Qatar clubs.

With Persepolis and Esteghlal in financial disarray, some player’s migration is expected towards other local clubs. Sepahan is expected to lead the changes along with Persepolis and Esteghlal.

All these developments are coming at a crucial stage for Team Melli while preparing for the FIFA World Cup. With the players’ concerns for their future and naturally some worries of the unknown, the focus and concentration of these players will be affected. Their mental reediness and state of mind need to be at their highest for the biggest show on the earth. The onus is on Team Melli staff and particularly Querioz to ease their worries and channel their effort towards the World Cup and team preparations.

Esteghlal management defies Team Melli.

In a statement to ISNA , Ali Fathollazadeh , the CEO of Esteghlal club said that club will be traveling to Riyadh to play Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia with a full strength squad, including  their Team Melli players

In order for Esteghlal to qualify for the next rounds of the 2014 AFC Champions League , it has to win the remaining two matches. The heartbroken Esteghlal which  was defeated in a crucial last day of the season match by Tractorsazi, will not be competing in the premiere competition of Asian club football after missing out on the ranking. Winning this current edition of the competition is the only salvation for this proud champion pedigree team from Tehran and hence the clubs has decided to go with full force to Riyadh. Esteghlal lost the league title to Foolad Khuzestan while the cup was won by Tractorsazi this season.

With Esteghlal taking all their players, Team Melli may have to depart to South Africa without them. As it is , there will be at least 7 or 8 players missing from the Team Mellli squad already due to club commitments. Players in Kuwait and Qatar are yet to be released by their clubs , while there is no chance of any European based players joining the camp.  There was no comment from the football federation or Team Melli coaching staff regarding Esteghlal decision and their refusal to release their players for the South Africa camp.  Legislation does not force a club to release the players for the national team training camps, so legally the IRIFF is helpless if Esteghlal departs to Saudi Arabia with their full team.

 

Current Team Melli players

HEYDARI, Khosrow

SADEGHI, AmirHossein

TEYMOURIAN, Andranik

Is Queiroz vindicated in overlooking of Rahmati?

The performance of Iranian clubs in the AFC Champions Leagues is always a good indicator of the standard of Team Melli since almost all the domestic players are from clubs playing in this competition, Persepolis being the exception.

After the second round, Iranian clubs results were mixed, with Esteghlal surprisingly for some, while naturally for others, faring the worst out of the 4 Iranian teams.  Esteghlal, the most successful Iranian club in the history of the competition winning it twice and finalist once, is expected to at least qualify for the next round, in a group that is far from being difficult. However the two loses at home in Azadi against ALShabab of Saudi Arabia and then the defeat against Al Rayyan in Doha, has created an immense burden on Ghalenoei to achieve what many consider to be the minimum, which is the qiualifcation. The star studded team has Heydari, Beighzadeh  , Teymourian & Sadeghi in Team Melli while they have lost the services of Nekounam , Montazeri and Jabbari other Team Melli players.

The defeat against Al Rayyan brought up one interesting discussion related to Team Melli’s players’ selection. The only goal of the match came after a terrible rudimentary blunder by Seyed Mehdi Rahmati who failed to grab an easy cross , with the ball slipping through his hands, giving the Al Rayyan forward a dream gift of simply tacking the ball into the empty net.

That goal gift by Rahmati  was enough to sink Esteghlal naturally bring up the debate about Queiroz concerns with the most experienced goalkeeper in the league. Rahmati , despite his brilliance as a shot stopper , has an acute weakness in his tactics on crosses. His timing has failed him time and again  , a a fact that Carlos Queiroz could not simply ignore or tuck under the carpet. It was his interest in having a replacement for Rahmati and criticism of the keeper that lead to Rahmati taking a break, according to his interpretation from Team Melli. That Petulant act was enough for Queiroz to cross Rahmati out of his list for good.

Another player in the Queiroz black list is Hadi Aghili , missed a penalty against Al Hilal but his blushes was saved by a injury time winner for Sepahan by Sukaj

For what it is worth, with Rahmati at least, it is quite clear that Carlos Queiroz was not far off in his assessment of the Esteghlal goalkeeper with his liabilities. Queiroz is surely vindicated.