Team Melli Squad: Who is going to make it to Qatar?

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No doubt that the Croat Head Coach of Team Melli is experiencing the busiest and the most important days of his coaching career as he prepares the list of passengers to Doha comes November of this year.

Skocic has only one window and that is FIFA Day in September to decide his final list probably after the Uruguay and Senegal matches.  While some of the players automatically have reserved their names on board the flight to Qatar others who played in the qualification might not be so assured of a place.

In this article, we will discuss individual players’ chances and any reasons that the coaching team might find crucial to include the player while discussing the reasons why some are dispensable. Like always, not every justification for selection or not is pure football related. Other factors always weigh in and in a country like Iran with political and social sensitivity, the reasons for exclusion are aplenty.

GOALKEEPERS

  1. Alireza Beiranvand: His inclusion will all depend on his club form with Persepolis and whether Golmohammadi picks him to be his number one in Persepolis. His shaky foreign adventure does not augur well for inclusion in the World Cup squad. His work in Iran will determine his incusion  50%
  2. Amir ABEDZADEH: Despite one or two errors, Abdezadeh remains as the number one keeper. His good start in Spain should enhance his chances too. 80%
  3. Hossein Hosseini: Lacks consistency with a standard that can vary between the brilliance to the ridiculous clumsy. However, he remains a contender for the squad. 55%
  4. Payam Niazmand: A young goalkeeper who did not have a syuccesful trial in Europe and his short stint ended as he is back with Sepahan. Like Beiranvand, he really needs to excel to convince Skocic of his worth. 45%

DEFENDER

  1. Aref AGHASI: Steady defender who defends with confidence. Lacks international exposure which is quite important for the World Cup. He has however many challengers for his post in Team Melli 45%
  2. Aref GHOLAMI: Similar to  Aghasi’s case with little international experience. He is a solid defender that can be a competent replacement when needed. 45%
  3. Danial ESMAEILIFAR: Although made his debut for Team Melli at a late age, his strong showing in last season’s league convinced the selectors of his value. The World Cup might be too difficult of a target for him. 35%
  4. Ehsan HAJSAFI: The long-serving versatile player has been ever present for Team Melli. However, as time passes and circumstances change Hajisafi’s chances of making his 3rd World Cup in a row is quite dim. Not only he is in the rebel group, but he has also been utilized less and less in recent matches.  It is difficult to see him included in the last 26 players list. 45%
  5. Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN: Despite his off-the-field antics, which put him in trouble with the authorities, he remains a strong defender and reliable player for the team. His chances are enhanced with his good performance in the new season in Qatar. 85%
  6. Majid HOSSEINI: Improving with age and experience gained in the Turkish League. He might not be a fixed player in the lineup but quite an important bench that Skocic can call upon in case of injury to any of his defenders. 75% 
  7. Mehdi MEHDIPOUR: A good utility player that has impressed with his club. As a newcomer, he has little exposure at the international level so it is quite possible that he will not be on the list. 48%
  8. Milad MOHAMMADI: Perhaps the left-back did not have the best of time in the Greek League but he is still a solid defender with a pace that is important when facing the like of England. 75%
  9. Morteza Pouralganji: Has been absent for a long time due to injury. His return back to Iran from the Chinese league will only serve to enhance his chances for inclusion on the list. 67#
  10. Omid NOORAFKAN: One of the players who has solidified his place in the squad. Has performed strongly and remains one of the best players for his club Sepahan. 85%
  11. Sadegh MOHARRAMI: Limited time with Dynamo Zagreb but Moharrami has qualities that are needed for the team. His weaknesses could be troublesome but in the end, he remains a determined and highly motivated player. 78%
  12. Saleh HARDANI: The right-back is one of the players that have a great future. In the style of Kaebi, he has pace and agility that can surprise the opposition. His selection depends on the number of defenders Skocic needs in the squad. 55%
  13. Shojaa KHALILZADEH: One of the key players but injury prone. Not enjoying the start of the news season as his team is right at the bottom of the league in Qatar. His value for Team Melli though is undeniable. 80%

MIDFIELD

  1. Ahmad NOUROLLAHI: One player that keeps improving and should be in the squad without much doubt. He has enough experience to face the big teams in the World Cup 80%
  2. Ali GHOLIZADEH: Tacticsl, nifty and skillful dribbler. The qualities that are needed to break defenses. Has a tendency to disappear from the action at times in some games, but still a classy player 80%
  3. Alireza JAHANBAKHSH: has been nothing but disappointment in Europe, although his Team Melli games have not suffered. As one of the rebels, he might end up missing the World Cup, but Skocic will miss his experiences in case he is overlooked. 55%
  4. Mehdi Torabi: A player with so much promise but has not achieved his potential yet. He remains a fringe player in team Melli but also a player that enriches the bench. 60%
  5. Milad SARLAK: Good and solid midfielder who has not disappointed when he was asked to play for the Team. The only problem for selection remains the numbers that the selectors will decide for each of the lines. 45%
  6. Omid EBRAHIMI: A player that has been recently recalled to Team Melli after being overlooked. His undoubted skills, work rate, and dynamics are a delight to see and something that coaches always welcome from a player. 75%
  7. Ramin REZAEIAN: Another player that has been ignored mostly due to disciplinary issues. He has started very well with Sepahan and has shown much of his skills and abilities during the start of the season. A  strong contender for a place in Doha. 60%
  8. Saeid EZZATOLLAHI :  Another of the disappointing players who never achieved stability. Keeps changing clubs every season. His standard has been affected and shows a lack of consistency during the games, He does however has a physical presence that is quite useful at the International level. 40%
  9. Saman GHODDOS: A bench player for his club. Never achieved the grade with two seasons in the English Premiere league. Little Match time to check his standards 45&
  10. Soroush RAFIEI: The player is making a strong case for his inclusion. He is on the brink and stands a fair chance. 50%
  11. Vahid AMIRI: One of the key players for Team Melli. Suffered a long injury and has not played yet for Persepolis in the League. The progress of his injury is sketchy. He might not recover in time for inclusion but if he is fit and goes through the tough training then Amiri is a must for Team Melli. 70%
  12. Yasin SALMANI: This young player and leader is the talk of the town in Iran football. He has yet to make his debut for Team Melli but has played and captained the Omid team. Lack of international experience is his only weakness. Despite that, his chances are better than fair to be on the list. 57%

FORWARD

  1. Ali ALIPOUR: A player that is making a good case to be included in the squad. He started the season with a winning goal and if he continues his good form, it will force the selectors to include him. 50%
  2. Allahyar SAYYADMANESH: Another of the young guns that lay a claim for inclusion in the list. He has not been playing well at the start of the season for his club and that might put his chances in jeopardy. 55%
  3. Amir Hossein HOSSEINZADEH: Yet another young talent. The same rules and limitations apply here too. Simply lack of international exposure rather than anything else. 53% 
  4. Karim ANSARIFARD: A player that has failed to impress for many seasons now. Apqrt fpor cameo apperances for Team Melli, he is also unwanted by his club who are desperate to get rid of him. He did not endear himself to the head coach either being in the rebel group of players. 40%
  5. Kaveh Rezaei: Recently moved back to the Iranian league. Due to administrative issues, he is not yet registered to play and hence did not play yet. Difficult to see him on the plane unless he makes it good in the league this season. 40%
  6. Mehdi GHAEDI: Back with Esteghlal and strongly too. Ghaedi cannot be a starter for Team Melli for many reasons but specifically his weak physique. But as a substitute, he can be useful if he can stand the tackles of the English and Welsh players in particular. 68%
  7. Mehdi TAREMI: If there is any doubt about this player, it is his demeanor and attitude. He led the rebellion against Skocic and was outspoken about it. To be fair, that should exclude him from Team Melli automatically as he will be a disruptive element in the team that requires unity and harmony. It all depends on how SKocic will approach this big problem and whether Taremi maintains respect for the coach, especially behind his back. His chances for inclusion are neutral because of his attitude, else he is a key player on the field. 51%
  8. Mehrdad MOHAMMADI: Despite a good start for his team in Qatar, he has struggled lately in a league that demands a lot from foreigners. 45%
  9. Sardar AZMOUN: A key player and indespensible. He has been having off-the-field problems lately that have surely affected his concentration. Azmoun remains one of the best Team Melli players and a player that has scored crucial goals. 90%

We have picked 26 players that have the best chance of making it to the World Cup. We have excluded players such as Ansarifard, Hajsafim Ezatollahi, and Saman Ghoddos. The last word and decision are of course with Dragan Skocic and his coaching staff. There will no doubt be some developments,  circumstances, changes in priorities, and the usual interferences that will affect the issue. We believe that the biggest hurdle that Skocic needs to tackle is to regain the player’s confidence and minimize or completely bypass the disruptive elements. That is easier said than done. How he manages the rebels if and only if he decides to select them is crucial for Team Melli. chances

World Cup i is an arena where Men rather than boys perform and show their worth. The emphasis must be on the unity of the Team and everyone playing for Iran and the fans not to promote themselves and their interests.,