the-afc.com

Tehran: Jubilant Iran coach Ali Doustimehr has said that his side’s emphatic 5-1 hammering of Australia that qualified the 2012 AFC U-16 Championship hosts to next year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup was the end product of the involvement of many people from grassroots level to the very top of the country’s football administration.

Doustimehr’s young charges played the starring role in a surprisingly one-sided quarter-final clash at the PAS Stadium as Australia looked second-best in every department to the imperious Iranians.

Iran took the lead through Saeid Ezatolahi’s 30th minute penalty before Reza Karmollachaab gave the hosts a two-goal cushion four minutes later.

Mohammadreza Bazaj extended Iran’s advantage after being set up by Ali Rigi in the 63rd minute and then Rigi went from provider to scorer with a superb individual effort with ten minutes remaining.

Australia Substitute Bai Antniou scored an 88th minute consolation that appeared to give the scoreline a more flattering perspective only for Karmollachaab to score his second and Iran’s fifth in stoppage-time.

“I would like to thank the players, the coaching staff, the Federation, the media and the youth level coaches at clubs throughout the country as this victory of Iranian football,” declared Doustimehr.

“Without the help of everyone we could not do our job. Everything was wonderful today and we are happy to give the gift of World Cup qualification to the Iranian people.

“I know hope that the Iranian fans continue to follow our team and help us go on to become the top side in Asia.”

Iran’s victory sets up a semi-final showdown with Uzbekistan, who ended the 100% record of Korea Republic with a 5-3 penalty shootout victory after regulation time ended 1-1.

And Doustimehr was in the stands at the Rah Ahan Stadium to watch the Uzbek’s surprise victory as he plots how to win the AFC U-16 Championship for the second time after masterminding Iran’s first title at this level in 2008.

“Before this game I watched the quarter-final between Uzbekistan and Korea and I know that the Uzbeks are a very good team and that it will be a tough semi-final,” he continued.

“But we will prepare well and we will do what it takes to win this championship in our own country. Today we played very well but we must not get too proud of ourselves and we must prepare well for the game against Uzbekistan.

“We have spoken many times with the players about this game and we said that there might be the possibility of some reward or some money from the Federation if we win. But like all Iranians the players are passionate about their country and they said they are not playing for money but for Iran.”

Vanquished Australian coach Alistair Edwards tempered his disappointment with the fact that on the day the Iranians were simply too strong.

“Congratulations to Iran for qualifying to the World Cup and on their much deserved victory,” said the former Australia international.

“Of course we had hoped we would qualify and we didn’t expect such a result but Iran played a high-pressure game and didn’t allow us to get into our rhythm. We made too many mistakes at times but again this was mainly down to Iran’s pressure.”

Edwards was asked at the post-match press conference if he regretted not fielding a stronger side in the last group stage match against Iraq which, had they won, would have given them a relatively easier quarter-final.

“All games in the tournament have been difficult and on another day we could have won the penalty shootout against Iraq.

“But it would have been tough playing Kuwait as well. At the end of the day Iran played much better than us and deserved their victory.

“I am happy for Iran but also proud of my players. Apart from the match today I think we had a good tournament.”

Tehran: AFC U-16 Championship hosts Iran outlined their championship credentials with an impressive 5-1 quarter-final win over Australia on Sunday that booked their place in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Iran totally dominated proceedings and after being frustrated on numerous occasions by Australia keeper Andre Jannese the hosts took the lead through Saeid Ezatolahi’s 30th minute penalty before a fortuitous Reza Karmollachaab effort four minutes later gave the hosts a two-goal cushion to take into the interval.

Mohammadreza Bazaj extended Iran’s advantage after being set up by Ali Rigi in the 63rd minute and then Rigi went from provider to scorer with a superb individual effort with ten minutes at the PAS Stadium left to play.

Substitute Bai Antniou scored an 88th minute consolation that appeared to give the scoreline a more flattering perspective only for Karmollachaab to score his second and Iran’s fifth in stoppage-time.

Iran’s victory sets up a semi-final showdown with Uzbekistan, who ended the 100% record of Korea Republic with a 5-3 penalty shootout victory after regulation time ended 1-1.

Australia coach Alistair Edwards, who made eight changes to the starting 11 which began the Joeys’ last group stage match that ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Iraq, had predicted Sunday’s quarter-final clash would be a contrast in styles, with his possession-based strategy going up against the direct approach of the tournament hosts.

But it was a moment of individuality that almost gave Iran the lead with a blistering long-range free-kick from Seyed Majid Hosseini flying just over Andre Jannese’s crossbar in the third minute before Amirmohammad Mazloum should have made more of Reza Karmollachaab’s pinpoint pass four minutes later.

At the ten minute mark Jannese came to the Joeys’ rescue with a timely double save from Karmollachaab, first with his left leg and then with the right as the Iran forward tried hook in the rebound, before the Australian Institute of Sport stopper did well to keep out Mohammadreza Bazaj’s diving header three minutes later.

Iran’s direct approach was dictating the game with the Aussies seeing little in the way of possession in the opening period of the first-half with the action centred mainly in and around Jannese’s area.

The young keeper was having an inspired game, as showed in the 22nd minute with a superb one-handed save from Mazloum’s powerful low shot but Jannese was finally beaten on the half-hour mark when Saeid Ezatolahi sent him the wrong way from the penalty spot after Aaron Calver had fouled Mazloum in the area.

Mazloum played a key role when Iran doubled their lead four minutes later with the skilful forward’s trickery taking him to the byline before his cross was knocked home by Karmollachaab from close range.

The pattern of Iran dominance continued in the second-half and in the 63rd minute Mohammadreza Bazaj made it 3-0 with his last touch of the ball before being replaced by Sadegh Moharrami a minute later.

Ali Rigi, who set up Iran’s third, almost scored number four in the 65th minute but his shot deflected off an Aussie defender and then the crossbar before the danger was cleared.

Soon after Aussie coach Edwards made a double substitution as Alex Gersbach and Taylor Tombides made way for Jordan Pudler and Bai Antniou.

After a brief period of Australian ascendency the Iranians retook control of the game and the Joey’s needed skipper James Baldacchino to clear off the line to stop the going further behind in the 76th minute.

But they couldn’t stem the Iranian tide for long as Rigi waltzed through the tiring Aussie defence and finished with aplomb three minutes later and although the Joey’s grabbed an 88th minute consolation through substitute Antniou scoring with two minutes left to play it was Iran that would have the final say with Karmollachaab grabbing his second and the hosts’ fifth in the last significant action of a surprisingly one-sided quarter-final.

IRAN   5 -1   AUSTRALIA

AFC U-16 Championship – Quarter Finals

Dastgerdi Stadium , Tehran

In a dazzling display of football , Iran’s U016 National Football team routed the powerful Australian team 5-1 in the quarter finals of the AFC U-16 Championship held in Dastgerdi Stadium on Sunday.

Iran lead 2-0 in the first half , from goals scored by Saeed Ezzatollahei from the penalty spot on the 31st minute , as result of a foul on Mazloom. then Keama chaab doubled the scored in the 35th minute.

The two thousands fans in the Dastegrdi stadium , including a few dignitaries and Esteghlal club players , were in for an entertaining second half where the young Iranians displayed some dazzling football. Iran started with a swift attacking run and it was the brilliance of the Aussie goalkeeper which kept the Iranians out,

The continuous barrage of attacks by Iran was eventually rewarded in the 64th minute when Mohammad Reza Bajaj made it 3-0 for the hosts, Iran kept the same rhythm and Ali Rigi scored one of the best goals of the tournament with exceptional individual skills as he slalomed through the Australian defense to score Iran;s 4th just 10 minutes before the end.

Australia managed to score a consolation goal to make it 4-1 right before the end of the regulation time , but it seems that the Iranians were not finished as KarmalaChaab scored his second and the team’s fifth in the dying seconds of the match on the 94th minute.

It was an emphatic win for Ali Doustimehr boys and the strongest display if football so far by Iran’s U-16 in this tournament. Iran remain the favorite to lift the trophy after the success of 2008 under the guidance of the same coach.

 

Ali Doustimeher announced the 11 starters for Iran U-16 Quarter Final match clash against Australia which is to be held on Sunday, 30th September 2012.

After comfortably leading the group with 9 points from 3 wins , the Iranian coach of U-16 team , made three changes from the usual line up. The list of the players are as follows;

Daniel Kazim-Nia (GK(: Amir Nasrazadany, Seyed Majid Hossaini (captain),  Milad Dai, Sassan Jafarynezhad, MohammadReza Bazaj, Saeed Ezatollah, Erfan Vejdani ,  Ali Rigi, Amir Mohammad Mazloom, Mohamad Reza Karmla Chaab

This match takes added importance as the winner of the quarter finals match will automatically qualify to the FIFA U-17 World Cup which will be held in the UAE next year.

Absent from this line up are Kumail haghzadeh , Ali Shojaee and Ali Hazzami who were replaced by Sassan Jafarynezhad, Amir Mohammad Mazloom and Milad Dai.

Edwards expects contrast of styles

The AFC.com- Tehran:

Sunday’s mouth-watering quarter-final clash between AFC U-16 Championship hosts Iran and Australia will witness an intriguing contrast of playing styles according to Joeys’ coach Alistair Edwards.

While there are clear question marks over a defence that has surrendered the opening goal in all three of their Group A matches, Iran’s attack has been in imperious form, with the tournament hosts defeating Laos (3-1), Yemen (4-1) and Kuwait (2-1) to record the highest number of goals in the group phase.

Australia, meanwhile, missed out on top spot in Group B following a penalty shootout defeat to Iraq after playing out a goalless draw that saw both sides emerge with identical records. Prior to that, the Joeys had recorded over Thailand (2-0) and Oman (2-1).

“What you will see tomorrow is two very contrasting styles,” Edwards predicted at the pre-match press conference.

“Iran play very direct and try to get the ball forward as quickly as possible whereas we like to keep the ball and a possession-based style of football. We have to contain Iran and stop them getting forward quickly and make sure they don’t have too much possession.

“I am very much looking forward to the game. We have played three good games and we have really enjoyed the experience. We are looking forward to playing Iran.”

Edwards’ young charges have been in impressive form during their time in Tehran but the question remains is how will they deal with the pressure of playing the tournament hosts with a place in the 2013 FIFA World Cup at stake.

But former Australia international Edwards insists that it is the Iranians that are carrying the heavier burden of expectation.

“Every game in this tournament is difficult but I think there are higher expectations on Iran from the fans and the media,” he said.

“And high expectations have a way of having strange effects on players, particularly younger players.

“We have prepared well and played very well throughout the tournament. We are undefeated and have only conceded penalty goals.

“Iran is the biggest and strongest team in the tournament. They play direct football and I am very much looking forward to the game.”

Iran coach Ali Doustimehr, meanwhile, has vowed his team will fight to the very end of Sunday’s quarter-final clash and present qualification to next year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be held in the UAE, as a gift for the Iranian people.

“It will be a tough game but we will be doing our very best as tournament hosts as we want to qualify for the World Cup and give a nice gift for the Iranian people,” he said.

“The players will give everything. They will double their efforts as they try give the people this gift.”

But Doustimehr, who lead Iran at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria after guiding the Iranians to glory at the AFC U-16 Championship in Tashkent the previous year, knows Sunday’s showdown will not be easy against a team he rates as one of the continent’s best.

“Australia is a very big and strong team…one of the biggest in Asia,” he said.

“They play a very physical game and are very professional and have performed well in all three games so far.

“We have had three days to rest and to prepare the players. They are ready to attack for the full 90 minutes so we have no concerns with the physical condition of the team.

“We have played against three very good teams in the group stage and I think a lot of people underestimated their quality. Yes, we conceded the first goal in all these matches but the players never gave up in the 90 minutes and we won these matches.

“They are young and will make mistakes but we have been working hard with them on this over the three days and I am sure you will not see this in tomorrow’s match.”

Iran’s AFC U-16 Championship quarter-final clash with Australia kicks-off at 1700 Tehran time at the PAS Stadium on Sunday.

“There is no coach in the world who as meticulous in executing his plans as Carlos Queiroz , however , even a coach like him should understand that he needs to be more conscious of some issues.”

That is how Heshmat Mohajerani , the legendary ex-Team Melli coach started his interview with Khabar Online. “Before anyone else in Iran, I have worked directly and for a period of one year with Carlos Queiroz in the UAE while both working for the National Team of that country. No one can deny the ability of this coach, however, he still needs to be more wary and vigilant in some of his decision making. In many places, when you ask about who is the best football coach in planning and development , Queiroz name will be on the top of the list. Unfortunately, it seems that even while employing a coach in the standard and stature of Queiroz , we have failed to achieve satisfactory results. We need to question ourselves why this is happening and we have to start by looking at the way we deal with him. And also think about our own expectation from the team. Our Team Melli is not playing well; it is all to do with the type of football we play from grassroots levels onwards and our expectations from the coach.”

“It is really not the right time to go through such changes now.”

Heshamat Mohajerni who was the first coach to lead Iran to the World Cup in 1978 in Argentina, was asked about his opinion about demands circulating amongst many experts who feel that it is about time that changes in Team Melli should be implemented by introducing new suitable players instead of the same old repetitive names that have not delivered, while the more senior players such as Ali Karimi should be either sidelined or play a peripheral role. Mohajerani said “ It is really not the right time to go through such changes now. If we lose to South Korea, it is as good as saying goodbye to the World Cup. We must not allow this to happen. We should all protect and support Team Melli at such crucial stage. I quite agree with Queiroz that this is not the right time for making changes. We have lost 3 precious years in making those changes and the changes we are talking about should have been done during the era of previous coaches. The fact that a player is good in the league does not necessary mean he is a good player at international level. If I was in Queiroz’s place I would not let go of Ali Karimi and would take him for special training while whipping his body until it is in shape for the match against South Korea where he will be an asset.”

“I urge Queiroz to invite the young and promising players of the league to Team Melli camp.”

Mohajerani then commented on the disciplinary issue with Ali Karimi and said he followed the news that there was friction between the Perspolis Captain and his Portuguese club coach Manuel Jose. He believes that these news are venomous to Iran’s football. “Some say that every time that Karimi returns from duty with Team Melli , his behavior with Manuel Jose changes to the worst to the extent that he insults the coach. We must not take such rumors seriously and if there are talks that Queiroz is bad mouthing his compatriot and Perspolis coach ,  Manuel Jose , then this is certainly not a good omen. We should not spread such news at all. On the other hand, I urge Queiroz to invite the young and promising players of the league to Team Melli camp.  When these new players train with the regular squad and show their worth, the senior players , like Karimi , will be anxious for the final list of 18 players because they feel that there are options and alternatives to the coach in form of these new players. The senior player should always feel the competition on their back to remain on their toes.” Mohajerani commented.

“When a National Team coach does not follow the league and does not invite newer players and when such coach opts to use some players in different positions than their usual , such things will naturally raise criticism and concern.”

  About inviting Iranian expatriate players, Mohajerani said “ When Team Melli invite a player in the class of Ashkan Dejagah , it is a very delightful event because he will be an asset to the team, but about the other selections such as Omid Nazari , we need to ask ourselves, does he have anything better than the Iran League players ? If he has exceptional or better skill , then he should be invited. I have heard that Steven Beitashour , (an American professional soccer player who currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer) is being considered. Such player will definitely be useful for Team Melli.  Even that young man Ghoochanejad I have not actually seen him play but his uncle Jalil Ghoochanejad was one of my players in Abo Moslem while his brother was a member of the Iran national Volleyball team. They come from a sporting family and most have excelled in their fields. But , I still maintain that I have not seen him play to form a concrete opinion”

 

 “Our football and our team Melli needs a positive shock treatment.“

About the chance of Team Melli qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil , Mohajerani said “Our football and our team Melli needs a positive shock treatment. We need a sweet victory and we should all support our team. If there was any changes to happen it would have happened by now. There has been enough criticism of Team Melli . Carlos Queiroz was our best foreign option. Our current problem is a crisis of confidence as we seem to lack the winning spirit in the team. We need everyone to support the team against Korea, else it is another good bye to the world cup.”

Carlos Queiroz , vigorously defended himself against all the criticism of directed at him and Team Melli players during a TV program aired on IRIB on Friday. The Team Melli coach demanded unconditional support as a prerequisite for success while once again indicated that he has little tolerance for criticism when he said that our opponents should be Korea, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Lebanon and not ourselves!

On the Lebanon match, Queiroz admitted that “ it was not a good day for us as we committed several mistakes , the worst lead to conceding the goal. But we fought well and created several opportunities. I think that the Lebanese goalkeeper had a miraculous day”

“After that defeat, there was much talk about the match. If we carry on this form, we will never make it , the critics claimed . This is not a sprint competition but a marathon. We have 8 different stages. We realize that we cannot win all those stages, but this is a good opportunity to observe who the people that can stand the hard times. All we need is to win against Korea Rep, and we will gain the lead. All our concentration now is on that matter” He continued.

Asked by the TV reporter, what is the event that he (Queiroz) would like to erase from his memory, the response was “Lebanon match:. However, Queiroz said that this was one defeat in 19 matches and we should not lose hope over that”

Queiroz then proceeded on praising the Iranian media and he considers it as an important part in the progress and support for Team Melli. The reporter asked him “if this is what you are thinking, why are Team Melli players boycotting the media then?” In response, Queiroz said “this was a very good question.”  And then went on philosophically to explain the situation by mentioning his passion with Western “Cowboy” movies at his early ages , where there was always the good and the bad characters and how real life contains good and bad on both side. He said that he does not know where this rift between the media and his players started, but it was definitely not the fault of the players!

“It is not important now to pursue who is guilty, it is important that we are all united , from sport minister to the head of the federation , technical staff , players , the media. We need to be in a united front in order to win our crucial matches.”

Asked by the reporter, why he seems to get upset about anyone questioning him, Queiroz responded that some of the criticism is right and some aren’t.  He claims that he welcomes all criticism and tries to respond to all of it.

” World Cup qualifiers are not a good time to test new players “

Faced by the question that he Queiroz does not like the Iranian league and he continually seems to  ignores talented players who have shown lots of potential in the league such as Omid Ebrahimi , Mohsen Mosalman , Jalal Rafkhaei , Yaghoub Karimi , Milad Gharibi , Alireza Jahanbakhsh. These are players that have been praised by many football experts in Iran, Queriroz said that the answer is simple. Then he sarcastically said “we do not seem to be living in the same country.” Denying that he ignores these talents, he continued “I am going according to my program, which included  friendly matches against teams Such as Mozambique and Mauritania. I know these matches were criticized by many , but it was for the very reason in question and that is to test these sort of players. In fact we have used some of the players in important matches.”

Confronted by the reporter why there is none of these players in the squad, Carlos Queiroz repudiated that fact and said “we are in the process of building a team and we find them suitable then we induct such players in the team. World Cup qualifiers are not a good time to test new players “

The reporter said that the reliance on his so-called experienced player , some of who are at the twilight of their careers , did not yield any result against Lebanon , Queiroz responded by saying this one loss is an exception , we ha have won in 14 previous matches and used young players like Hajsafy and Ansarifard! thus diverting the real issue that the reporter was questioning him about. Both the players Queiroz mentioned , were members of Team Melli before the Portuguese was appointed as a coach.

“young players should have been prepared well before Queiroz arrival in Iran.”

Queroz denied that he is not following the local league in Iran, he said that he has a cadre of staff that continuously follow the teams and players while he himself focuses on the senior Team Melli. He said sometimes the media focuses on a player’s mistake or error in a match while we judge on the whole 90 minutes! If we find suitable players, then we will surely select him for Team Melli.

“I accept that the team should use young players, but such young players should have been prepared well before Queiroz arrival in Iran and well before the World Cup qualifiers. Those who are criticizing me they did not develop the players.”  Queiroz said in his own defense. However, the Portuguese coach did not comment on who developed the present squad at his disposal.

He then proceeded to defend himself against critics who have questioned his selection of players even those who are bench warmers at their clubs and those clubs who are lying near the bottom of the table. Queiroz took the Real Madrid example and claimed that since they only have 4 points, they should not have any players in the National team and that Naft Tehran coach, who is leading the table, should be Team Melli’s coach !  Thus providing far from a convincing logic of the questions that have been asked by the majority of the critics in Iran.

“cancellation of the friendly against North  Korea was due to injury fears not for fear of defeat”

Queiroz then claimed that the cancellation of the friendly against North  Korea which was supposed to be held on 9^th October a week before the decisive  match against South Korea,  was due to the number of injured players , not because he feared a defeat.

Mr. Queiroz is maintaining his stand and demand for unequivocal and unconditional support for his ideas and his trait. Despite poor showing in most of the matches that Team played under him and over 15 month of being in Iran , he is adamant that he is doing the right thing and dismisses any criticism by diverting the attention to the necessity of support at such crucial time.

Track records , indicates that silencing critics of Team Melli , especially when the performance and results are not satisfactory , is a very tall order in Iran. The fans are already showing their discontent with Iran’s football by their conspicuous absent from the league matches specially those involving the two most popular teams in Iran , Esteghlal and Perspolis, who usually attract crowds in the 40-50 thousands range and over 100,000 when the two meet in the derby.

Much of Queiroz statements are unconvincing while some conflicting statements and some inaccurate ones were embedded in this TV interview . Whatever Carlos Queiroz has up his sleeve, he needs to be at his best against the favorite and the nemesis of Team Melli , the South Koreans. A defat is unthinkable and will perhaps , end the campaign early for Team Melli with both Lebanon and Qatar having the same points, while the Uzbek are showing a much improved performance and breathing down the necks of the rest of the group. A win is vital for Team Melli and whatever Queiroz mentality or philosophy is , it has to yield result comes October, 16^th in Azadi Stadium

 

the-afc.com

Iran 2-1 Kuwait

Wednesday, 26 September 2012 22:15

Tehran:

Iran came from a goal down for the third successive match to defeat Kuwait 2-1 and finish top of the table as Group A of the 2012 AFC Championship reached its conclusion on Wednesday.

Kuwait’s defeat proved not to be too costly, however, as they secured their place in the last eight as runners-up to Iran following Laos’ 2-1 defeat of Yemen in the other Group A fixture taking place simultaneously at the Rah Ahan Stadium

Bader Thekr Allah gave Kuwait a 27th minute lead which was cancelled out six minutes from the interval by a stunning Seyed Majid Hosseini free-kick. Ali Shojaei extended Iran’s lead midway through the second-half with the defender’s 62nd minute strike transpiring to be the winning goal.

Iran had conceded alarmingly early goals in their first two Group A fixtures, going one down against Laos after just two minutes before lasting just sixty seconds longer against Yemen.

Head coach Ali Doustimehr had insisted this was something they had to work and the tournament hosts avoided an early mishap against Kuwait although this was primarily due to the fact that Iran’s attack had their opponents on the backfoot since kick-off.

But for the third successive match Iran would concede the first goal and in the 27th minute Abdulrahman Al Failakawi’s probing ball found Bader Thekr Allah in space in the Iranian penalty box allowing the Kuwaiti defender to fire a low shot past Danial Kazemnia for his second goal of the campaign.

Kuwait’s advantage lasted just 12 minutes with Iran skipper Seyed Majid Hosseini unleashing a blistering long-range free-kick that flew past Kuwait captain Ali Jeragh and into the back of the net.

Iran bossed the second-half and their pressure paid off in the 62nd minute when Ali Shojaei bundled home a corner, the third flag-kick in quick succession.

As it transpired it was Shojaei’s goal that settled the contest as Iran continued to dominate the match without being able to capitalise on a tiring Kuwait defence, although Iran did have a goal ruled out for offside in stoppage-time

Iran’s victory sets up a last-eight clash with Group B runners-up Australia, who lost 3-2 on penalties to Iraq in the earlier fixture at PAS Stadium, while the Group A winners await for Kuwait as the 2012 AFC U-16 Championship reaches the quarter-final stage on Sunday.

Source: Korea Times

by Kang Seung-woo

Forwards Lee Dong-gook and Son Heung-min made headlines for different reasons Wednesday as the latest Korea squad was announced. Lee, a 15-year veteran, was left off the 23-man roster for the first time since his former club manager took command of the national team, while Son rejoins Choi Kang-hee’s side after a long absence.

The 27th-ranked Korea, leaders of Group A on seven points in the final Asian qualification round for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, will face Middle East powerhouse Iran, sitting 54th in the FIFA rankings, in Tehran on Oct. 17 (KST). Iran is tied with Qatar in second on four points.

The 33-year-old Lee, playing for Jeonbuk Motors, has been a lock under Choi, playing in all seven internationals and scoring four goals since December.

However, his sluggish performance against Uzbekistan earlier this month cost him his spot, Choi said.

“On our way back from Uzbekistan, I had already made up my mind that I would leave out Lee Dong-gook and defender Lee Jung-soo — another veteran — for the next match,” Choi said at a press conference.

“Since the summer, Lee has shown signs of stamina issues in the K-League and I thought he should have picked himself up for the Uzbekistan match.”

In the K-League, Lee has managed just two goals since August, compared to 13 in the early part of the season.

The 53-year-old coach added that he has decided to reshuffle his attack, given that players in overseas leagues are playing well with Son taking center stage.

The 20-year-old Hamburg forward has been on an upswing in Germany’s top flight, netting three goals this season including a double against Borussia Dortmund last weekend. Son last played for the Taeguk Warriors in the Lebanon qualifier in June.

“Son has such great potential, whether it is his shooting, his penetration or his agility,” Choi said. “I think he has had problems playing off his teammates but I think we can capitalize on his strengths.”

With Lee dropped, Celta Vigo’s Park Chu-young, who scored his debut goal in the Spanish league last weekend, will be the focal point up front. Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wonderers, Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City, Kim Bo-kyung of Cardiff City and Nam Tae-hee of Qatar’s Lekhwiya will patrol the midfield.

With Qatari side Al-Sadd’s Lee Jung-soo omitted, defenders Kim Young-gwon, Park Won-jae and Shin Kwang-hoon have been called up for the first time and one of them could be given the nod to complete the back four with Kwak Tae-hwi, Hwang Seok-ho and Jung In-whan.

After the Iran game, Korea will resume its qualifying campaign in March next year, hosting Qatar.

The top two from each group will advance to the World Cup finals in Brazil, with the two third-placed teams entering a playoff for a chance to qualify through a two-leg intercontinental tie with the fifth-placed country from South America.

Hossein Hedayati , the Iranian Entrepreneur and the man that has several positions in Iran’s football, promised a car for each Team Melli player and the staff, in case the team defeats the South Koreans in the FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifier match that will be played in Azadi on October 16th. Hedayati, the current owner and the chairman of Malavan Bandar Anzali , in a statement to Mehr News said “To prove our good intentions, like we awarded and appreciated our Olympic and Para-Olympic heroes and medals winners , in case Team Melli defeats Korea Republic , we will award each player and each technical staff , an automobile in a token of appreciation.”

Hossein Hedayati , who is also the owner of Steel Azin club , and was a board member of Perspolis club several years back , was commenting on questions about the truth behind the demands by league clubs for an emergency general assembly meeting to discuss the suitability of the current Iran football federation (IRIFF) administration. Hedayati has confirmed that a request was sent to all members of the league in which the letter contain a request for signing a petition by the members if they agree on the demands. So far, 17 members have responded positively according to Hedayati. The rules stipulate that 75 votes or one third of the total number of general assembly members are required in order for a emergency special session to convene.

Hedayati’s action is part of what seems to be a general discontent with the current IRIFF administration and its head, Ali Kaffashian. Despite winning a second term while running unopposed, Kaffashian has failed to achieve much success for Iran and his administration was center of several embarrassing events that resulted in public outcry. The most glaring and humiliating of such was the elimination of Iran’s Olympic football team as the result of fielding an ineligible player against Iraq.

Hedayati stressed that he has no intention to run for the presidency of the football federation. He simply wants to put the house in order and ensure that competent personnel run this federation. He emphasized the fact that Iran has a lot of potential in football, but there must be a competent cadre of management at the top of the sport structure in order to realize these excellent potentials and capabilities.

He refuted any claims that such move to oust the current IRIFF management will be harming the chances of Iran in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Hedayati said  “ we made sure that any meetings of the general assembly of the football federation will be held after the Korea match. One of the catalysts for our move is precisely the poor results of Team Melli and especially after the last defeat against Lebanon, so we will ensure that the Team is not affected at all by any move from our side.”

 Hedayati also encourages Adel Ferdowsipour, the NAVAD TV program presenter , which is one of the most popular TV shows carried by the state run IRIB and has millions of viewers each week, to run a SMS poll for the viewer to find out if there is a public support for their demand for the leagues general assemble to convene and discuss the current IRIFF shortcomings. On each Navad program , a poll is conducted in which the participants easily exceed 3 to 4 million. Participants send SMS messages to answer the multiple choice questions

In what seems to be another front against Carlos Queiroz , the CEO of Perspolis Football Club has blamed Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach of Team Melli  for the bad condition of Perspolis players after returning from their duties with Team Melli.  Mohamammad Rouyanian also stated that whatever personal differences that Queiroz has with his team’s coach, Manuel Jose , it should not leave his team at a disadvantage or affect the performance of Perspolis players.

Rouyanian , who seems to be critical of Team Melli’s performance and the selection of large number of players from Perspolis while achieving poor results ,  in a statement to Mehr News reporter , turned his irritation toward Carlos Queiroz. He said “ I want to tell Queiroz that since I took office in Perspolis , I have always supported him and his decisions, and he knows that very well because during all the time that he selected players from Perspolis , we have been very cooperative with him and helped as much as we could , detrimental to our own team.”

Rouyanian said that this cooperation will continue, however, he targeted Queiroz for his responsibility in the poor conditions of Perspolis players right after returning from duty for Team Melli. “Mr. Queiroz , do not allow our players returning from duty with Team Melli to be physically hurt and emotionally poisoned.“ The Perspolis CEO added  “You need to ensure that our players return back in a good condition.”

In defense of his own club, still targeting Queiroz  “I hope that your personal dispute with Manuel Jose ( Perspolis Coach) does not negatively affect our club. Unfortunately, we see things differently here, we witness the return of our players , harmed both physically and emotionally”

“Since I believe in your professionalism as a football coach, I request you to help Perspolis club so that these unpleasant occurrences are not repeated after completion of each duty with Team Melli. In spite of that, we still fully support you and Team Melli”

Rouyanian also commented on Ali Karimi’s affair and the possibility of his return to the team after he was excluded from the Sepahan match and sacked from the team. “I shall discuss the matter with Jose and Karimi and get to the end of these problems that was created to reach the best solution for the club. If I the outcome of such discussions are positive, then there will be a possibility of Karimi returning to the team.”

Perspolis is currently lying near the lower end of the table one point clear  of the bottom team. The club , despite buying the most expensive players most of whom are Team Melli members , has failed to perform well and has been defeated in 4 matches out of 9. This is one of the worst results of the club in their illustrious history. Perspolis did not fare better last season but avoided relegation.