After a troubled build-up, Iran proved their worth at the highest level.

Rob Woolard joined the Persians for the World Cup ride.

 ran's World Cup campaign might have ended as it began in defeat - but the kings of Persian football departed from France happy in the knowledge that they had earned the one thing so frequently denied sides from Asia. respect.

From their narrow opening defeat against Yugoslavia in St Etienne to their 2-0 loss against Germany in Montpellier in their final match, Iran impressed themselves on the tournament with their commitment to entertaining, articulate football.

In the middle of it was the hero Asian Player of the Year Khodadad Azizi, scorer of the goal that was to take Iran to their first World Cup in 20 years, a goal that has reestablished Iran on the world football map - with a cheeky.grin on his face.

They arrived in France as rank outsiders and in some disarray after firing coach Tomislav lvic only weeks before the tournament. But they left the competition with nothing but praise being showered on them. They also left France as the only Asian team to register a victory in the tournament.

The significance of this last fact was not lost on Jalal Talebi as he stood in the mixed zone talking to a scrum of media after his side's exit at the hands of the Germans.

"I think as an Asian team we have done well," Talebi said. "We are ready to be a force in Asia again. We have learnt a lot during our three games here. The squad really came together well and we are not disappointed at going out in the first round. Nobody gave us a chance before the tournament because they didn't know anything about Iranian football. But they know about us now." They most certainly do.

Three weeks earlier, when Iran had arrived in France - greeted by 200 fans at St Etienne's tiny airport it had not been the case. French authorities, worried about security surrounding the team, initially kept the side under a tight cordon.

Training at their camp in the picturesque village of Yssingeaux was often conducted in the presence of plain-clothes officers from France's top anti-terrorist unit. Mercifully, the security precautions were to prove unnecessary throughout the tournament.

The relaxing surroundings of Yssingeaux's Chateau de Montbarnier were the perfect retreat for Iran, providing peace and tranquility in equal measures. "We are very happy here. It is perfect for us and everything we could possibly need is here,' coach Talebi told reporters after arriving.

Having settled into their base camp, Iran immediately got down to the hard work of preparing for their opening Group F fixture with Yugoslavia.

The big challenge Talebi said, would be instilling defensive discipline in his side. This would involve reverting back to the tried and trusted 3-5-2 formation favoured by the squad, rather than the 4-4-2 system Ivic had attempted to adapt the team to.

Calming influence: Coach Jalal Talebi kept Iran's emotions in check.

"With only a limited time, I have to find the system which the players are most comfortable with. They have been playing the 3-52 for about five years and I think they are more comfortable with this, so that is the way we will play. We have reorganised our defence and we are starting to play a bit better there. Our problem is that all our players like to attack; this is our culture. We play with feeling not with our heads and we can't do this at a World Cup. Sometimes we play with our head but not enough," he said.

As the game with Yugoslavia neared, Talebi found himself sweating on the fitness of first choice goalkeeper Ahmadreza Abedzadeh, still suffering from a niggling knee injury. Nima Nakisa, Abedzadeh's outgoing and energetic deputy, would eventually be drafted in to face the Yugoslavs - a selection that was to have a decisive influence on the match. "Yugoslavia are a team to be respected," a cautious Talebi said on the eve of the match. "They have players playing all over Europe with some of the best European clubs."

Travelling to St Etienne from Yssingeaux on the morning of the game, Iran arrived at the venue to be greeted by hordes of their own supporters. The Stade Geoffroy Guichard was to become the Azadi for the afternoon as an estimated 25,000 Iranian supporters packed the ground.

They were to leave disappointed however, having watched their team narrowly beaten by Sinisa Mihaljovic's 73rd minute free-kick. Many believed Nakisa had been at fault for the goal due to poor positioning. No-one in the Iranian camp was going to point the finger at the young goalkeeper however.

The Persian lions roar: Mohammad Khakpour barks out the orders to his team-mates.

"We lost to a side that has a lot of experience. Technically they are very strong and skilful and we lost the game from a set-piece. But there's no shame in that at all," Talebi said. Mohammad Khakpour added: "We are a team and we win and lose as a team. It would not be fair to say that one person or one thing was the reason we lost. We learned a lot and now we must go away and prepare for the next match."

The lessons learned against Yugoslavia were taken on board against America in Lyon the following weekend, when the Iranians held their nerve to prevail 2-1 in a pressure-laden encounter. With the USA game out of the way, the Iran ians were left to contemplate their remaining group game against the Yugoslavs in Montpellier four days later.

Before the German match, however, the Iranians had some socialising to do. The team were guests of honour at a function held at Yssingeaux's town centre on the Monday after the American game and the following evening they took to the field against a local side, winning 6-2.

Juergen Klinsmann and Co were, alas, to prove more difficult opponents when they met Iran in Montpellier's Stade de la Mosson. Klinsmann and Oliver Bierhoff grabbed the goals for Germany and Iran were out of the World Cup.

"We have learned so much in the three games that we have been here," reflected Mohammad Khakpour. "This is just the beginning for us ... we can build on our form here and do better. Our target must now be to qualify for the next World Cup and get into the second round. It is important that we keep moving forward."

Like so many of his team-mates, Khakpour may find that the World Cup has been a launchpad for a career in football outside Iran. For Mehdi Mahdavikia, that is almost certain to be the case.

The tigerish Asian Young Player of the Year was linked with Chinese champions Dalian Wanda , Italian giants Inter Milan and English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur.

"This World Cup showed that there is not such a big gap between us and the big teams,"said Mahdavikia. "What can be done to make the gap smaller? It's a difficult question but I think, that for us and all of Asia, club football needs to be stronger in the long term."