Author: Editor

Iran, the strongest contender for the title.

As the AFC Asian Cup is drawing closer, the pressure on Carlos Queiroz mounts to prove his worth with Team Melli by winning the 17th edition of the continents top prize.

The Portuguese head coach, whose resume included world class teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Portugal and South African national teams, has spent enough time in Iran and Asia to mount a serious challenge for the continent most coveted trophy which eluded Iran for 43 years.

For over 5 years, Team Melli has been ranked at the top of FIFA Ranking, rudely interrupted by Japan in one or two occasion. Under Queiroz’s leadership, Iran made it to two World Cups with ease it should be said, against tough opponents such as South Korea and Uzbekistan.

Iran stars such as Azmoun, Jahanbakhsh and Ansarifard have not performed anywhere near some of the other Asian footballers in Europe and none of them seem to be able to hold a place in their teams. South Korea’s Son Heung-min ,  is indispensable  member of the English Premiere league title contenders , Tottenham ,  Ki Sung-yueng is an important player for Newcastle, Australia’s brilliant goalkeeper  Mathew Ryan , has been Brighton’s saviour, Tom Rogic of Celtic  plays a major role for the Scottish champions, Japan’s Maya Yoshida (Southampton) ,  Shinji Kagawa (B. Dortmund),and Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) all passed the grade for their  European Teams. It is interesting to note however, that Japan’s coach Hajime Moriyasu in true Japanese tradition opted for a team filled with young Europe-based talents, leaving stars like the latter two players off the squad. In brief, individually, the other Asian footballer have fared much better in Europe than Team Melli players.

 

Success at National team level in a competition such as the AFC Asian Cup cannot be judged on the individual star of a team. In the true meaning of the word, it is the team, in a collective sense that makes a difference at the end. The combination of Queiroz with his experience, knowledge and tactical acuteness with this group of talented and capable Iranian footballers, whom he has built and molded to his liking, is an excellent recipe for success. This is perhaps the best Iranian team since 1976 and many pundits know it and swear by it.

It is football, after all. One or two teams can spring a surprise. Australia, the defending champion minus a few of their stars from 2015 , Japan’s young yet tactically sound team, South Korea with a tradition ,  tactical discipline and winning mentality are as good as any to win the title.  There are also some outsiders, including Qatar, Iraq, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia who might have a say in the tournament too.

Considering all factors, Iran and Queiroz still hold the upper hand and they are the team to beat. Barring some of the reckless finishing that have marred their recent performances, the trio up front in Team Melli can beat the best of their opponents. A solid defense is vital for any team with aspiration of winning championships and Team Melli has it all. In fact, Queiroz has a problem of riches in defense with all the defenders in the squad on similar forms and standards.

Ezatollahi’s absence in the defensive midfield role is a real, perhaps the only blow to Queiroz, but there is enough quality in the team to ensure his absence is not felt.

Success and chances of lifting the trophy will be greatly enhanced when personal, and tactical discipline (Queiroz is most defiantly should lead by example from the touchline) is at its highest. Not allowing the outcome of the match to be dependent on vacillating referees’ such as Ben Williams calls is a key factor.

On a positive note, Team Melli will have the greatest support outside of Iran in the UAE. The great Iranian community will be ever present to cheer the boys. This support cannot be underestimated.

Now all that remains is for the likes of Azmoun, Taremi, Ansarifarfd and Jahanbakhsh to convert their chances on the pitch and leave lady luck in the dressing room.

Iran hampered by usual issues ahead of bid to end drought

 (Reuters) – Turmoil and uncertainty have become constant companions for the Iranian national team, but coach Carlos Queiroz will look to push aside such distractions and end the country’s 43-year Asian Cup title drought at next month’s tournament.

Iran last lifted Asian football’s most coveted trophy on home soil in 1976, when they completed the third leg of three consecutive championship wins that mark the country out as one of continent’s most successful ever.

But for all their achievements since defeating Kuwait to complete the hat-trick — a resume that includes five World Cup appearances and three Asian Games gold medals — the title the nation covets the most has continued to prove elusive.

Iran head to the United Arab Emirates as one of favourites, even though Queiroz has been denied the services of Reading’s Saeid Ezatolahi, an influential presence at the heart of the team, due to injury.

The absence of the 22-year-old is the latest in a string of issues to hamper the team’s preparations, with Queiroz’s own future proving a major distraction since the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

After Iran narrowly missed out on advancing from the group stage for a first time, Queiroz’s demands for a new four-year contract were ignored by Iranian football authorities and doubts will remain over his future until the Asian Cup finishes.

Star striker Sardar Azmoun, meanwhile, shocked many when he announced his international retirement in response to abuse the 24-year-old received in the aftermath of a lacklustre World Cup campaign for the Rubin Kazan forward.

Further issues arose in early December with the Iranians at risk of an international ban from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) over government interference in the domestic federation’s affairs.

The team has suffered funding issues, too, while the United States government’s decision to impose sanctions on Tehran has made it difficult for Portugal’s Queiroz to properly prepare his squad for the tournament.

But, as a long-running row between Queiroz and former national coach Branko Ivankovic, now in charge of Iran’s most popular club Persepolis, simmers in the background, one of the most talented squads in Asia will head to the finals in January.

Azmoun has since been convinced to backtrack on his retirement decision and he leads a line-up containing 18 of the 23 players who went to Russia, where Iran defeated Morocco in their opening game to secure a second-ever World Cup victory.

A draw against Portugal in their third game could not prevent them from exiting the competition, but the four points gained were the largest haul in the country’s World Cup history.

Queiroz, whose team take on Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen in the group phase, will be looking to create history for Iran once more and nothing short of victory in the final in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 1 will be deemed a success.

Know your Team Melli players.

Team Melli squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 have been announced. This post is a short review of each player for your reference and information. At the end of the review, a brief statistics is provided . We hope your enjoy the AFC Asian Cup 2019 wishing the best for Team Melli Iran in its quest to lift the title for the fourth time.

 

 

GOALKEEPRS

ABEDZADEH, Amir: Still the 2nd choice goalkeeper. Has not managed to get the nod to replace Birnavand. His game time was limited and  played in two friendly games.  In both of those matches his shot blocking was excellent and promising

Club : C.S. Marítimo

Age: 25

Caps : 2

World Cup :2018

Asian Cup: –

 

BIRANVAND, Alireza: The No. 1 choice and still the best Keeper in Iran. However, as much as he can be a hero, Biranvand is also famous for blunders and poor judgment on aerial balls. His temperament is also suspect. Conceded many poor goals with Persepolis this season.

Club : Persepolis

Age: 26

Caps : 27

World Cup :2018

Asian Cup: – 2015

 

NIAZMAND, Payam: New and untested. The only player in the squad who has not played any games for Team Melli. His performance with Sepahan was exceptional and that is reflected in the Esfahani team leading the league.

Club : Sepahan

Age: 23

Caps : 0

World Cup :-

Asian Cup: –

 

DEFENDERS

 

CHESHMI, Rouzbeh: Unfortunate injury has side-lined him for some period but he is back and playing quite well. He will have no problem playing in several roles in defense or midfield as a holding midfielder.

Club : Esteghlal

Age: 23

Caps : 25        Goals: 1

World Cup : 2018

Asian Cup: –

 

GHAFOORI, Vourya : Missed the World Cup, unfairly as some claim, however , he is selected for the AFC  squad and can be an asset in defense. Hard tackling and brilliant when ventures forward.

Club : Esteghlal

Age: 31

Caps : 24        Goals: 0

World Cup :

Asian Cup: 2015

 

HOSSEINI, Majeed: The surprise of the pack. Only 22 years old and still part of the U-23 team. He was picked by Queiroz for the World Cup 2018 and played 2 games. Hosseini did not disappoint. One of the picks for the star of the tournament.

Club : Trabzonspor

Age: 22

Caps : 6        Goals: 0

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup: –

 

 

 

KANANI-ZADEGAN, Hossein: Although first appeared for Team Melli back in 2015, he was not regularly selected since then. Changed clubs several times but he remains a quality defender with a good heading ability. Expected to be used as reserve.

Club : Machine Sazi Tabriz

Age: 24

Caps : 4        Goals: 0

World Cup :  –

Asian Cup:  –

 

MOHAMMADI, Milad: His pace and runs are special. He is also a defender who can score. His work on the flanks will be of a great importance for the forwards.  His Achilles heel is the tendency for some mistimed wild tackling .

Club : Akhmat Grozny

Age: 25

Caps : 24        Goals: 0

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:  –

 

 

MONTAZERI, Pejman: Despite the age and lack of pace, which in itself is a risk at this level of football, he will add experience and  leadership in the back line. He can be a solid defender commanding the rest of the team.

Club : Esteghlal

Age: 35

Caps : 49        Goals: 1

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup: 2015

 

 

POURALIGANJI, Morteza : A very good defender by all means of the word and a capable header of the ball. He will be the pivotal defender in UAE and can operate as central defender or as half back. Has also played in the central role in midfield.

Club : Eupen

Age: 26

Caps : 31        Goals: 2

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup: 2015

 

 

REZAEIAN, Ramin : A controversial figure and perhaps the weakest link in defense. Nevertheless, he is one of the coach’s favorite players. Despite the lack of a club since the start of the season 2018/19, and no match practice, he was still invited by the Portuguese coach to Team Melli squad!.  Recently managed to find a club

Club : Eupen

Age: 26

Caps : 31        Goals: 2

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup: 2015

 

 

MIDFIELD

AMIRI, Vahid : Since joining the Turkish side, Trabzonspor, Amiri had a dip in performance. He is still a skillful and capable player operating on the wings.

Club : Trabzonspor

Age: 30

Caps : 41        Goals: 1

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:  2015

 

 

DEJAGAH, Ashkan: Another player who has not been at his best since moving to Iran with Tractorsazi. However, he is a good leader in the midfield and has the trust of Queiroz. Fitness and stamina allowing, He will be a fixed player in the lineup.

Club : Tractorsazi

Age: 32

Caps : 51        Goals:  9

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:  2015

 

 

 

EBRAHIMI, Omid: One of the best players in the World Cup for Team Melli. He is expected to play the same role in the midfield in the AFC Asian Cup. His running and stamina is exceptional so is his tackling and robbing the ball from the opponents.

Club : Al Ahli

Age: 31

Caps : 38        Goals:  0

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:  2015

 

 

GHODDOS, Saman: The most gifted of Team Melli players. He was not utilized properly in the world cup playing a peripheral role as a substitute. This player has a lot to offer if Queiroz allows his more playing time. He has speed, individual skills, vision and a ferocious shot. His ball distribution is a delight to watch.

Club : Aimes

Age: 25

Caps : 14       Goals:  1

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:

 

HAJSAFY, Ehsan: The young veteran who will joining the centenary club in the UAE. Hajsafy is only 28 but has already played in 2 FIFA World Cups and 2 AFC Asian Cups. He has 98 caps under his wings scoring 6 goals. He is a multirole player best suited for the flanks as a winger or right back.

Club : Tractorsazi

Age: 28

Caps : 98      Goals:  6

World Cup :  2014-2018

Asian Cup:  2011- 2015

 

 

NOORALLAHIE, Ahmad: The new boy of the team. Has been playing exceptionally well for his club Persepolis leading them to the finals of the recent AFC Champions League. Scored a magnificent goal in the semi-finals.  A workhorse who has a good vision and runs tirelessly.

Club : Persepolis

Age: 25

Caps : 2     Goals:  0

World Cup :  –

Asian Cup:  v-

 

SHOJAEI, Masoud : Aging midfielder and the most experienced of the team members. Has played in 3 World Cups and as many Asian Cup. Still holds a few cards up his sleeve, but it is difficult to see him being a fixed player in this intensive competition.

Club : Tractorsazi

Age: 34

Caps : 81       Goals:  8

World Cup :  2006-2014-2018

Asian Cup: 2007-2011-2015

 

 

 TORABI, Mehdi: The Gazelle, who has acceleration & pace to beat any opponent. His individual skills and dribbling abilities are excellent. Selected for Team Melli many times but does not seem to be able to force a permanent place in the starting lineup. A quality player and a future star for Team Melli for years to come..

Club : Aimes

Age: 25

Caps : 14       Goals:  1

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:

FORWARDS

 

 

ANSARIFARD, Karim: Although 28, he is the senior man in the offensive line. His time in Greece was the best of his career, however since the transfer to English Championship side Nottingham Forest , he has not managed to win a place in the line-up spending most of his time on the bench

Club : Notingham Forest

Age: 28

Caps : 71      Goals:  19

World Cup :  2014-2018

Asian Cup:  2007-2011-2015

 

AZMOUN, Sardar: The disappointment of the World Cup is behind him and so was his short retirement from Team Melli.  He remains the top hope for team Melli goals.  This prolific scorer and top-notch forwards has exceptional qualities, including heading, dribbling and pace.  his records speak volume about the quality of the 23 years old forward.

Club : Ruben Kazan

Age: 23

Caps : 39       Goals:  23

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:  2015

 

 

JAHANBAKHSH, AliReza: Winning the Dutch League top goal scorer title in an exceptional season for AZ Alkamaar resulted in his transfer to Brighton as the English club’s most expensive player. However, he has not performed as expected and a recent injury has side lined him further. Despite the recent injury , his quality and class should help him through.

Club : Brighton & Hove Albion

Age: 25

Caps : 43       Goals:  5

World Cup :  2014-2018

Asian Cup:  2015

 

TAREMI, Mehdi: The up and down striker, who could be brilliant on moment and truly profligate the other. Lacks consistency and his conversion ratio of goals from chances in quite poor. Despite playing several matches along Azmoun in a two forward game plan, they did not gel very well.

Club : Al Gharafah

Age: 26

Caps : 34       Goals:  12

World Cup :  2018

Asian Cup:  2015

 

 

 

Statistics:

The average age of Team Melli players in the AFC 2019 is : 27.04 years

The Average games of each player is: 32.6 games

Total goals scored by the 23 player : 96 goals, an average of 4.17 goals per player

14 players out of 23 (61%)  have already scored at least 1 goal for team Melli.

17 different clubs have provided player to Team Melli.

51% of players play outside of Iran and 49% in the domestic league

Qatar League has the most Iranian players  (3)

Esteghlal Tehran and Tractorsazi Tabriz have the most number of players, 3 each.

 

Youngest player is  Majid Hosseini  (23)

Oldest Player is Pejman Montazeri (36)

Asian Cup 2019 Final players list

 

The final list of players selected by Carlos Queiroz for taking part in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 has been announced. The list contain 23 players as permitted by the AFC rules. 

The new additions were Payam Niazmand ,  the Sepahan Goalkeeper and Ahmad Noorallahei Persepolis midfield player.

Ezatollahei is the most significant absentee because he is deemed not fit enough and lacking match practise for a competition the size of the Asian Cup. two of the most disappointed players were Ali Karimi and Ali Alipour both of who were confident of making the list.

Overall, the list looks well-balanced with a good mixture of youth and experienced. Queiroz will be missing the quality of Ezatollahei in the holding midfield role , with no obvious replacement although it looks that Roozbeh Chesmi might fill that role in the UAE.

There were many questions in the past, particularly in the FIFA World Cup 2018, on the lack of a pivotal role for Saman Ghoddos by Queiroz.  The Aimes player with unquestioned quality can be a winner, if he is giver a broader role and playing time rather than being a peripheral. Ghoddos is a much better option than the aging Shojaei and inconsistent Dejagah, both of whom play a similar post to Saman Ghoddos

It is hoped that this time round, the Portuguese head coach understands the value of a quality player such as Saman in the team and utilizes him.

The defense looks sound and sharp with the full recovery of Pouraliganji while the valuable experience of Pejman Montazeri will be crucial in this competition despite lack of pace.

The riches of the players up front in the shape of Azmoun, Ansarifard, Jahanbakhsh and Taremi looks brilliant on paper, however, the former 3 players in European leagues, and the latter in Qatar have been performing poorly and there is a fear that their leagues below par forms might affect them in the Asian Cup too. A lot is expected from the front line players, it remains to be seen if they will click in the UAE and against the other giants of Asia.

 

 

THE SQUAD

# Player Club Country
GOALKEEPERS      
1 ABEDZADEH, Amir C.S. Marítimo
2 BIRANVAND, Alireza Persepolis
3 NIAZMAND, Payam Sepahan
DEFENDERS      
4 CHESHMI, Rouzbeh Esteghlal
5 GHAFOORI, Vourya Esteghlal
6 HOSSEINI, Majeed Trabzonspor
7 KANANI-ZADEGAN, Hossein Machine Sazi
8 MOHAMMADI, Milad Akhmat Grozny
9 MONTAZERI, Pejman Esteghlal
10 POURALIGANJI, Morteza Eupen
11 REZAEIAN, Ramin Al Shahaniya
MIDFIELD      
12 AMIRI, Vahid Trabzonspor
13 DEJAGAH, Ashkan Tractorsazi
14 EBRAHIMI, Omid Al Ahli
15 GHODDOS, Saman Aimes
16 HAJSAFY, Ehsan Tractorsazi
17 NOORALLAHIE, Ahmad Persepolis
18 SHOJAEI, Masoud Tractorsazi
19 TORABI, Mehdi Saipa Alborz
FORWARDS      
20 ANSARIFARD, Karim Nottingham Forest
21 AZMOUN, Sardar Rubin Kazan
22 JAHANBAKHSH, AliReza Brighton & Hove Albion
23 TAREMI, Mehdi Al Gharrafah

 

Omid team draws against Jordan U-23

Iran’s Omid Team (U-23) played a friendly match against Jordan U-23 team today (Tuesday) at the Medina Al-Riaziya Stadium in Irbid City, Jordan. The match ended in a 1 – 1 draw.

The home team started offensively and in the seventh minute, the Jordanian player Hadi Al-Hurani managed to open the scoring for the host. Following this early goal, Zlatko Kranjcar players took control of the ball and the field  looking for a quick response and a change the result. Iran’s offensive midfielder Mehdi Qaedi was blatantly brought down by his opponents in the box , but Jordanian referee Omar al-Ma’ani did not believe in a penalty.

During the match, Mehdi Mahdi Khani and Vahid Namdari both hit the woodwork but none of those shots ended in a goal.  Eventually, Namdari the teams striker struck  in the 37″ minutes, wagering, and turned the ball from the corner sent into the box and headed the ball into the corner of the opponent scoring the equalizer.

In the second half, the  Omid team retained  its offensive game plan. In the 48th minute,  Namdari was in a one-to-one situation with the opponent’s goalkeeper,  and could have easily scored his and the team 2nd goal. The Jordanian goalkeeper gallantly held his position and foiled Namdari.

 The two teams’ efforts ultimately failed to score any further goals. Iran’s Omid team in their fourth game in preparation for the Olympics qualifiers ended in a stalemate.

Iran Omid Team Line up:

 Shahab Adeli, Omid Noroufkan, Aref Aghasi (Hossein Saki 46′), Mohammad Moslemipour, Alireza Artah (Omid Dareh 75′), Abolfazl Razzaghpour (Hamid Reza Taherkhani 75), Mohammad Khodabandehlo, Mehdi Mehdi Khani, Mehdi Ghaedi (Abolfazl Jalali 67′), Vahid Namdari (Younis Delphi 62) and Amir Roustahi (Mohammad Reza Azadi 65)

Before the match against Jordan, the Iranian team played 3 friendly matches  , once against Oman and twice against Syria,  in which Omid Team had won all three matches. The qualifying stage games for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be held in Iran the first half of April, 2009. The U-23 team will play in the third group against Iraq, Yemen and Turkmenistan.

Stanko Poklepovic , ex-head coach of Team Melli passes away.

Former Team Melli and Persepolis club coach Stanko Poklepovic passed away at the age of 81.

Poklepovic died after a long illness at the Split Hospital in the early hours of December 24th.

The Croatian made his impact in the 1984–85 Yugoslav First League as the manager of Hajduk Split when he took over the Yugoslav powerhouse at the time when a lot of important players left the club and a lot of young players like Asanovic, Andrijasevic and Spanjic joined the club with little experience.

In 1994, he was named as the head coach of the Iranian national football team and Persepolis. He won back-to-back Azadegan League titles with Persepolis in 1996 and 1997.

Poklepovic replaced Ali Parvin as Team Melli coach in 1994 after the Iranian legendary coach failed to qualify for World Cup 1994.
He took the helm for the Asian Games Hiroshima 1994. Team Melli played Bahrain (0-0), Turkmenistan (1-1), China(0-1) and Yemen (4-0) but failed to qualify from the group stages.

Poklepovic also coached Iranian football clubs Sepahan and Damash Gilan.

TeamMelli.com offers heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family.

Saeid Ezzatollahi is out of Asian Cup 2019

Saeid Ezzatollahi  the Iranian national team midfielder who  has recently joined Team Melli squad in Doha, has been declared unfit and will lose the chance to take part in the 17th AFC Asian Cup 2019.

The disappointing news on Ezzatollahi who was injured and recently recovered, was released after the medical team examined the English championship side, Reading the defensive midfielder for fitness and recovery. In consultation with the coaches, it was decided that Ezzatollahi was not at the optimum shape and condition for the grueling tournament. Ezzatollahi  has not featured for his team , Reading for the last three weeks but it was hoped that he will be fully recovered by the time the championship starts in Abu Dhabi. Queiroz personally relayed the bad news to the midfielder.

The news is a big blow for the team and the supporters.

Team Melli head Coach will be announcing the final squad list  for the Asian Cup 2019 on Wednesday, and he has already mentioned that he needs fully fit and ready players against the tough opponents in the Asian Cup. Queiroz has emphasized, that the list of omitted players will be privately discussed with the individuals and will be conducted in a civilized and respectful atmosphere before being publicized.

Team Melli is scheduled to meet Qatar on December 10 at Khalifa Stadium at 20:00. The seventeenth Asian Cup will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates on January 5th, and the Iranian team is set to end 43 years of misery at these Championship. Yemen, Vietnam, and Iraq, are Iran opponents in the group stage of the competition

Fariba detects lack of ambition in Queiroz’s Asian Cup objectives.

“I believe Team Melli is going to have a tough time challenging for the title against opponents such as Japan, South Korea and Australia, all fighting for the crown ” Behtash Fariba said in a recent interview.

The former Taj & Team Melli player, was a sensation when he started in Iranian football. Despite his short career in Team Melli, he was the most prolific scorer in the history of the team. Fariba was commenting on the status of Team Melli ahead of the AFC Asian Cup tournament. “Meanwhile, teams such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also contenders for the title. Fourth grade teams such as Yemen and Vietnam have progressed well in football, and it’s unreasonable to expect four or five goals margin against these so-called minnows. In Asian football, countries like India are investing heavily and developing. They are building for the future in the hope of being Top Asian Football nation.”

He continued: “For the past eight years, Queiroz has been in charge of the national team” he said. “The coach has introduced many young players who have now developed and matured, quite a number of them play outside of Iran and have gained great international exposure. Team Melli top players in the Persian Gulf league are among the best in Asia and henceforth this squad is one of the finest team that has been prepared for the Asian Cup in recent years. I believe that we have 80 percent chance of lifting the trophy.”

Fariba, in response to a recent statement by Queiroz, who said that our objective is to make it to the semi-finals, along with Australia, Japan and Korea, stated: “We have already made it to semifinals several times and won the title on 3 of them also winning third place a few other times. May God bless his soul, Parviz Dehdari won third place while he was on the shoestring budget and half of his players abandoned the squad because of rivalry and internal politics leading to boycott of Team Melli. He won third place with much under-strength team.”

“Queiroz words in this sense are not logical. It sounds to me like there is a lack of confidence and ambition. Maybe the coach wants to have some justification ahead of any possible negative result. We have a good team and Queiroz is expected to challenge and win the Asian Cup. That is the least he can do after 8 years at the helm to declare his success.”

Disappointing draw against Palestine for Team Melli

In the match played in Doha Qatar, Team Melli played a 1 – 1 draw against Palestine. Iran scored first through Mehdi Taremi, while Palestine equalized in the added time at the end of the match.

While Team Melli controlled the game and had most of the ball possession , they did not seem to be able to score due to the profligate attackers mainly Medi Taremi. Palestine had their own chances as well and could have scored if it was not for Biranvand’s timely reactions.

The second half saw Taremi score early in the 50th minute but the rest of the match saw many chances going amiss . The perennial problem of Team Melli which is the final ball was at display again in this match as their finishing left a lot to be desired with inaccurate passes or shots.

Jonathan Cantillana, scored Palestine’s goal in the added time of the second half.

Team Melli will play a tougher opposition next in the shape of Qatar National Team.

The team line up

Alireza Beiranvand (Seyyed Hossein Hosseini  74″), Ramin Rezaeian, Pejman Montazeri (Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh – 46″), Hossein Kananazadegan, Milad Mohammadi, Roozbeh Cheshmi (Omid Ebrahimi – 70″), Ashkan Dejagah (Masoud Shojaei – 60″), Ahmad Noorollahi, Mehdi Torabi (Vouria Ghafouri – 60″), Sardar Azmoun(Ali Alipour – 60″), and Mehdi Taremi

Gucci calls it quits!

Reza Ghoochannejad decided that he will quit playing for Team Melli in protest after not being given any playing time in FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.

Gucci was the only goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and played a major part in the team. Four years later, however, Queiroz was not sure if Ghoochannejad, who had his best ever professional season in Holland, will be as useful in Russia as he was in Brazil.

Reza Ghoochannejad (31 years) who plays for SC Heerenveen in the Dutch league, was an unused substitute in all the three Iran matches against Morocco, Spain and Portugal.