Tag: Argentina

Iran ready for the first challenge of Futsal World Cup 2021

Iran’s national futsal team is ready for the first match of FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021 against Serbia this evening.

The squad played its last training session last evening with another early session this morning before entering the match against Serbia.

Asia will be represented by five teams at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021 with the continent’s representatives determined to make an impact.

To be played across three venues, the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021 will see Iran, Japan, Uzbekistan, Thailand, and Vietnam carrying Asia’s challenge.

The six group winners and runners-up, together with the four best third-placed teams will advance to the Round of 16. The tournament is played from  September 12-October 3 FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021.

There are still two players on the injury list as Ahmadzadeh and Hossein Tayebi will be undergoing late fitness checks.

Perhaps the first match is the most important of the three group games as Serbia has shown remarkable improvement of late. Recently the Serbians played the might Brazil and drew the match. The defending champions, Argentine will be the obvious toughest game for Iran.

 

Matchday 1 of Group F

Serbia-IR Iran, Vilnius, 18:00

Argentina-USA, Vilnius, 20:00

Overview

Iran will enter their eighth FIFA Futsal World Cup campaign as genuine challengers, having lifted the AFC Futsal Championship trophy 12 times. The Iranians made history in 2016 by finishing third, the best-ever achievement by an Asian team, and head coach Mohammed Nazemosharia is aiming for the title in Lithuania 2021.

Nazemosharia has retained most of the 2016 squad with the likes of Mahdi Javid, Hossein Tayebi and captain Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh – a four-time AFC Futsal Player of the Year – leading the charge with defending champions Argentina the toughest hurdle.

Ahmad Esmaeilpour and Ali Hassanzadeh inspired Iran to bronze in 2016, and the 33-year-olds believe they can do even better in Lithuania. Serbia will provide a stern test in their curtain-raiser.

 

History: 7 previous appearances – 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016; 12-time Asian champions

Recent Form – 3W: Thailand (5-1), Belarus (8-2, 5-1)

Players to Watch: Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh, Mahdi Javid, Farhad Fakhim

Challengers: Serbia (Sept 14), USA (Sept 17), Argentina (Sept 20)

Futsal National Team players invited for Training camp.

Iran’s National Futsal Team is setting a training camp with a list of players invited.

the names of the players invited to the camp are as follows:

Salar Aghapour, Alireza Samimi, Farhad Fakhim, Hamid Ahmadi, Hamzeh Kadkhodaei 

Sepehr Mohammadi, Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh, Mohammad Reza Sang Sefidi, Saeed Ahmad Abbasi , Farhad Tavakoli

Mehdi Javid, Behzad Azimi, Alireza Rafieipour, Muslim Olad Ghobad, Sina Perkas, Mohammad Shajari 

Taha Nematian, Ahmad Ismailpour

Baqer Mohammadi (Benfica ) and Hossein Tayyebi (Shenzhen)

The National Futsal Team Training squad will be travelling to Belarus for two friendly preparation matches and finally participate in the 2021 Futsal World Cup hosted by Lithuania. The above camp will be held until 31 August.

The draw for the 2021 Futsal World Cup grouped Argentina, the USA and Serbia with Iran in Group F

Iran will be playing its first match in the world championship against Serbia on 14th September 2021

 

   Venue: Avia Solutions Group Arena, Vilnius
14 Sep 2021 [18:00] Serbia  Match 11  Iran
14 Sep 2021 [20:00] Argentina  Match 12  United States
17 Sep 2021 [18:00]  Iran Match 23  United States
17 Sep 2021 [20:00] Argentina  Match 24  Serbia
20 Sep 2021 [20:00] Iran  Match 35 Argentina 
20 Sep 2021 [20:00]  United States Match 36 *  Serbia
Švyturys Arena, Klaipėda *

 

Saeid Ezatolahi profiled after Iran international linked with a move to Leeds United

The 22-year-old has had an injury-hit campaign on loan at Reading

With the transfer window fully up and running, Leeds United are on the hunt for new players following the confirmation that Marcelo Bielsa will remain at the helm next season.

With the Argentine set to stay in West Yorkshire, the Whites are looking to add to their squad as they look to improve upon their promotion near-miss this year, with other members set to leave.

One name linked this week with a move to Elland Road is central midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, with Iranian media reporting that he could bring some extra depth into the core of United’s pack.

But just who is the 22-year-old? LeedsLive takes a look at his credentials.

Who is Saeid Ezatolahi?

Ezatolahi is a midfielder currently contracted to Russian top flight side FC Rostov – though he hasn’t spent much time there in recent years.

He arrived in 2015 but has spent the last two campaigns out on loan, firstly at Amkar Perm and latterly at Championship rivals Reading this year.

He’s struggled with injuries however, with his spell at the latter blighted by problems, while he looks set to become a free agent.

Why do Leeds want him?

Leeds United are not set to make widescale changes to their squad this summer, with Bielsa happy with the core of his squad. However, some more depth is needed and Ezatolahi’s age and experience tick a number of boxes for the club.

With his contract expiring this summer, he would also be a cost-effective way to add to the squad.

What has he done?

He’s not achieved much at club level, though he was a member of the Rostov side that finished as Russian Premier League runners-up in 2016.

At international level however, he’s won close to 30 caps for Iran since 2015, establishing himself as something of a mainstay of the team.

He’s only got the one goal however, scored on his fourth appearance against Turkmenistan in 2015.

Farias acknowledges that “Queiroz is a great coach”

In the pre-match press conference between Team Melli and Bolivia at Azadi Stadium, the guest team coach , César Alejandro Farías said: “We will play a great match tomorrow which will be different from our other matches.”

The Bolivian soccer coach (45 years) who is a native of Venezuela , went on to mention Carlos Queiroz on the bench of the Iranian national team and acknowledged what a great coach is occupying the bench of Iran. “Iran has great players and coaches. The team played well in the World Cup and was strong in terms of defensive structure.”

“In our continental competitions, we have rivals like Argentina and Colombia who have great physical strength,” he added. ”There are very strong teams in South America. It’s hard for us to compete against these teams. We have to prepare ourselves very well to face the strong continental rivals. Iran is also doing the same to maintain its rank and reputation in Asia. “

Referring to Bolivian players, who are preparing to face Iran tomorrow “it is a great opportunity for the younger players. Based on their physical fitness, they can challenge for a starting line up in the team” .

Bolivia boss responding to queries whether Bolivia has brought the full team to Tehran, said ” We have very good players who are in good conditions in the team. Iran is a very good tactical team. Our next opponent is one of the best in Asia. Our team is preparing itself for the qualifications matches. As you know, Bolivia is playing its home matches at high altitudes above the sea level, and now we are going to experience different environmental conditions.”

He continued “We traveled a long way to reach Tehran. This trip will be good for players to measure their readiness and bodily conditions to play around the world.”

The Bolivian national football team coach commented on the chances of Iran winning the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE and said “Carlos Queiroz, who sits on a bench, is a great coach. Iran plays with good tactic and maintains a high standard. Iran national team was in the toughest World Cup group. But what we saw, was a fine display. While In London conference, we analyzed the World Cup games. Mr. Queiroz was also present. Iran’s strong performance was reviewed and analyzed. It is a team that played very well and very solid.”

At the end, Farias remarked: “I’ve been coaching in Venezuela for six years, and then I was involved in the South American under 20 competition. I was also in the Copa Libertadores and Superliga. I’m currently the Bolivian National football team coach. I am at the same time the coach of a Venezuelan club, my contract will become official as of the beginning of December. I have 25 years of coaching experience”

Argentina and Colombia request friendly matches with Iran

The head of International Affairs of Iran Football Federation FFIRI confirmed the receipt of proposals to host friendly matches with Team Melli.

According to Homayra Asadi, head of the International Affairs Department of FFIRI , the Federation has announced that all correspondence and offers are submitted to the Football Federation through official mail. The FFIRI Administrators and the national team managers are looking forward to holding these matches.

She added that on this basis, the proposal to organize friendly matches against the national teams of Colombia and Argentina has been received by FFIRI. These proposals are being discussed as with other proposals. The important thing is that in the letter sent to FFIRI , the proposed date for the games is March 2019, after the conclusion of the Asian Cup 2019. Naturally, the review of such a proposal requires more time and it is important to take the necessary decisions in accordance with the opinion of the federation’s officials and the head coach of Team Melli. The decisions made in such cases are based on the national team’s plans and goals.

Iran and Colombia have never met at international level, while Team Melli faced Argentina twice the last of which was in FIFA World Cup 2014 when it was beaten by a superb Leo Messi last minute goal.

It is important to say that Iran’s football federation NEVER publishes annual program nor does it inform the media of future friendly games plans. More often than not , news and information on friendly games is originated from opposing side or their country’s media. Iran has also the highest number of  pre-arranged cancelled games.

It is also not known which coach will be consulted for matches in March 2019 , as Queiroz unstable On/OFF plans changes by the day and his failure in the AFC Asian Cup may very well be the end of his tenure with Team Melli.

Team Melli’s World Cup moments of glory.

1978: Danaeifard snatches a point against favoured Scotland

Iran qualified for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina after going unbeaten in their AFC qualifying campaign. They had failed to reach the tournament Finals in their first attempt four years earlier, but Ghafour Jahani’s solitary strike in a 1-0 win over Australia secured Team Melli’s World Cup berth with one match to spare.

Drawn into a difficult group containing Peru, the Netherlands, and Scotland, many believed that the Central Asians were simply there to make up the numbers. A 3-0 loss to eventual finalists Netherlands did not help matters, with Rob Rensenbrink storming to a hat-trick in the teams’ opening match. In their second game against Scotland, things went from bad to worse when Andranik Eskandarian bundled the ball past his own goalkeeper to give Scotland a first half lead.

Instead of letting their heads drop, IR Iran fought back and were eventually rewarded when Iraj Danaeifard skipped past Archie Gemmill and fired home from a narrow angle; the Iranians had finally scored in the World Cup. When the final whistle blew, there were jubilant celebrations, as Team Melli secured their first-ever point in a World Cup.

1998: First World Cup win

After a 1-0 defeat to Yugoslavia on Matchday One, IR Iran came into their tie against the United States knowing they needed a win to keep their qualification hopes alive.

An already-charged atmosphere ignited when Hamid Estili’s looping header over Kasey Keller gave his side the lead. Both teams then battled it out until the 83rd minute, when would-be Asian Footballer of the Year Mehdi Mahdavikia raced clear through on goal before firing past Keller to all but secure a win. Brian McBride then proceeded to pull one back for the US via a scrappy goal to set up a tense final few minutes.

In the end, IR Iran held out for their first World Cup win in five attempts. A 2-0 loss to Germany in their final Group F match saw Team Melli eliminated at the group stage yet again, but the night in Lyon will always be a fond memory for all Iranians.

2014: Heroic performance against Argentina

Team Melli’s return to the FIFA World Cup after missing out on the 2010 edition saw them pitted against eventual runners-up Argentina as well as Nigeria and debutants Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a stalemate in Curutiba against the then reigning African champions, it was time to face Lionel Messi and co on Matchday Two.

Going into the match as the clear underdogs, Carlos Queiroz’s men were not fazed by the opposition, matching the Argentinians in every area of the pitch in the opening period. Jalal Hosseini’s header just above the crossbar was as close as either team got to breaking the deadlock before the break.

Opponent watch: Portugal

Having won a first major tournament at Euro 2016, can Cristiano Ronaldo now inspire the Seleccao again?

Portugal stunned Europe in 2016 after winning the European Championships despite rarely looking like potential winners until the semi-final.

Under pragmatic boss Fernando Santos, the Seleccao claimed a first ever major tournament success in France, despite drawing all three group games and managing just one win inside 90 minutes.

Now ranked No.3 in the world by FIFA, a side full full of experience, including Pepe (35), Rui Patricio (30), Joao Moutinho (31), Nani (31) and, of course, all-time record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo (33), will have one final fling at the World Cup.

Santos has shown loyalty to his veterans – and been repaid – while also bringing through younger stars such as Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Raphael Guerreiro and Andre Silva, giving the side a mixture of youth and experience, nous and speed.

“Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany and France are the favourites to win the World Cup,” says the Portugal coach, Fernando Santos, before adding: “Then we have other candidates, who want to get as far as possible, and win the tournament if possible, and Portugal are in this second group.” Santos is cautious, despite winning Euro 2016 but he is looking forward to the World Cup with optimism and does so with good reason: Portugal seem stronger now than a year and a half ago, having added creativity to the defensive organisation that underpinned the 2016 title. Bernardo Silva and André Silva have been important factors in this attacking upgrade and in general the team have more depth. The one area which is perhaps weaker is the defence, where it has been hard to find replacements for Pepe (who will be 35 next summer), José Fonte (34) and Bruno Alves (36).

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal lifts the European Championship trophy after his side win 1-0 against France
Portugal celebrate their Euro 2016 triumph (Image: Getty)
Portugal boss Fernando Santos (Image: Matthias Hangst)

The big question regards whether Ronaldo can shine on the world stage and light up the major finals with his goalscoring; dumped out at the group stage in 2014, he has a much stronger support cast backing him up this time. Andre Silva has proven an excellent foil also, but has endured a difficult season at AC Milan after a big-money move.

Their opener against Spain offers an early test, but they’ll expect to get past Morocco and Iran, before heading into the knockout stages…a road they proved two years ago that they know how to travel.

 

Form guide

The Seleccao lost their opening World Cup qualifier in Switzerland, but won the following nine – including a must-win decider against the previously unbeaten Swiss – to book their finals spot.

That initial defeat to the Swiss apart, Portugal have lost just one friendly in the past 18 months – 3-2 at home to Sweden last March – while they finished third in the Confederations Cup last summer, having been beaten on penalties by Chile in the semi-final.

 

Star player

Cristiano Ronaldo

As crucial as ever (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Cristiano Ronaldo remains absolutely pivotal to the Seleccao, their biggest star and chief supplier of goals.

He doesn’t run down the flank as much as he did in his youth, and the step-overs are far more infrequent, but there simply isn’t a better big-game goalscorer on the planet.

His relationship with pragmatic coach Fernando Santos remains crucial, and this is, almost certainly, his last chance to win a World Cup.

 

Rising Star

Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring against Arsenal in March (Image: Shaun Botterill)

The former Benfica and Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva experienced a slow start to his Manchester City career due to injury and the form of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, but the fleet-footed star has become increasingly important at the Etihad.

Extremely skillful, clever with his use of the ball and cutting in the final third, the 23-year-old missed out on Euro 2016 due to injury; he’ll be looking to make up for lost time in Russia.

How they qualified Winners of European Group B ahead of Switzerland 

Preferred system 4-4-2

Star player Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

One to watch Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Manager Fernando Santos

Odds 20-1

Head 2 Head

Iran & Portugal met twice. The first meeting in Brazil was 36 years ago in Brazil Centenary tournament. Portugal was one of the best teams in the World at that time with the great Eusebio leading the attack. Iran was the top team in Asia but with an aging golden generation players such as Kalani, Iranpak, Halvaei and Arab.

The next meeting was in the World Cup 2006,where the  two teams have met in the group stage. It was a tough match for both team. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the only survivor from that match. He also scored a goal against Mirzapour. Portugal included two legendary players Luis Figo and Deck in that team.

Portugal had the upper hand in both the matches with 5 goals scored and none conceded.

 

Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
17.Jun.2006 FIFA World Cup / Group D N 0 – 2 Waldstadion , Frankfurt 48,000
14.Jun.1972 Brazil Independance Cup N 0 – 3 Santa Cruz Stadium, RECIFE 115,000

Will the real Messi stand up?

espn.com

We here at Toe Poke love an odd story, and do we have one for you.

This one comes from an unlikely football source, Iran, where a 25-year-old student was detained — yes, detained — over the weekend for looking too much like Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, if you can believe it.

We’ll let that sink in a bit. …

But it’s true! Reza Parastesh looks so much like the five-time Ballon d’Or winner that police in the city of Hamaden brought him to their station and impounded his car because of the commotion he was causing on the streets.

Apparently, too many people were stopping and requesting to take pictures with Parastesh, who has become a bit of a star and, to quote the BBC, “is fully booked with media interviews and has even landed modelling contracts.”

Fancy.

Who is behind his sudden burst of fame, you might wonder? A stage father, of course, who was the first to put him in a Barca No. 10 shirt and snap a photo some 10 months ago. The rest is Doppelgänger history.

“Now people really see me as the Iranian Messi and want me to mimic everything he does,” Parastesh, who says he is working on some football tricks, told AFP. “When I show up somewhere, people are really shocked.

“I’m really happy that seeing me makes them happy, and this happiness gives me a lot of energy.”

Esmaeilpour wins FIFA Futsal Award

The FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016 most definitely saw a changing of the guard. The two giants of the global game, Spain and Brazil, were knocked off their perches and replaced in the final by Russia and Argentina. On an individual level, meanwhile, this edition of the tournament also witnessed stunning performances by renowned names and the emergence of a new crop of talents, whose own stars promise to shine brightly for many years to come. The members of the Technical Study Group (TSG) awarded the tournament’s individual prizes to the following players:

adidas Golden Ball: Fernando Wilhelm (ARG)
It was a case of fourth time lucky for Fernando Wilhelm. After three previous World Cup appearances had each ended in frustration, the 34 year-old assumed the Argentinean captaincy for this year’s competition. And he could not have managed his new responsibilities any better. Wilhelm never shied away from raising his voice, using his uncanny sense of anticipation to snuff out counter-attacks throughout the tournament. He dependably held his nerve at the key moments, while the Albiceleste’s strikers were particularly indebted to their captain’s keen eye for a telling pass. With his blend of perseverance, combativeness and tactical awareness, Wilhelm is an example to team-mates and rivals alike, and fully deserves the adidas Golden Ball at Colombia 2016.

adidas Silver Ball and adidas Silver Boot with 10 goals: Eder Lima (RUS)
Regardless of the stage, Eder Lima’s mission is always the same: to torment opposition defences and keep the goalscoring charts ticking upwards in his favour. And throughout Colombia 2016, the Russian star has fulfilled his role with distinction. With five goals in his first two matches, Lima successfully picked up where he had left off in 2012, when his nine strikes saw him finish as the tournament’s top marksman. He subsequently turned provider to his team-mates, assisting eight of his team’s goals, before his predatory instincts took over once more in the final, even if his three strikes were ultimately made in a losing cause.

adidas Bronze Ball: Ahmad Esmaeilpour (IRN)
Ahmad Esmaeilpour made his first tentative steps at a Futsal World Cup in Thailand 2012. Four years down the line, he is leaving Colombia on the back of a double achievement: Iran’s third place finish represents the country’s best showing at a Futsal World Cup, while Esmaeilpour himself has been named as the tournament’s third best player. Measuring well over six foot tall, this 28-year-old is the complete package. He has caused chaos throughout the tournament with his technique, movement and vision, not to mention his powerful long-range shooting, all combined with a ferocious desire to win that has carried the Team Melli to the podium for the first time in their history.


adidas Golden Boot: Ricardinho, 12 goals (POR)
Emerging goalless from Portugal’s first encounter against Colombia, Ricardinho made up for lost time in his second outing by scoring six times in a 9-0 win over Panama. Having notched up another three goals in an easy win against Uzbekistan, the Portuguese star then set his team on the way to their first win in the knock-out stages, scoring the first two goals in a 4-0 victory. He also left his mark in the clash with Azerbaijan, netting yet another goal. Boasting technique, power and skill, Ricardinho is the perfect blend of ruthlessness and elegance.

adidas Bronze Boot: Falcao, 10 goals (BRA)
When it comes to Falcao, the figures say it all: five World Cups, 34 matches, 48 goals. This legend of the game continues to set standards that will surely go unmatched for many years yet. As always, pre-tournament expectations were high for the Brazilian. Yet, just as predictably, he immediately proved himself more than up to the challenge, opening his account against Australia. Having signed off with yet another strike in his and Brazil’s final match against Iran, he ended up as the author of ten of the Seleçao’s 33 goals.

adidas Golden Glove: Nicolas Sarmiento (ARG)
In Nicolas Sarmiento, Colombia 2016 saw the emergence of a goalkeeper who promises to be a fixture in the sport for years to come. Much like Argentina coach Diego Giustozzi, the TSG was won over by the 23-year-old’s outstanding raw talent. The fifth-youngest goalkeeper of the 55 present at the tournament, Sarmiento stood out thanks to his consistency, confidence and capacity to marshal the tournament’s most miserly defence. He ended Colombia 2016 with an impressive record of three clean sheets.

FIFA Fair Play Award: Vietnam
Vietnam not only provided a breath of fresh air in their first appearance at a World Cup, but they also demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship all the way up to their elimination at the hands of Russia in the Round of 16. The Vietnamese only picked up four yellow cards throughout the competition.

FIFA makes this award based on evaluations by members of the Technical Study Group (TSG), who undertake a detailed analysis of national team members’ behaviour on and off the pitch. The goal is to promote a sporting attitude among players, coaches and also spectators at FIFA tournaments.

Faghani referees FIFA Club World Cup 2015

Alireza Faghani, The Iranian referee who took control of the AFC Asian Cup 2015 has added another honor to his list by being appointed as FIFA Club World Cup 2015 referee.

The final match between Barcelona FC and the South American Champions  River Plate of Argentina is played in  Nissan Stadium (Yokohama) on Sunday 20th December.

Fagahi is the considered the top Asian referee and in recognition of his standard and record, FIFA trusted him with the most important match in its club competition calendar where players such as Messi, Neymar and Iniesta face the tough tackling Argentinian team known for their rough play.

Alireza Faghani is assisted on the line by Reza Sokhandan and Mohammad Reza Mansouri for the Final match.