Tag: FIFA World Cup 2014

São Paulo considering Carlos Queiroz.

The Brazilian club São Paulo has declared their intention of seeking the services of Team Melli head coach.

The widely popular el globo newspaper of Brazil through their website, el Globo esporte, reported the following:

The Brazilian club São Paulo management interviewed the Portuguese Jose Peseiro on Monday for the vacant job of head coach of the team. The interview was conducted by President Carlos Miguel Aidar and the football vice Ataide Gil Guerreiro.  The interview follows earlier one with Colombian Juan Carlos Osorio, conducted in Medellin on Wednesday of last week. Aidar was impressed, but there are more candidates in his “interview list.”

 Just this week, the President intends to talk to representatives of coach Carlos Queiroz , Peseiro’s compatriot and current head coach of the Iranian team. In April, he resigned his post, but his resignation was not accepted by the Iranian federation.

 Interestingly, Peseiro served as Carlos Queiroz assistant at Real Madrid between 2003 and 2004. The two are close friends.

The relation between São Paulo and Carlos Queiroz was cemented before and during the FIFA World Cup 2014. Queiroz selected the popular Brazilian club for the camp site and was well received by the Brazilians who provided all the assistance for Team Melli.

The good relation between the two sides and the subsequent result of Team Melli against Argentina has increased the popularity of Queiroz in São Paulo club to the extent of considering him for the job of head coach. Queiroz has never coached in Latin America but has expressed his desire several times before the World Cup, while he was publically declaring that he will leave Iran’s job that he wants to coach in Brazil.

São Paulo FC is the most successful club in Brazilian Football with 18 titles overall.  It is the only Brazilian side that has won the FIFA Club World Cup, titles three times. The Job fits Queiroz wishes perfectly.

Now that the São Paulo offer is in the open, it is unclear what effect it has on the stability of Team Melli and Queiroz himself.

It is no secret that Queiroz is staying in Iran under duress bound by a legal contract. He wants to leave but not with an empty pocket if he unilaterally cancels the contract. Kaffashian has stated earlier that Queiroz has other offers as one of the reasons behind the Portuguese coach intent to quit his job.

The reasons behind Carlos Queiroz popularity.

Some would argue against it , but Carlos Queiroz has won the approval of many Iranian football fans in his 4 years at the helm.

 Despite Iran  being knockout of the quarter finals of AFC Asian Cup 2015, despite the paltry showing in the FIFA World Cup 2014 , despite his team performing a dull defensive style lacking in finesse and the beauty of the game, and despite his team lacking creative players or stars , Carlos Queiroz remains a popular figure amongst the fans.

There could be quite a few reasons behind this popularity. Normally, a football coach who does not win anything of significance or championship titles does not endear himself to the fans and neither does he become popular. In Queiroz’s case, there are a few elements that defy the theories of popularity.

There are diverse reasons for him to remain popular in Iran and not all sides agree on the real reasons, while some even question that he is actually a popular coach.

Cynics point to the low level of Iranian fans aspirations and ceiling of expectations as one reason for the level of approval of Queiroz. A country that has won no Asian Cup at all since 1976 habitually becomes conditioned to failures and disappointments, some critics claim. “The Iranian football fans have grown accustomed to hearing bad news and Team Melli under achieving. They get used to it while they look for fulfillment elsewhere like in a player or a coach that they can brag about.” Said a former player and a current coach who wished to remain anonymous. “When expected to but fail to win titles and fall short, the fans develop immunity against failure and get used to it. It is not a big shock anymore after a few disappointments”

This brings us to the case of Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, where the Portuguese coach of Chelsea said that “he (Wenger) is used to failure.” Implying that a defeat is a normal event for Arsenal!

Another theory in the case of Queiroz popularity is the fact that Iranian fans are growing tired and despondent of their own coaches and their antics. The likes of Mayeli-Kohan, Daei , Ghalenoei and others have not reflected a good image of Iranian coaches as professionals and as genuine characters. For ever complaining, blaming earth and sky for their failures and lacking grace in defeat, Iranian coaches have also been blamed for major failures at club and Team Melli levels. As such, suddenly a foreigner becomes popular because he is confronting the domestic coaches. That is regrettably a sad reflection on the local coaches’ stature in Iran.

Being a famous  high profile coach, who once coached the likes of Critiano Ronaldo, helps his popularity too.

 What can the Iranian coaches learn from Queiroz ? Not his tactics for sure nor his defensive mentality, however Carlos Querioz has a lot to offer for some of the local coaches. Tactical discipline on the field and character discipline off it, is one such virtue. Playing to your team’s strength, the will power to win difficult matches, not falling for player’s power and invincibility of some star players. There are several good qualities that Queiroz has which could be beneficial for the Iranian coaches.

While admittedly not a 5 star coach with exemplary behavior on and off the field, after all the Portuguese has an almost tyrannical attitude with zero tolerance for criticism, his good qualities has helped his popularity. If ever the egos of the local coaches allowed, they can improve themselves too

Alireza Faghani selected for the AFC Asian Cup final.

The Iranian Alireza Faghani (photo) has been selected to officiate the 2015 Asian Cup Final between Korea Republic and Australia in Sydney, Australia.

The 36-year-old referee will be assisted by his compatriots Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza  Abolfazli in the match which will be played at the Stadium Australia. Fahad Al Mirdasi from Saudi Arabia will be the fourth official. After having been a reserve referee at 2011 Asian Cup and also at 2014 FIFA WC, Faghani has already officiated three group stage matches and a quarterfinal in this edition. Thus, this will be his fifth  apperance.

Nawaf Shukralla from Bahrain has been appointed to oversee the Third Place match, between Iraq and UA Emirates, to be played on 30 January in Newcastle at Newcastle Stadium. He will be assisted by his compatriots Yeaser Tulefat and Ebrahim Saleh, with Australian Benjamin Williams as fourth official.

Faghani has been consistently the best referee in Iran since the retirement of Moradi.

 

Iran’s Asian Cup chances weakened by poor preparation, says coach Queiroz

Senior sports reporter with The Age

Iran has been touted as one of the favourites to go all the way and take out the Asian Cup, but if you listen to coach Carlos Queiroz their chances have been vastly over-rated.

The former Manchester United assistant manager and Real Madrid and Portugal coach has been in charge of Team Melli since 2011 and led them to the World Cup in Brazil, where they acquitted themselves honourably against Argentina, Nigeria and Bosnia.

But on his arrival in Melbourne on Wednesday ahead of Iran’s opening Asian Cup game against Bahrain on Sunday, Queiroz was quick to play down his side’s hopes, saying their preparation had been compromised by a lack of money and had been far from ideal.

Managing expectations: Carlos Queiroz unhappy with Iran's build up to the Asian CupManaging expectations: Carlos Queiroz unhappy with Iran’s build up to the Asian Cup Photo: AFP

When asked if Iran was now a better team with the experience of the World Cup behind it, Queiroz simply said “no” before pausing.

He added: “Its worse now. Because we did not have the preparation we should have. “When you gamble too much with a bad preparation your chances are not so high as before.”

Queiroz’s frustration has been fuelled by Iran’s lack of activity since their three World Cup matches – a scoreless draw with Nigeria, a 1-0 loss to Argentina (when Lionel Messi’s late winner proved the difference) and a 3-1 defeat to Bosnia.

Since then Team Melli have played only twice, a 1-0 friendly win over South Korea in Tehran in November and a victory over Iraq by the same scoreline in a friendly in Wollongong last Sunday.

“The only thing which is disturbing for our team is the preparation. My team is not prepared as it should be according to the demands and dreams of the Iranian FA because we struggle with some problems, financial problems, to support the team,” Queiroz said.

“Our expectation was to come here with more camps and more games. You can’t have too much expectations when we only play two games from July until now. Its not enough. But I can count on the spirit of the players and the strong mentality to try to make the right balance.”

Queiroz has probably the strongest CV of all the coaches at this tournament, having spent five years (in two separate stints) as Sir Alex Ferguson’s number two at Old Trafford sandwiched by a spell in charge of the Galacticos of Madrid.

In addition he managed perhaps the sport’s biggest star, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the Portuguese national team during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

South-Africa-friendly-ornado-pirates-2

His pessimism over Iran’s prospects are at odds with those pundits who have rated their form on their World Cup exploits.

Queiroz agrees that if they were at the same level as their Brazilian preparation that might be the case.

“A competition like the Asian Cup is always a very difficult and complex situation for all the teams, especially the ones that come from far away. We are mentally prepared to fight for a win in every single game but our explanation and approach is just to think about the next game.

“We know that without the first game, the second game there is no future. For us it’s a very simple approach: be focussed and concentrate on Bahrain, and that’s it, after we start to think about the next game.

“We have been struggling a little bit with the jet lag [and] the environment is very warm and humid for us.”

Looking back at the World Cup, he believes the Iranians were satisfied by the performances against strong opponents.

iran-korea nov14

“I think the priority, the main goal of our participation, was to bring joy and honour to the country for sure. Iran was not one of the teams that were expected to win the World Cup … we didn’t embarrass ourselves against the best teams in the world.

“The game against Argentina, the second game, when you have Messi on the other side and a referee that didn’t have the courage to do his duties, it was more difficult for us. It was clear and embarrassing for the referee not to give a penalty to Iran. If in that game we had got a draw, I think we at least had deserved it.”

The forgotten men : Steven ‘Mehrdad’ Beitashour

 Carlos Queiroz was globetrotting looking for dual citizenship players or those with Iranian ancestry to pick them for Team Melli.  in his quest , he managed to find a player who was a long way from Iran. Steven’ Mehrdad ‘ Beitashour , playing for San Jose Earthquake at the time,  was one of these players attracting the attention of  the Portuguese coach.

Mehrdad Beitashour

INTERNATIONAL

A dual American-Iranian citizen, Beitashour chose to represent Iran after being approached by Queiroz, when he was called into camp for 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification. He made his debut in Iran’s 2-1 win over Thailand, coming on as a 76th minute substitute for Hossein Mahini. He made his first start and recorded his first assist for Iran in the ensuing match, again against Thailand, a 3-0 victory that ensured their qualification to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Beitashour then went on to start the next match as well, a 4-1 victory over Lebanon. Prior to committing to Iran, Beitashour had been called into one camp with the United States men’s national team, getting the call from head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in August of 201

The American-Iranian also made the squad to the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, however he was not picked to start any match nor was he used as a substitute.

From then on , Beitashour went into oblivion with Team Melli. Not selected for any matches , not that there were many and not considered for the finals of the Asian Cup 2015. Whether he will be available again to play for Iran in the future, is debatable.

So , what went wrong?

The major problem with selecting Beitashour was the logistics. Selecting a player who resides and makes his living on the other side of the world is a logistical nightmare under any circumstances. The only practical time that a player can join a squad is during major tournaments such as the World Cup , once every 4 years. Under other circumstances or during FIFA days, a trip from USA to Iran and back within 3 or 4 days is simply a nightmare.

Logistics aside, Beitashour had a very tough player and established veteran to compete with in Team Melli. AT the time, Khosro Heydari was one of the best performers in the team while Hossein Mahini was closely challenging for recognition as a fix starter. Apart from these two , several younger defenders were raring to go. Beotashour’s position was looking shaky and his value for the team beginning to be questioned.

Mehrdad Beitashour

Overall, Beitashour never really established himself in the team with the logistics problem and the tough competition around.  In total , he made 6 appearances for Team Melli half of it only as a starter. At 27 Years old, he has still a long way to go in his football career, whether any of it will be with Team Melli is another argument. At the present moment and with the Team in Australia without Beitashour , the Vancouver Whitecaps defender may find it difficult to make the Team Melli squad anytime soon before the next World Cup. Beitashour is still a quality player as he has shown with his club in the MSL where he made 27 appearances for the Canadian outfit. He was also included in the “Protected Players”  list , which indicates that his team is not willing to let him go or transfer to another club.

2014 FIFA World Cup: Performance of Team Melli

Performance of Team Melli

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The debate on the performance of Team Melli in the World Cup continues and with it the inevitable saga of Carlos Queiroz contract extension.

Although the first two matches in the World Cup , thrilled thousands of Iranian fans and with it the  increased support for Queiroz work as the master tactician, this enthusiasm was stretched to the belief of Team Melli fans that Iran would defeat Bosnia to qualify for the next round. The reality was quite different. It was a highly disappointing finish. Iran lost 3-1 in a forgettable match performance and result wise. A match that really exposed Team Melli in all departments , including the coaching techniques and aspiration.

A detailed systematic analysis, the sort that the Japanese and the Korean federations religiously produce after each major tournament participation, does not exist in Iran but it is about time that the federation FFIRI comes up with such study. Supposedly , there is a committee named Technical and football development , which is responsible for producing such report. What makes this issue take more importance is that the Asian Cup is only 6 months away , not exactly a long time to go in footballing term if Iran has the aspiration to win the Asian premiere prize that evaded them for 39 years.

Right now as it stands, emotions prevail in decision making for the coaching of Team Melli. Queiroz himself and his supporters, boast about how the team has done well and the people proud, although we suspect that the majority of the fans are quite disappointed by Team Melli in the World Cup according to our surveys and polls. Instead of judging by sentiments, a better tool would be an in depth scientific study  to suppress  the various conflicting emotional and subjective views that is not based on technical studies.

A quick look at the three matches’ data, indicates that Iran was far behind the top teams in many classes, except for distance Run. In fact , even compared to the worst teams , Team Melli did not shine producing some low figures. We have selected Honduras as one of the least successful teams in the 2014 World cup for comparison to Iran. Honduras lost all its three matches and was eliminated at the group stages.

PASSING

Iran was one of the worst teams in passing, completing 604 passes compared to the tournament average of 1305. This is quite an astonishingly poor figure, as even Honduras managed 1046 passes. Spain completed 1703 passes in its 3 matches and that is 282% more than Iran.

In the three matches played, passing the ball especially while the ball was out of the defense was an eye sore. Be it lack of preparation, fear element , or under-confidence, the Midfield players have not managed to play a passing game that they have known to ether at club level or international level. The midfield failed to supply proper ball to the lone forward, the majority of which were in form of crosses. 

 

PASSES COMPLETION RATE

The average passes completion rate for the tournament was 80% a figure which is expected from team playing at the highest level and managed to qualify to be among the best 32 teams in the world. Iran , however managed only 60% passes completion rate. Honduras , to give them credit , managed the tournament average of 80%.  The low percentage of Team Melli passing completion is a poor reflection of a football team playing in the World Cup. This is another critical area where Team Melli failed to produce a respectable performance and subsequently did not achieve the desired result. 

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GOAL ATTEMPTS

Iran made 7.3  goal attempts per match , while the tournament average was 13.1 per team per match. . Honduras , our sample for the poorest team managed 11 attempts.  That is nearly 4 attempts more than Iran. It goes without saying that if there is few attempts on goal , the chances of scoring will be less. The result was evident in Iran’s case with one goal only scored in the last match to save everyone’s blushes.

Poor goal attempts are related to the previous factor of passing. With passes uncompleted or intercepted that attempts on goals will subsequently reduce.

GOAL SCORED

one solitary goal in three matches for Iran while the average for this 2014 FIFA World Cup was an incredible 4.3 per team per match. However , Iran managed to equal Honduras which also scored 1 goal.

Subsequent to the two previous factors, the one goal scored should not surprise anyone. With a team that is built for defense only , it is difficult to see where the goals will come from.

FOULS COMMITTED

Iran was on par with the rest of the team in the group round as it committed 49 with the average being 49.4, while Honduras committed 5 less at 46 solitary goal.

 

DISTANCES PER MATCH

Average tournament distance run was 108.3 Km per match. Team Melli achieved 107.8 Km , very slightly below the average nevertheless a satisfactory figure. Honduras made 96.1 Km per match. This is about the only performance related figure that was satisfactory of Team Melli’s performance  in the FIFA World Cup

This data provided by FIFA only touches the surface but it is a very useful tool to begin the analysis with. Much of the end results as seen in this data , is due to the preparation of the teams before the start of the world cup. The only satisfactory result in distance run per match was due to the three week of heavy and demanding physical fitness program that Team Melli had to go through.   

The comprehensive report should also include the federation objectives (public or confidential) have been satisfied in Iran participation in the World Cup or not. Whether the federation share the opinion of Queiroz that Argentina did not defeat Iran 5-0 as Queiroz claims the whole world was predicting and as such  a 1-0 defeat is considered as a victory for Iran?  Or not.

1 point from 3 games , with only  goal scored , 4 against and being the bottom of the table , cannot be a satisfactory result to any team let alone Team Melli. Even if we live in denial and add a few bells &  whistle and some dressing , there is no escape that Team Melli was poor in performance and result.

The failure of Team Melli , like any failure in any system is usually multi-pronged As much as no victory can be credited to a coach alone never mind how genius he was, if there are any genius coaches in the first place. No such bad result is the sole responsibility of coach either. Saying that, the Portuguese coach feeling of satisfactions of his Team Melli work, as he stated in a recent TV interview, indicates how modest the team mentality was and so little aspiration existed. It sounds like the objective was NOT to concede too many goals rather than playing an honorable football that the world would remember Team Melli for.  This is a truly perturbing mindset for Team Melli, which has a championship pedigree. Is that an indicator that Team Melli fans have to constantly lower their level of expectations?

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Team Melli draws blank against Nigeria

Team Melli drew with Nigeria 0-0 in the first match for both teams in Group F. Argentina is currently leading the table with 3 points after winning their opener against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Carlos Queiroz fielded a strong defensive line up with 6 recognized defenders sticking to his now well recognized strategy of a strong defensive team. The only surprise of the line up was the inclusion of Alireza Haghighi , who is probably the least experienced of the 3 goalkeepers ahead of no 1 choice Rahman Ahmadi. However , Haghighi did not have to make many saves or even work hard except for ne tricky free kick in the first half.

Although Nigeria dominated the first 30 minutes of the first half, the solid and well organized Iranian defense made that domination by the African champions useless. After the half hour a corner kick awarded for Iran,  the quick reaction of Nigerian keeper Victor Enyeama who saved the powerful header by Reza Ghoochanejad from close range prevented Iran from going a goal up.

In the second half the Nigerian control was reduced with Team Melli getting more of the ball but the players were guilty with some bad passes and spoiling some reasonable chances. Nekounam and Teymourian were majestic in their roles and their solid performance nullified the threat form the Nigerian midfield, especially Teymourian who neutralized Nigerian’s most famous player John Obi Mikel.

The defenders skilfully managed anything the Nigerians threw at them with total domination of aerial balls.

Iran v Nigeria: Group F - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

Despite being the lone striker , Ghoochannejad managed to play a solid and decent game and was a constant menace for the Nigerian defense. However Ghoochannejad did not connect well with the lone offensive midfielder , Ashkan Dejagah as they seemed to be operating on different channels and missing each others passes.

Dejagah who was expected to be the key player was a disappointment against Nigeria. Half of his passes went astray and he lacked his trademark running and beating the defenders. He was not helped , perhaps , by the number of midfield players opting to stay behind during offensive moves, leaving the team short of players up front while attacking the Nigerian goal. Dejagah was subsequently substituted in the 78th minute  by Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

It was a fair result for Team Melli and Queiroz skillful managed to neutralize the Nigerians threat , with remarkable ease. His selection of player for the defensive duties were immaculate. Iran managed the first point in the competition, and that is good enough of a start. It is going to be uphill from now but with the sold defensive system that Queiroz has created, without being anti-football , Team Melli is still capable to spring a surprise in the two matches ahead.

Queiroz: Iran ready to punish complacency

Iran are ready to make their FIFA World Cup opponents pay for any moments of complacency, coach Carlos Queiroz said.

Widely tipped to not surpass a Group F consisting of Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Nigeria, the Iranians open their tournament against their African opponents on Monday. 

Queiroz, a former boss at Manchester United, said Iran’s aim was to capitalise on opportunities handed to them by opponents – who will all be tentative at the expectation they will down the group’s supposed easy beats. 

“The most important is the first game,” he said. 

“No matter if it’s against Argentina, Indonesia or Japan, we have to play as a team. 

“We must treat them as they are, no more, no less. There are no perfect teams in the world. We have to be in the right places at the right time.
“Our goal is simple: if they make a mistake, we will be ready to capitalise. We’re playing the best teams in the world.” 

Queiroz said he will implore his players to enjoy the moment, with Iran featuring at a World Cup finals for a fourth time. 

“We cannot miss this opportunity to face them with pleasure and enjoyment. It’s just a game,” Queiroz said. 

“(There) are 90 minutes, defence, attack, lose the ball, winning the ball. Of one thing I am sure: we must be ready. 

“Not 90 per cent, but 100 per cent. This is the game of our lives.” 

Jahanbaksh named amongst the young players to watch

Young Players to set the 2014 World Cup alight from Group F

Here is a look at one young player from each of the four Group F teams most likely to make an impact for their respective countries at the World Cup

Argentina

Marcos Rojo

Rojo

Age

24

Club

Sporting Lisbon

Position

Defender

Int. Caps

21

Int. Goals

0

 

In an experienced Argentina side, Marcos Rojo is one of the younger and probably one of the most important players in the Albiceleste squad. The 24-year-old will be playing in the left-back position for Argentina at the World Cup and has emerged as an integral part for Alejandro Sabella’s side.

While his defensive qualities have been put into question at times, Rojo is a great threat going forward and will surely prove to be a useful outlet in the final third of the pitch for the South Americans.

 

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Sead Kolašinac

Saed Kolasnic1

Age

20

Club

Schalke

Position

Defender

Int. Caps

4

Int. Goals

0

 

Sead Kolašinac has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Schalke this year. The young man established himself as an integral part of the German side and impressed many with his mature performance at the back.

A versatile player who is primarily used as a left-back, Kolašinac switched allegiance to Bosnia & Herzegovina after representing Germany at youth level and looks set to play a big part in the country’s debut World Cup campaign in Brazil.

 

Iran

Alireza Jahanbakhsh

Alirejza

Age

20

Club

NEC Nijmegen

Position

Midfielder

Int. Caps

6

Int. Goals

1

 

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is probably the most exciting young player to emerge from Iran recently. The 20-year old plies his trade in Netherlands for NEC Nijmegen and managed to impress with some fine performances for the Dutch side over the course of the campaign.

A tricky winger with a knack of scoring goals, Jahanbakhsh adds a bit of flair to a solid Iran side. While Ashkan Degajah and Javad Nekounam will most probably be preferred to Jahanbakhsh in the starting lineup at the World Cup, one cannot rule out the young man making an impact in the competition whenever afforded the opportunity.

 

Nigeria

Ogenyi Onazi

Onazi

Age

20

Club

Lazio

Position

Midfielder

Int. Caps

20

Int. Goals

1

 

Ogenyi Onazi’s meteoric rise to prominence has been phenomenal. Having picked up by Italian giants from a church-sponsored team in Lagos called My People two years ago, Onazi has gone on to become one of the finest young midfielders plying their trade in Europe.

The 20-year old has also established himself as a regular in the Nigerian national team and helped the Super Eagles to the African Cup of Nations triumph in 2013.

A tough tackling midfielder, Onazi possesses a brilliant temperament and he will surely be looking to impress at the World Cup by taming the dangerous Argentina and Bosnia attack.

Written by: Sarad Shrestha

Grand victory by Iran’s volleyball should inspire Team Melli in World Cup.

FIVB World League 2014

Brazil 0-3 Iran

 

Iran Volleyball team defeated Brazil 3-0 in Sao  Paulo ,Brazil to record the greatest ever team sport victory by any Iranian team in any sport. They don’t come bigger than Brazil in Volleyball. The host of the FIFA World Cup  2014 has an immaculate record in Volleyball , winners of 9 World League titles, 2 times winners  of Olympic Games gold medals, 3 times World Champions , 2 times World Cup winners and 4 times World Grand Prix champions. Like their compatriots the football players, they are a championship pedigree team and have produced quality players that have managed to play and excel in the best leagues of the World.

Such a historic win comes at a perfect time and place for Iran’s football Team Melli with the world cup 2014 only days away. A historic victory like this one by Iran’s volleyball team in the most important and highest profile World Volleyball competition will surely provided a huge boost for the footballers and make them believe that even the best teams in the world can be beaten.

There will be intriguing similarities in this volleyball match to the one that Team Melli will face against Argentina on 21st June 2014. It is similar encounter to the David and Goliath match with the Iranian volleyball players who faced Brazil and against all the odds, beat them comprehensively.

The willpower, the pride, the team spirit , the motivation , the skills , the harmony , the grace that these players have displayed shall be an inspiration and a boost for our football players.

21st of June is also a blessed date for Iran. In this date in year 1998 , Iran has recorded its only victory in the FIFA World cup against USA.

Let us hope that the victory by the Volleyball players inspires the football players to excel against their mighty opponents.

 

Farhad Ghaemi celebrate victory against Brazil

 

Seyed Mohammad Mousavi celebrates a poit scored