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Realistic chances of Team Melli in Russia.

With less than twenty days left to  the world Cup, what are the realistic chances of Team Melli against he might of Spain & Portugal? The other team in the group, Morocco, is not to be taken lightly either.

The World sport media is full of reviews about the Russia world cup and there are always those predictions of course. When it comes to Group B, the majority would pick the two European giants as the favorite to qualify ahead of Iran & Morocco. It is a fair assessment based on track records and achievements of the past.

However, time and again, football has shown us that winning is all about being the better team on the day and even being that good is no guarantee of winning the match. That is one beauty of football that makes it by far the most attractive sport in the world. So, can Team Melli surprise a few and qualify from this tough group, the answer is YES, very much so.

It is not a wishful thinking, but based on decades of observation of the team and the current style under the control of one Carlos Queiroz. If there is anything that is certain with the Portuguese master, it is his passion for tight defenses and his ideology that strong defenses can win you matches which has been his predominant tactics all through his reign with Team Melli.

Queiroz has an amazing record with Team Melli. In fact, the last time he lost an official match was 4 years ago against Bosnia in the World Cup. Since then, he only lost two friendly games against Tunisia and Sweden.

With the majority of Team Melli players making a living in European leagues,  that fear and complex about World Class European players does not affect their performance anymore. The cold feet syndrome hit the team in their first ever world cup in 1978.

This group of players can play against the best of them. The defenders will be dealing with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, and Diego Costa like any other forwards they have dealt with before, albeit with special instruction by the Maestro Queiroz. The chances of the two stars putting a few goals still exists but it is far from a forgone conclusion.

Team Melli strength really lies in the attack. Up front is where the two golden boys of Iran can make a difference, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Sardar Azmoun. These two can beat defenses and can score against the top ranks, but they need the supply from the midfield. Much of that support will be on the shoulders of Ashkan Dejagah , if he full recovers  , and Saman Ghoddos another amazing talent for Iran.  The success or failure very much depends on how the midfield performs in both the defensive and offensive duties.

Team Melli biggest challenge is in the goal. Number one choice Alireza Biranvand has been in abysmal form lately. Conceding goals aplenty with his club, he showed that he really lacks what it takes at top class.  The other two on the list are hardly more experienced than Biranvand with Amir Abedzadeh , the son of legendary , Ahmad Abedzadeh , just making his debut against Uzbekistan. It is certainly a worry for Queiroz and will be interesting to see his pick. Knowing that Queiroz never shies from making dramatic calls, it very likely that he might drop his number and pick the unlikeliest of choices.

Mazaheri, Zob Ahan keeper , has been in truly fine form in the Persian Gulf Pro League and with his team in the AFC Champions League, however, Queiroz might favor Abedzadeh as he is playing in Portuguese league and that might give him an edge.

Iran unveils World Cup-themed rugs to be gifted in Russia

Seven FIFA World Cup-themed Persian carpets and rugs have been unveiled in Tehran ahead of the 2018 tournament in Russia. The silk carpets are to be gifted to football bodies, while the rugs are for the teams Iran will face.

Four large carpets feature the World Cup trophy, Russia 2018 mascot Zabivaka, the goal-scoring wolf, as well as images of iconic sights in Russia and Iran. All four carpets have unique details relating to the nation or body that will receive the lavish gift. The one going to FIFA, for example, bears the logo of the organization.

“One of them will be donated to the Razavi shrine custodian, another carpet will be donated to the Iranian Football Federation, the third to FIFA, and the last to the Russian Football Federation,” carpet provider Hamed Heydari told RT’s Ruptly.

The weavers have produced three smaller rugs as well, which bear the logos of national teams that will play Iran in the Group B of the tournament – Morocco, Portugal and Spain. The carpets are expected to be given as a gift by the Iranian team captain to his counterparts.

The carpet-making process is complex and time-consuming. It took over six months to make the World Cup 2018 set. “We started weaving these rugs six months and 15 days ago. Two shifts of eight people, that is 16 people put together worked on them. The fabric is 80 percent silk.” Heydari said. The tradition of weaving special carpets marking World Cup tournaments emerged back in 1998, when Iran managed to qualify for the football showpiece for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since then, the weaver team has produced carpets marking every world championship. “The goal of weaving these carpets is to introduce the genuine Iranian culture into international arenas. The rugs will go down in history. One of them will be kept at the Russian Football Federation. May the entire world see these carpets and realize that Iranians are people of the arts,” carpet weaver Hossein Kazemi Hamed said, adding that he himself used to play football, and his “love for sports made me bring carpets and sports into some sort of a relationship.”

Carlos Queiroz to quit after the World Cup 2018

Source: Reuters

Carlos Queiroz will not remain at the helm of Iran after the conclusion of the country's involvement in the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Former Real Madrid coach Queiroz, who has been in charge of Team Melli since April 2011, had been offered an extension to his contract by the Iranian Football Federation until January's Asian Cup finals in the United Arab Emirates.
But the 65-year-old has decided to call time on his seven-year stint with Iran after the FIFA World Cup, where they have been drawn to take on Morocco, Spain and Portugal in Group B. "It's almost one year since we qualified for the World Cup and it's true that they gave me an offer to go for six months to the Asian Cup in the Emirates, but it didn't meet my expectations," Queiroz said by telephone from his team's training camp in Turkey.
"After all these years, for the Iranian federation to only extend the contract for six months is a decision that shows no appreciation or recognition for what I've done. It's an offer that isn't acceptable from my point of view. "The negotiations are closed, they are behind me. "Before we came here to Istanbul the federation was supposed to review the position and they did not come back to me, so from now on it's time to move forward." Queiroz had considered retiring after the FIFA World Cup to spend more time with his family, but now wants to become the first coach to secure qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals on five occasions. Brazilian Carlos Alberto Pereira and Serbian Bora Milutinovic have coached five times at the FIFA World Cup, with both taking charge of teams that had either qualified as hosts or stepped in as replacement coaches for already qualified nations. Queiroz, however, qualified South Africa for the FIFA World Cup in 2002 only to step down from his position before the finals in Japan and Korea. He then led Portugal to the 2010 tournament in South Africa before becoming the first coach to secure back-to-back FIFA World Cup appearances with Iran, and he is keen to lead another country to the finals in Qatar in 2022. "After all these years in Iran there was the possibility that I would retire after the World Cup," said Queiroz. "But, in the meantime, the dissatisfaction at not qualifying for a fifth World Cup started to grow. "It started to speak louder and the more I started to think more about that unique historical opportunity, to be the only coach in football history to have five World Cup qualifications under my belt, my anger and desire started to grow and this is now my main goal and my expectation. "I've had two offers, one from Africa and one from Asia with the chance to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and if that doesn't happen then I can look at one or two options that I have in England after the World Cup."

Team Melli match vs. Greece called off.

Greece's friendly international match against Iran scheduled for June 2nd has been canceled, German coach Michael Skibbe said on Friday.

No reason was given to justify the cancellation of this match planned in Istanbul, Turkey.

Iran still have to play against Lithuania on 8 June for their last warm-up match before flying off to Russia and start the World Cup against Morocco (15 June), then against Spain (20 June) and the Portuguese European champion then (25 June).

Greece, second in group H won by Belgium, did not qualify for the World Cup. In the play-offs, she lost to Croatia in a double-header (4-1, 0-0).

Fareshteh Karimi , the Queen of Asian Futsal

As Iran celebrated a second consecutive AFC Women’s Futsal Championship final win over Japan, Fereshteh Karimi continued the theme and confirmed herself as a continental great by winning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award for the second time.

The 29-year-old delivered what could only be described as the perfect tournament in Bangkok, scoring five goals and, remarkably, winning player of the match honours in all five of Iran’s matches.

The scorer of the tournament-deciding goal in Malaysia three years ago, Karimi also left her mark on this year’s decider, playing a major role in Misato’s Komura’s 30th minute own goal, before setting up Sara Shirbeigi to make it 3-0 moments later.

Speaking moments after Iran’s sensational 5-2 win, Karimi spoke of the significance of lifting the trophy for a second time.

“For women’s sport in Iran, the futsal team is the only team that has the ability to be an Asian champion,” she said. “The national teams in other sports don’t have this ability and that’s why this is so important. “Iranians are very emotional people, especially our women. This championship is the big opportunity for us to be more famous in the country, and the way we dress is unique and different from the other teams. “All the people, especially our families, are so happy about this achievement.” The 29-year-old graciously accepted the award, but said team success was at the forefront of her goals before thanking Iran’s technical staff. “First of all I was thinking about how I could help the team. I knew that if I could help the team then I could be the MVP of the tournament,” she revealed. “Before the final our staff analysed Japan for us very well. We had two sessions of analysing them and our plan was to make Japan tired in the first half, then try to score in the second half. “That was our plan and thankfully it worked. We really need to give our thanks to our staff.”
Iran head coach Shahrzad Mozafar paid tribute to Karimi, saying her dual achievement is evidence of her standing as one of the game’s greats. “Congratulations to Fereshteh,” she said. “To be the MVP of the tournament for the second time means that she is one of the really great players in Asia and, to me, in the world.” Iran’s hat-trick hero in the final, Sara Shirbeigi (pictured below) won the award for the tournament’s top scorer. The 26-year-old finished level with teammate Fatemeh Etedadi and Japan’s Anna Amishiro with nine goals, but won the award by virtue of contributing three assists, compared to her competitors’ two. Karimi thanked her teammates, giving special praise to the goal scoring duo as well as star goalkeeper Farzaneh Tavasoli. “All the Iranian players are the MVP, and they should all be here beside me accepting this award. “The top scorers, Sara and Fatemeh have been among the best players in this tournament, as well as our goalkeeper Farzaneh.” Iran also claimed the Fair Play Award to take a clean sweep of the honours.

AFC WOMEN’S FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP 

AWARDS

Most Valuable Player – Fereshteh Karimi (IRN)

Top Goal Scorer – Sara Shirbeigi (IRN) – 9 Goals

Fair Play Award – Islamic Republic of Iran

Iranian girls , Champions of Asian futsal again.

Saturday, May 12, 2018
Iran confirmed their status as the queens of Asian futsal, producing a dazzling five-goal second half to retain the AFC Women’s Futsal Championship with a 5-2 win over Japan. A hat-trick to Sara Shirbeigi and further goals from veteran Fahimeh Zarei and an own goal by Misato Komura  sealed a outstanding victory for Sharhzad Mozafar’s side, who also won the inaugural title in Malaysia three years ago. Japan had the better of goalless first half but failed to capitalise, before Iran produced a blistering scoring burst, that included three goals in two second-half minutes, to take the game away from Kenichiro Kogure’s side. Masami Kato had two shots in the first six minutes, before Mika Eguchi forced Iranian goalkeeper Farzaneh Tavasoli into an excellent save six minutes later, and volleyed over the crossbar after tricking her way into space not long after The player who had arguably done the most to get Japan to the final, four-time player of the match Anna Amishiro, hit the side netting in the 18th minute before Tavasoli made another fine save to deny Komura a minute later.
Despite spending extended periods under pressure, Iran looked as though they might take a half-time lead when Sara Shirbeigi ran right through the Japanese in the dying seconds, only for Eguchi’s last-ditch defending to snuff out the chance. It took less than 30 seconds for Ryo Egawa to force Tavasoli into another save, and less than two minutes for Shirbeigi to blast her effort over the crossbar as the battle intensified at the start of the second half. Fahimeh Zarei looked certain to put Iran in front in the 24th minute, but failed to make contact with the ball with the goal at her mercy, then watched as Seyedehnastaran Moghimidarzi’s follow-up flew harmlessly over the crossbar. Iran’s breakthrough came in the 27th minute when a lighting fast counter-attack drew Ayaka Yamamoto out of position, before Moghimidarzi rounded the Japanese goalkeeper and kept her cool to find Shirbeigi whose one-touch finish made it 1-0 from close range. Having scored the winning goal in the final three years ago, Fareshteh Karimi made her mark on the 2018 final when she played a crucial role in a Komura own goal which doubled the lead at the half-hour mark.
That signalled the start of an Iranian goal-rush as Karimi set up Shirbeigi to make it 3-0 just seconds later, and three became four when Shirbeigi completed a magnificent hat-trick by scoring another in the following minute. The goal also brought Shirbeigi level with teammate Fatemeh Etedadi as the tournament’s top scorer with nine. Japan head coach Kenichiro Kogure called a time-out before deploying a power play formation, which paid immediate dividends when Eguchi finally got a reward for her constant goal threat to make it 4-1. Not content with her goals, Shirbeigi turned provider to set up Zarei for one of the goals of the tournament when she masterfully flicked the ball past Yamamoto in the 36th minute. Amishiro scored her ninth goal of the tournament in the final minute to create a three-way tie in the race for the tournament’s top scorer, but it had little bearing on the final outcome as Iran celebrated a wonderful win.

Team Melli official World Cup kit to be revealed in Uzbekistan friendly.

Team Melli will meet Uzbekistan in an international friendly warm-up match in of preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The match is scheduled to be played on May 19 in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

“Team Melli 2018 World Cup jerseys have not been revealed yet to avoid counterfeits. The Iran national team kit will be unveiled in the match against Uzbekistan,” Mehdi Taj , the President of FFIRI said.

With less than two months left until the start of the 2018 World Cup, the Iranian federation and kit supplier Adidas have not unveiled Team Melli’s kit and the federation has been highly criticized by the media and the fans for the delay while almost all other nations have revealed their official jersey.

Although Mehdi Taj cited piracy as a reason for this delay, the truth according to insiders lies elsewhere. There has been some talk of diagreement between the Kit Supplier and FFIRI on financial terms. It is also been alleged that the quality that was offered , was not the top that the German manufacturer has in its inventory. Queiroz was not too happy with the quality on offer. However, there was no independent source to confirm these allegations.

Endangered Asiatic Cheetah was imprinted on Team Melli's jersey during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, but it seems the image will not be stamped on Iran’s kit in the 2018 World Cup. The Last Kit was supplied by UHLSports which had a turbulent relationship with the FFIRI. There were several accusation of inferior quality with the kit supplied by UHLSports. There were accusations by both sides and eventually the contract was not renewed.

Carlos Queiroz’s team have been drawn in Group B of the 2018 World Cup along with Spain, Morocco and Portugal. The Iran national football team will open the campaign with a match against Morocco at Saint Petersburg on June 15.

Zlatko Krancjar to lead Iran U23 team (Omid)

Zlatko Krancjar was appointed as the Head Coach of Team Melli Omid Team (U-23) by the Football Federation.

Commenting on his presence in Iran in his new capacity the coach of the Omid  team, the Croat coach  appreciated the confidence that was given to him by the officials of the Football Federation, the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee. “After having been in Iran for about 6 years, I feel a lot of responsibility towards the next generation of football.” The ex-Sepahan coach said

"Fortunately, I have a comprehensive understanding of the conditions of Iran's football," he continued. "I hope that I will be able to provide the best of my experiences to the future Iranian footballers."

The head coach of the Omid Team said: "We have many talented young players in Iran's football that can make a brilliant generation. All of our goal is to respond appropriately to the expectations of the people and the fans. Naturally, now everyone is looking at Team Melli , which is so popular in Iran and has been so for many years under the guidance of Carlos Queiroz. Certainly we are all supporters of Team Melli,  we pray for their success.”

He stated: "Very soon after I arrived  in Iran, the planning for training campus and preparation program for the Omid team has begun and we will try to announce our plans in the coming days. Today, there were numerous and intensive meetings with the presence of gentlemen Mohasses, Kalani, Moeni and Estili, to keep an eye on everything.”

"In the past two days," said Krancjar. "Unfortunately, some gossip mongers have come up with a story of bad relationship between me and the head coach of Team Melli, all of which are far from reality. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Queiroz and I am here to help Iranian football, and I emphasize that we are all partners with Team Melli of Iran. After the World Cup, we have Asian Games in Jakarta, which is important in the regional dimension, and I hope that the football family will have memorable days.”

OPPONENT WATCH: SPAIN

The 2010 winners are hoping to stand on top of the world once more with former Under-21 boss Julen Lopetegui now at the helm Winners in 2010 but dumped out of the group stage four years later, there's no question about which of their previous two World Cup campaigns Spain will be hoping to replicate. Long-time boss Vicente del Bosque stayed on too long, but now a side of serial winners that had perhaps begun to look a little long in the tooth has been refreshed under former Under-21 boss Julen Lopetegui.
The ex-Porto coach had been set to join Wolves as manager in 2016, but when his country came calling, the 51-year-old couldn't say no. Since then he has reinvigorated the side, building on the long-standing base of Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and David Silva, by adding freshness in the shape of a number of his former youth charges, including Real Madrid star Isco and Saul Niguez.
Spain coach Julen Lopetegui during training
Spain coach Julen Lopetegui (Image: Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Boyers)
Will Morata be in the starting XI this summer? (Image: Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
 

La Roja are still La Roja and crashing out at the group stage in Brazil 2014 and the disappointment of France 2016 were not at all cathartic in the end. At the age of 51, and without much experience as a coach at elite level, Julen Lopetegui has managed to conserve the essence of what made Spain so successful. The backbone of the team who qualified brilliantly for Russia 2018 are the same as those who failed in France a year and a half ago. Eight of the team who lost against Italy in Paris would start in Russia if the World Cup started now: David De Gea, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta, David Silva and Álvaro Morata. In addition, the wonderful Isco has found his feet with the senior squad, as have several of the under-21s who won the Euros with Spain and Lopetegui in 2013.

The big question regards - as it has since David Villa's international exit - who will play up front? Alvaro Morata has top-scored for Spain during Lopetegui's time in charge with seven goals, but there's also Diego Costa, Aritz Aduriz, Iago Aspas and a host of others.

They head to Russia among the leading contenders and will hope to stamp an early mark when they meet Portugal in their opener on June 15.

Form guide

There were no problems for the Spanish in World Cup qualifying, as they sauntered through a group containing Italy, with nine wins and one draw - in Turin - in their 10 games. Lopetegui's men scored 36 times and conceded on just three occasions as they booked their spot in the finals; the last time they tasted defeat in a competitive fixture was against the Azzurri at Euro 2016. Thrashed Costa Rica and drew 3-3 with hosts Russia in November, giving up the lead three times against the host nation.  

Star player

Isco
Isco has been shining brightly for Lopetegui (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Andres Iniesta is (arguably) the greatest player Spain has ever produced, and while the Barcelona star remains key, there can be no denying that he isn't the player he once was.

As such, the man to whom Spain will turn to make the cutting runs and passes which have been so key in recent year will be Isco, who will be 26 when the finals get under way and heading into his prime.

The playmaker has proven his value to Real Madrid in three Champions League finals and is now thriving at the Santiago Bernabeu; his devastating display against Italy last September - in which he scored twice - was perhaps the best individual performance from anyone not named Lionel Messi in Europe this season.

Rising star

Marco Asensio
Real Madrid starlet Asensio will hope to impress at the finals (Image: AFP)
Marco Asensio's burgeoning reputation continues to grow, with the 22-year-old shining for Real Madrid and emerging as the future of Spanish football. Supremely-talented, quick, with an eye for goal or a killer pass, the Mallorca-born starlet already boasts a Champions League final goal to his name and actively appears to seek responsibility in big games. He can prove a real game-changer for La Roja in Russia.   How they qualified: Winners of European Group G ahead of Italy  Preferred system:  4-5-1 Star players: Isco (Real Madrid) , David Silva (Manchester City) One to watch:  Marco Asensio (Real Madrid) Manager Julen Lopetegui Odds 15-2  

Head 2 Head

Spain and Iran have never met. Iran was invited to the 75th Anniversary of Real Madrid club , but did not play the host in a 4 team tournament in March 1977.

Carlos Queiroz: Domestic league players  are not ready !

  Carlos Queiroz The Iranian national team manager says the players in the Iranian players in Persian Gulf league teams are not ready to play in the World Cup and should be prepared for their specific training. Carlos Queiroz said at a press conference after Iran's match against Algiers, "It was a great test for the Iranian national team against this team," AFP reported. Algeria has very good players who think fast and play the game fast. They have powerful players. It was a great opportunity to learn. I would like to thank the Algerian Football Federation and Mr. Rabah Madjar for the opportunity given to us to play this game. "As I said before, in international friendly matches against teams like Tunisia and Algeria, we get or get two results," he said in response to a question that has come about after two matches against Tunisia and Algeria. Or learn. What we have learned is one thing, and I'm very clear about it, no matter how our domestic players performed, they  are not ready to play at the World Cup. Our domestic players need special preparation program in the next 40 days to reach this level. They are far from this level and need to be better prepared for duels. They need to be stronger and faster. They need to practice thinking and play fast so they need to work with me." Queiroz added that the two games clearly showed that we are far from what we want to be in the World Cup. There are people who do not like what I say, but it's my job to tell them and give them the necessary warning. Now the decision is not with us. The decision is with those who manage Iranian football. The decision is made by the honorable president of the Federation of Mr. Taj, the heads of the clubs and the highest authority of the Ministry of Sports. We need special exercises for our domestic  players. He said that "the striker of the Algerian team easily scored three goals against Persepolis, saying that the players should be stronger. He can win on all single scenes because he is strong and powerful. It is now when our federation and those responsible for our football have to make a decision. Now it's time to either have everything or do not have anything so it's imperative that players work and practice with me to prepare for the World Cup. Whether or not you like, domestic players are not ready to play in the World Cup. If they do not engage and undergo a good quality exercises until the World Cup, we will not have the chance." The national team manager added: "The key is to equip our players better and better prepared for this, and there is no way other than doing special exercises." We have 40 days now. Now is the time to decide. Tomorrow is late Exercises and matches for our players are not enough. Any coach who says this is not true is lying and telling the truth to you. What is important for Iran now? Domestic league or world cup? It is my duty to draw attention to this and say that this is either everything or nothing. I have to be honest and say that. In response to the question that tonight we saw so e rough play along with a number of injuries, he said: What do you expect from Morocco now? A great party? What do you expect from Portugal and Spain? Waltz or Opera? These games are rock and roll, fast and furious. We need players ready for this speed and fight. We can but be prepared for it. Countries like Portugal and Spain are 40, 50 years ahead of Iran in terms of football development. Can this big difference be compensated within a short time? No The only way we have is to prepare ourselves at least. Our players can jump to Ronaldo 10 times? No, not much luck! We came here to take or learn, and now we learned that we need to work. Now, those who are responsible must make a decision, dear chairman of the federation of football and the minister of sport. Saudi Arabia has made a decision; the players in the team are in the camp and do not play for their clubs. Can we make that decision? This is a question that exists.   "We are good friends for each other and we have worked together in FIFA," said Queiroz, in response to the question of whether he was invited by a former head of the Algerian federation for co-operation. "That's right, but I had a deal with the Iranian Football Federation and I was committed to this team and players and the goals we had for the World Cup.  "Algeria is a great team," he said in response to the question of what he thinks of Algeria . In the previous World Cup they were the only team that could defeat Germany. They now rebuild their team. I'm sure Rabah Madjer with his personality would give the Algerian national team everything they deserves.