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Team Melli Thrash India 3-0 to Top Group D

Team Melli dispensed of India with ease winning 3-0 away in Bengaluru with goals from Sardar Azmoun , Andranik Teymourian and Mehdi Taremi. The first half of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying rounds ended 1-0 for Iran.

Iran heads Group D of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers table with 7 points ahead of Oman and Guam both on 7 points. The two teams played a goalless draw earlier on the day.

The match was expected to be a hard nut to crack for the Indian team since Iran are ranked 115 places above them in the latest FIFA World Rankings.

Queiroz once again stuck to the young guns who responded magnificently with both Azmoun and Taremi scoring again after the two players braces against Guam.

Iran, went into the match brimming with confidence after they dismantled Guam with a comprehensive 6-0 win, over 2000 Team Melli fans were in Bangalore to cheer for Iran.  India , on the other hand were short of confidence and points in the table after two consecutive defeats and zero points.

Team Melli attacked from the beginning of the match while India was content to defend and close the area.

While Indian defenders did well in the first half of the match, a bit of complacency in the initial phase of the second half saw them conceding two goals in the first five minutes. This made the task of the Indian team that much difficult.

India started off well in the game. One would believe that the hosts did not give up but they went down fighting against the Asian powerhouse. 

In the first half of the match, Indian players looked composed and oragnised, but they were beaten by pace and class of the Iranian footballers. 

India skipper Sunil Chhetri, Robin Singh and Jeje Lalpekhlua shared a good spell of passing in the first quarter of the match but they could not create any chances whatsoever. Instead the Iranian were on the attack every other moment and posed a threat for India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

The first goal came in the 27th minute when Iran got a free-kick from a dangerous position. Sardar Azmoun found the back of the net. After this goal, Robin Singh and Sunil Chhetri did create a number of chances but all of them went begging. At half time, the score was 1-0.

Right after the start of the second half, Iranian skipper Andranik Teymourian made it 2-0. Three minutes later Mehdi Taremi made it 3-0 and it looked all over for India.

There was no coming back from there. But the Indian players tried hard to keep the Iranian defence on the edge till the end of the game. Sandesh Jhinghan was impressive as well but if you can't convert the chances into goals then there is no point. India came really close to scoring when Chhetri's shot went inches over the Iranian bar in the 60th minute and later Jeje failed to convert a flick from Chhetri.  

Many chances were wasted by Iran especially the two in the dying minutes of the match both wasted by Dejagah.

Iran next opponent will be Oman and that would be the sternest test for Team Melli in the group.

India vs. Iran : Statistical Preview

India restart their 2018 World Cup Qualification match on the 8th of August against the best very best Asian Football as to offer in Iran. India have had a horrible start to their qualification campaign losing both their opening games to Oman and Guam respectively. If India want to keep their hopes alive of qualification to the next round of the qualifiers they have to pull off an upset against Iran, who are the team fancied to win the group. A loss against Iran would not only make it difficult to qualify for the World Cup but also for the 2019 Asian Cup to be held in UAE. Here are all the statistics ahead of the match:

FIFA Rankings

 

Iran: 40

India: 155

Iran are placed a massive 115 places above India in the latest FIFA rankings released recently. In the Asian Confederation, Iran are the best team ranked at 40 while India are the 27th best team in Asia. Iran have played in four World Cups throughout their history, making appearances in three of the last five. In the 2014 World Cup, they missed their chances against runner-ups Argentina and were punished by an exceptional Lionel Messi goal. Iran are managed by former Real Madrid manager Carlos Queiroz, who was praised for his team’s performances in Brazil. In the 12 matches that since the World Cup, Iran have won eight of the matches including a win over Copa America winners Chile at the Azadi stadium. Since Stephen Constantine has taken over the reigns of the National team, India have won just one game, losing two and drawing two. However, if they are able to get a result out of this game, it would be a morale boost for the team, who are trying to qualify for the Asian Cup.

Form Guide

Iran: W-D-W-D-W

India: D-L-L-D-W-L

Iran have been in exceptional form since the World Cup scoring 20 goals in 12 matches. They had a slow start to the World Cup Qualifiers drawing with lowly ranked Turkmenistan but returned to winning ways in style with a 6-0 thrashing of Guam. A win against Copa America winners Chile was followed by a defeat to Zlatan Ibrahimovic led Sweden in an International friendly. India, on the other hand, have not been able to capitalize on the winning start under Stephen Constantine losing the two World Cup Qualifiers they have played in. A draw against Nepal, who were playing their first match since March, doesn't really inspire confidence in the fans.

Last match

Iran: Won against Guam 6-0 India: Drew against Nepal 0-0 Iran got off to a bad start in the World Cup Qualification campaign, drawing against minnows Turkmenistan in their first game. In the second game, they destroyed group toppers Guam 6-0 with Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi grabbing a brace. If Iran want to top a difficult group they will need to beat India to keep the pressure on Oman. India played Nepal in their last match as a warm up game for the Iran game but were unable to breach the Nepal defense as the visitors were able to pull off a very respectable draw. India did not look like a confident side as Constantine tried an attacking 4-3-3 formation. It is highly unlikely that the Englishman will try the same formation against Iran but he might revert to a defensive version of the same formation to stock up the midfield.  

Head-to-head record

Teams Played Won Lost Draw Goals Scored Goals Conceded Goal Difference
Iran 6 4 1 1 13 4 9
India 6 1 4 1 4 13 -9
  Indian and Iran have played each other on six occasions with the first one coming in the Asian Games final that the Indians won 1-0 in a very dominating game. That is the only time India have beaten their illustrious opponents. Since then Iran have won three games and drawn one with the last match being a comprehensive 3-0 win in the Asian Cup Qualifiers in 1992. The head to head record makes sure that the match looks like an uphill task for the Indian contingent, but football has always provided upsets and India will be hoping for the same in this match.

Predicted starting line-ups

 

Key Players

Iran

Sardar Azmoun Sardar Azmoun, known as the ‘Iranian Messi’, is the man to watch out for in the Iran side. The 20-year-old narrowly missed out on a place in the 2014 World Cup squad, but he was recalled to the National team as soon as the campaign ended. He currently plays his football on loan for Russian club Rostov, but he is officially contracted to Rubin Kazan. The youngster is blessed with blistering pace and an eye for goal that Guam found out the wrong way when he scored a brace against the team that beat India 2-1. His performance for Rostov have attracted the interest of English giants Liverpool and Arsenal.  

India

Sandesh Jhingan   On the eve of the India-Oman match, Stephen Constantine’s news that Jhingan would not take part in the first match of the Qualifiers was met by a collective groan by the media present. That tells you everything you need to know about his importance to the team. In the two games that followed, the Indian defense looked at sixes and sevens conceding four goals in two matches. Even though Sunil Chhetri is the main goal threat, Jhingan will play an important role in organizing the defense for the home team. The 2014 AIFF Emerging Footballer of the Year and Emerging Player in the inaugural edition of the ISL has to be at the top of his game to keep the Iranian attack at bay. Venue: Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru Timing: 7:00 pm India Time Referee: Ammar ALJENEIBI (UAE) Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed ALRASHADI (UAE) Assistant Referee 2: Zayed KAMAL (UAE) Fourth Official: Nivon ROBESH GAMINI (SRI)

Indian goalie Paul undaunted by Iran’s might.

Bengaluru: Senior Indian goalkeeper Subrata Paul stressed that India will stay focussed and play with “passion” when they take on Iran in a World Cup qualifier at the Kanteerava Stadium on September 8 (Tuesday).

“We will play as a team. Football is all about attacking as a team and it’s also all about defending as a team,” he said while speaking during a media interaction prior to India’s practice session on Saturday evening.

“In football, anything is possible and any team possesses the power to upset their opponents on any given day,” Paul maintained.

“We can guarantee our fans that we will play and give our hundred per cent on the pitch. We will fight for every inch and for every ball,” Paul who captained India in the last international friendly against Nepal on August 31, said.

Meanwhile, the Indian team had double practice sessions on the day, sweating it out both in the morning and evening at the stadium. The Stephen Constantine-coached side are yet to open their account in the World Cup Qualifiers after successive defeats to Oman and Guam, respectively.

“We are taking one match at a time. Right now, we are focusing on the Iran match. Commenting about the tally of points and our position in the group isn’t possible at the moment,” Paul said.

“For me, on the ground everybody is equal. Players from the other team would also be having two legs, two hands and one head,” he smiled. “They are same as us. Why should one get scared?” he quipped.

For the record, Iran, the top-ranked team in Asia stand at 40 in the Fifa ladder while India are at 155.

Reflecting on the preparation, Pal said: “We played well against Oman and we have improved a lot since that performance. Right now we have a very talented crop of players in the national set-up, but one needs to patient,” he said.

Since Constantine took over, India have fielded 15 debutants in the four matches so far under the British coach. Paul also made a special mention of his goalkeeping coach Rogerio Ramos and sports scientist Danny Deigan and their “value addition to Indian Football.”

“(Rogerio) Ramos is one of the best goalkeeping coaches that I have ever had in my career. He is technically very sound and I am lucky to him. I wish I was lucky enough to have him when I was a budding footballer. He is amazing,” Paul added.

Team Melli lands in Bengaluru.

Team Melli landed in Bengaluru (Bangalore) this morning following a few hours transit in Dubai airport. This flight was one of the most trouble-free trips that Team Melli has enjoyed for a long time. From Queiroz being denied exit from Iran due to non-payment of income tax all the way to the last trip to Uzbekistan then Turkmenistan where the chartered flight was delayed creating a stressful condition on the squad, Team Melli has endured much difficulties in their travels recently. It is expected that Queiroz will gather the team for light training as soon as the squad checks into the hotel. The match against India as part of the qualifying rounds of the FIFA World Cup 2018 on the 8th will be the first time the two  countries have met in 23 years since May 1992 where Iran defeated India 3-0 in Calcutta in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. The rejuvenated Team Melli is in high spirit after routing Guam, the group leader , 6-0 in Azadi on Thursday. The Team line up against Guam had a good mix of senior players like Hosseini , Montazerri, Dejagah and Teymourian while the rest were young players or newly inducted players. This is far cry form the two squads in the World Cup 2014 and the Asian Cup 2015 which basically was the same team consisting of senior or aged players who have passed their best and their displays were found wanting by the fans and the media.  

Head2Head

Venue Matches W D L Goals + / -
Home 1 1 0 0 3 - 0 +3
Away 5 3 0 2 9 - 6 +3
Neutral 3 2 1 0 6 - 1 +5
Total 9 6 1 2 18 - 7 +11
 

List of matches

Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
13.May.1992 Asian Cup Qualifier / ACQ A 3 - 0 Calcutta 20000
07.Dec.1984 Asian Cup / Group B N 0 - 0 Singapore 10000
07.Mar.1980 Olympics Qualifier / OLQ N 2 - 0 Singapore 11000
13.Dec.1966 Asian Games N 4 - 1 Bangkok 10000
19.Jun.1964 Olympics Qualifier A 3 - 1 Rapindra Soria , Calcutta 25000
06.Jun.1964 Olympics Qualifier H 3 - 0 Amjadiah , Tehran 30000
15.Dec.1959 Asian Cup Qualifier A 2 - 1 Ernakulam, Kerela, India
08.Dec.1959 Asian Cup Qualifier A 1 - 3 Ernakulam, Kerela, India
10.Mar.1951 Asian Games / Final A 0 - 1 New Delhi , India 40000
Created

Iran Will be a Difficult Game for Us: India Coach Stephen Constantine

Reported By Press Trust of India

Bengaluru: As the beleaguered Indian football team gets ready to face Iran in what is touted to be its most difficult outing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, chief coach Stephen Constantine says he wants to "give fans "something to cheer about". A 23-member Indian team arrived here today for the September 8 preliminary joint qualification match against the Asian giant. Stunned by lower-ranked Guam in their previous outing, Indian players had been training at DSK Shivajians in Pune since August 24. Besides, India also played an international friendly against Nepal on August 31, which ended in a goalless draw. "We have great support here. The fans are really behind the national team. I appreciate that and so do the players," Constantine said. "I hope we can give the fans something to cheer about. It will be very difficult match for us but that's the time when you can discover on whom you can depend upon." (Indian Football Season Can't be Dictated by Television: Constantine) As per the current raking, Iran are placed 40 in the ladder with India at 155. The boys were given a break in the afternoon and practice would resume from Saturday morning. Reflecting back on the training stint in Pune, the coach said, "The huge advantage that the DSK campus has is that you have everything in one place. You have your medical facilities, the pool, the gym, rooms for screening and analysis in one campus besides the two wonderful training grounds," he stated. "You have everything that you should have as a club never mind a national team. "Furthermore, the willingness of the authorities who were immensely proud to serve the national team was awesome indeed. I need to thank Mr. Shirish Kulkarni and his team and look forward to continuing the relationship with them in the future," he affirmed.

Team Melli young guns put on the style in a 6-0 victory.

Guam topping the group ahead of Iran and oozing with confidence with dreams of upsetting the powerful Team Melli, was suddenly put down to earth with a 6-0 drubbing in Azadi today. This was Guam first drop of points of their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Team Melli jumped on the Matao almost immediately with a goal in the opening 10 minutes off a penalty kick from Ashkan Dejagah. The hosts went into halftime up by three goals as Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun scored before halftime. Taremi and Azmoun found the back of the net again in the second half before Mehdi Torabi rounded the scoring with a tally in the dying minutes of the match.  

Despite the result, Guam remain atop Group D with six points while Iran are in second with four but holding a match in hand.

Queiroz put his confidence in his youngsters’, who put a wide smile on his face after the emphatic win against the group leaders.

Although Sardar Azmoun continued his prolific scoring records with Team Melli , it was Mehdi Taremi , the player from Bushehr , currently starring for Persepolis , who attracted most of the attentions. Azmoun run on the flank was stopped by a foul from keeper Doug Herrick. The referee had no hesitation to blow for a penalty which Ashakan Dejagah slotted comfortably into the net in the 10th minute.

iran guam ashkan goal celebration

The early goal opened Team Melli appetite as both Ando Teymourian and Taremi came close to adding to the tally. The latter then scored when Azmoun sent a neat pass for Taremi to slot in the goal with a side touch for his first goal and Iran's second in the 31st minute. Azmoun added one more before half time from a slide rule cross by Ashkan Dejagah for the young forward who plays for the Russian club Rostov to outjump the Guam defenders and head into the net. Azmoun has scored several goals in such style and beginning to acquire a reputation for splendid heading goals.

Azmoun scored again on the 41st from a neat cross by Vahid Amiri to finish the half with 4-0 margin for Team Melli.

The second half was much the same as what the fans witnessed in the first. Guam hardly venturing into Iranian territory while Team Melli players putting a siege round the Guam box.

Further goals came from Taremi who headed home Ramin Rezaeian’s cross and then a late goal by Torabi, his second for Team Melli in as many matches.

The second half was not more than a damage limitation exercise by Guam who defended in numbers and managed to limit the scoring to no more than two.

Team Melli will now face India next while Guam will play Oman who beat Turkmenistan 3-1 in Muscat.

iran guam taremi azmoun goal celebration

Carlos Queiroz looks for 'miracle' as Iran target World Cup return

BY JOHN DUERDEN
  Carlos Queiroz never seems to age, with only a lengthening CV providing proof of passing time. It makes for impressive reading, but the 62-year-old still wants to do more. "I am attracted to the idea of taking four different national teams to a World Cup because only one or two guys have done that and it would be nice for my coaching career," Mozambique-born Queiroz told ESPN FC. It would be quite a feat, but at the moment the Portuguese coach is focusing on taking Iran -- his third national team after South Africa and Portugal -- to a second successive World Cup in Russia 2018. The feat is harder than many people realise it to be, Queiroz argues. Though there are four automatic World Cup berths for Asia, the reality is a little different. "In Asia, three nations have a credit card for the World Cup -- Australia, South Korea and Japan," he says with just a hint of a smile and a what-can-you-do shrug of the shoulders. "That leaves just one place for Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Uzbekistan, China and North Korea. That is seven
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz is preparing to guide Team Melli to their second straight WC ahead of Thursday's qualifier vs. Guam.
nations and almost of all these have great conditions, facilities and financial resources." Iran -- who were under international sanctions for eight years -- have been at a disadvantage, according to Queiroz. There have been struggles to gain access to funds due from FIFA and the AFC and the consequential inability to pay for training camps and facilities. Years of cancelled friendlies also took a toll. For Queiroz, it is becoming more difficult for Iran to compete with rivals with better financial resources. "There is real passion for the game in Iran, you don't have to ignite it," he said. "With passion, players and desire, you have a big chance. But how many times can you work a miracle? "Money talks everywhere, and we need resources to create a foundation. We need experience but how are you going to gain it if you don't have friendly games, if you don't have nations to play? This is a cat and mouse game and is very difficult to deal with."
Carlos Queiroz hailed Iran's spirited performance against Lionel Messi's Argentina in last year's World Cup.
The sanctions were lifted in July but the former Real Madrid coach is unconvinced that things will change anytime soon. It was against such a backdrop that Iran made it to the 2014 World Cup, clinching a spot on a warm June night at the Ulsan World Cup Stadium. Team Melli's celebration upset the South Korean hosts, who felt it was over the top and aggressive. But according to Queiroz, who was formerly an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manshester United, it was emotion released after a long and testing campaign. It was not the end of stress, however. "Our preparation for the World Cup was not playing national teams but a couple of first division teams from South Africa. We are grateful, don't get me wrong, those friends were fantastic for us but it was not enough. "We need more experience, more players who are mature to play a World Cup. We want to be there with a chance to compete and win and in the World Cup we can only do that if we have quality players and experience." Even so, the memories of Brazil are still warm. "The performance was great. The players and the team got a lot of respect. They brought pride to the nation, there is no doubt about that," said Queiroz. Especially against Argentina when Iran only lost 1-0 due to a piece of Lionel Messi magic in the 91st minute and could have won, had the referee given what seemed to be a pretty clear penalty when Pablo Zabaleta had fouled Ashkan Dejagah in the area 10 minutes into the second half. "I was sure that they would not be able to score, but when you have God on the pitch, sometimes you can make miracles," said Queiroz. "I cracked the joke then that Argentina had everything on their side. They had Messi who played for them -- Messi could have been born Iranian, but God made him to be born in Argentina. "Then they also had the referee who was a little bit distracted when he didn't give us that penalty, that scandalous penalty. Sure, if we had scored then, it could have inspired Argentina to come back -- you never know in football. But those two combinations were difficult to deal with. "We fought hard at the World Cup. It was OK. It was 50 percent of what I wanted."
Queiroz coached Iran to a quarterfinal appearance in the Asian Cup in January but lost the thriller against neighbours Iraq.
It comes back to Russia 2018. Iran are strong favourites to top Group D and move into the final round of qualification despite a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw in Turkmenistan in June. "More than 50 percent of the team are young and it is a new team," Queiroz said. "I expected a little more from them. In fact, the game got a bit complicated for us after we had scored. There are no excuses though. The pitch was OK for both teams, the weather was very hot. We need to praise Turkmenistan -- they fought for the result and we lacked the experience to control the game and get the three points. But we are still in a good position to move to the next round." On Thursday, Guam come to Tehran. The island with a population of 170,000 were genuine minnows until recently. Now the Matao are top of the group with six points from games at home to Turkmenistan and India and have climbed the rankings to 146. Queiroz is wary of the team who are confident, ambitious and with nothing to lose. He is respectful of the job English coach Gary White has done. "They are doing well. They have a lot of players with experience in the United States leagues," said Queiroz. "I am not surprised, because I have been there and found the Guam players to have this competitive nature and sport education which are the foundations of American sports. The coach is doing well because I saw videos and the team is very well organised with good discipline and it is going to be difficult." For Carlos Queiroz, life as Iran coach is never easy and you sense that he quite likes it that way. "That is why we are coaches, born to suffer in life. We will do our best and that is all we can do." John Duerden is ESPN's Asia football correspondent who also works for BBC Radio, The Guardian and World Soccer. Twitter: @JohnnyDuerden

Kaveh Rezaei called to Team Melli

Kaveh Rezaei , Zob Ahan forward has been called to join Team Melli camp as a replacement for Alireza Jahanbakhsh. AZ Alkamar announced that their recently joined Iranian player has sustained a slight injury and he will be rested for a couple of weeks. As such this injury would prevent him joining Team Melli for the two games vs. Guam and India. Queiroz had to call a replacement , who is now Kaveh Rezaei. Rezaei has played in 3 junior Team Melli teams.  

Guam training in Osaka Japan while waiting for Iran visa.

In preparation for Guam’s fixture against Asia’s No. 1 country, I.R. Iran, on Sept. 3, the team and staff have all gotten together for a weeklong training camp at J-Green Sakai in Osaka, Japan, thanks to the generosity of the Japan Football Association.

For over a decade, JFA has been immensely supportive of football development in Guam and this was recognized in front of dozens of Japanese media in a press conference held this past Friday in Tokyo. Matao team members and staff were all present at the event to thank JFA for the organization’s assistance that has helped fuel the success of Guam’s national program today.

Guam’s football success

Gary White, or the “Gaffer,”  the Guam Football Association’s technical director and head coach of the men’s national soccer team, has written:

The recognition of JFA’s support over the years of Guam’s football success comes at an opportune time, as the Matao are currently group leaders in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Joint Qualification Round 2, a feat unparalleled by many of Asia’s top countries.

Now that we’ll be facing off with Asia’s highest-ranked country in a few days in Azadi Stadium, a venue with a capacity of over 100,000, we continue to thank JFA for its support in arranging accommodations and training at the beautiful and world-class J-Green Sakai facility in Osaka, Japan.

After our match in Iran, the team looks forward to returning home for its match against Oman, a country ranked in the top 100 in the world. We hope to play in front of another sellout crowd, with fans in every corner waving Guam flags and cheering the team to another milestone victory.

Omid Alishah : a star in the making.

The young man from Sari , Mazanderan has been making headlines in Iranian football since his arrival at Persepolis from Rah Ahan.

The 23 years old who started his professional football at Nasaji before moving to Tehran with Naft, has been a regular in several age level Team Melli teams. Playing on the flanks and at times in the midfield , he has a remarkable ability to out run his opponents , a burst of speed that is second to none , and  classic dribbling skills.

Alishah came under prominence in Rah Ahan under Ali Daei who quickly identified the skills and ability of the young player promoting him to the first team and giving him much playing time ahead of senior players. Alishah did not disappoint and for the two seasons he was in Rah Ahan , he played 39 matches and scored 9 goals which is considered well above average for a player at his age in Iran.

In 2013 , Ali Daei  then Persepolis coach, managed to take  Alishah with him where he continued displaying his magic and goals. Alishah has been known to score some spectacular goals to compliment his other skills.

With attributes that are close to Hassan Rowshan and Mehdi Mahdavikia, having  similar physique to the two Team Melli legends , Alishah can terrorize his markers , out running and out maneuvering them with ease. His finishing is also not bad either.

Despite his undeniable talent, Alishah is one notorious diver, which mars his immaculate play. He has recovered numerous yellow cards for diving in league games and also received marching orders for this lack of honesty.

Alishah has been picked by Queiroz for the first time in Team Melli for the two matches against Guam and India. He can be the perfect replacement for the departed Shaojei and the out of favor Khalatbary. If only he plays his cards right, this young man has plenty of talent to make him a star.