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Sadeghian stars in Team Melli U22 win

Kish island , Persian Gulf

Team Melli U-22 scored a narrow win in a friendly match against South Korea in the warmth of the Persian Gulf Island of Kish this afternoon.

The friendly match was in preparation of both team for the upcoming AFC U-22 Cup which will be held in Oman in a fortnight.

The Iranians had a lightening start when they opened the scoring as early as the 7th minute through Yaghoub Karimi who  slotted the ball home to make it 1-0 for Iran. Two minutes later the Koreans were stunned when Payam Sadeghian made it 2-0 for  Alireza Mansourian's men.

The two quick goals by Team Melli U-22 forced the Koreans to raise their game and go on to overdrive which yielded result when Lee JongHo scored for the Korean team and reduce the deficit to the minimum. 2-1 was indeed the result that the teams carried to the dressing room at half time.

In the second half, the Koreans started as the better team and played some neat football and eventually managed to score the equalizer. Lee Jong Ho scored his second and his teams second at 74th minute.

While both teams seemed to be content with the result , Sadeghian pounced on a ball and scored Iran's winner right on the 90th minute.The match ended 3-2 for the hosts.

 The scorers Karimi , Sepahan midfielder , and Sadeghian of Perspolis are 2 of a few number of players in the U-22 squad who have been selected or played for the senior team Melli.

The two teams are supposed to meet again on Friday , but there is already some talk about postponing the match to some other time.

Iran is in a difficult group with Japan . Australia and Kuwait in the inaugural championship in Muscat Oman.

Vingada on the brink of becoming Team Melli U-23 coach

Nelo Vingada , the 60 years old Portuguese coach is at the brink of signing a 3 years contract to coach Iran's U-23 team. The much traveled coach who had a short stint as Perspolis head coach in 2009 , has been negotiating with the FFIRI for months and it is reported that both sides have agreed terms and the signing will be conduct after the return of Ali Kaffashian from Iraq. Currently , there is no coach for the U-23 team or Olympic team , however , with the 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 in mind next September , followed by the Rio Olympic Games 2016 qualifiers, FFIRI opted to have a long term plan for the U-23/Olympic team. The appointment of a high profile coach was deemed as a priority. The selection of Vingada was no doubt influenced by Carlos Queiroz , a close friend and associate. The pair (Queiroz and Vingada) led Portugal to lifting the FIFA U21 World Cup back in 1989 & 1991. Vingada's last involvement with Iranian football was his advisory role to Queiroz during this current World Cup campaign [Full story] The selection of the experienced Vingada will at least mean harmony between the two coaches of Team Melli, as Queiroz has not been having a cordial relationship with other club coaches in Iran.  Club coaches have accused the Team melli coach of ignoring them in making decision that affects their teams and the matter came into a a loggerhead with the 4 clubs coaches taking part in the AFC Asian Champions league. The other coach who was on FFIRI short list for the Olympic team was the Danish Flemmings, who coached his country's u-21 team and also Mes Kerman youth teams. Vingada has a tough job reviving the fortunes of the disappointing Olympic team which has failed to qualify for the final stages since 1980. After qualifying for the Moscow games, the first achievement of the post-revolution , Iran boycotted the Moscow Olympic games and subsequently the football teams did not have a chance to improve on their best performance in 1976 Montreal Olympics.  However , the U-23 team has performed very well at the Asian Games level winning a gold medal in 2002, one bronze medal 2006 and one fourth place ranking in 2010. The proposed squad which will be available for Vingada will mostly consist of the U-21 players with prominent players such as Sardar Azamoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh available for selection.

Namazi "We have established contact with Aria"

Assistant coach of Team Melli , Omid Namazi , has confirmed that contacts have been established with the Japanese/Iranian player Aria Jasuru Hasegawa The FC Tokyo player is born in Japan from an Iranian father and Japanese Mother. Carlos Queiroz has earlier expressed his interest in the Japanese/Iranian player. Namazi said "The negotiation is in its infancy , and nothing is for certain yet. We want to know if Aria has interest playing for Team Melli" On the status of Team Melli preparation Namazi said that at this stage , the players are busy with their clubs. We have no immediate plan to assemble a squad, however we are constantly monitoring the league players and will certainly picked the best player after watching their performance in the league " Namazi had no idea about the published information in the FIFA website of the match between Team Melli and Guinea on 5th March 2014 "I know they were negotiating some deal , but I am unaware that an agreement has been reached and a match is supposed to be played" On the rumors about Carlos Queiroz and the vacant Tottenham Hotspurs job, Namazi said "I know that Queiroz has expressed his interest to return to English league once again as he is highly regarded there after his work with Man Utd, but at the moment , He is busy with Team Melli and preparing for the World Cup. I don't beleive he will  leave his job.". Namazi emphasized that he is expressing his own opinion.      

Tevez has no World Cup hopes.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Carlos Tevez holds out no hope of being part of Argentina's World Cup squad and prefers not to watch their matches on television, the Juventus striker said on Friday. The 29-year-old, who has been in fine scoring form with 10 Serie A goals for juve so far this season, has been overlooked since Alejandro Sabella became Argentina coach in August 2011. "If Sabella hasn't called me up, I'm not going to phone him to find out why he doesn't pick me," Tevez told Argentina's La Red radio station. "Sabella must not be asked to call me up... Let him work in peace because it's not easy for Sabella not to call me. I know there's a lot of pressure especially from fans." The former Manchester City, Manchester United and West Ham United striker said he had a good relationship with the Argentina players and national team captain Lionel Messi. "I have no problems with the group and I get on great with Messi. I don't lose sleep over the World Cup. I don't think I will watch it because it hurts me to see the national team, it's bad for me," he said. Some media pundits say Tevez, who last played for Argentina in the 2011 Copa America quarter-final defeat by Uruguay, may not fit into Sabella's tactical plans while others argue that he might disrupt the squad's harmony. Tevez was part of the Argentina teams that reached the quarter-finals of the last two World Cups in Germany in 2006 and South Africa in 2010. Argentina, winners in 1978 and 1986, are in Group F with Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria at next year's finals in Brazil which kick off on June 12. (Reporting by Luis Ampuero; Writing by Rex Gowar)

William Atashkadeh aiming for the World Cup with Iran.

Back in April 2012 , Carlos Queiroz was in Sweden hunting down yet another  European player with Iranian ancestry. Queiroz  was eyeing the Swedish William Atashkadeh. The 21 years old  Gothenburg, Sweden  born player currently plays for Örebro SK in the Allsvenskan.

Queiroz was present when the striker played one of  his best games and scored two goals. That made an impression, and Queiroz extended his invitation for the half Iranian player.. However , William Atashkadeh  was quoted by the media after the game that he prefers to play for Sweden and that he's looking forward to first be invited to Sweden U21. The call has never arrived , nevertheless, even if he does play for a Swedish Youth team , he is still eligible to play for Team Melli according to international and FIFA regulations.

Between the players lack of interest or enthusiasm to play for Iran, his long term injuries and the discovery of one Reza Ghoochannejad, the attention of Queiroz towards the Swede faded and his track went cold. A few days ago , Atashkadeh re-surfaced in the media and was interviewed by a Swedish website,  Fotbollskanalen.se

William Atashkadeh was featured on a national team with Iran. Then he injured himself. The question is whether a good spring can take him to the World Cup. - The national coach has eye on me, he says.

 AIKs Celso Borges will play the World Cup with Costa Rica but the question is whether he will be the only premier league player in Brazil. In March, William Atashkadeh invited to a squad with Iran, but shortly thereafter he injured himself and has been absent until now. Örebro striker is back in full training and the question is whether a good spring in the headlines can take him to the summer's World Cup, where Iran is in the same group as Argentina, Bosnia and Nigeria.

“I've been injured in the hip all year so my physical shape is not that good yet. I need to find the right form and get into it now. You can slowly but surely. Now I have been training on this and it feels good”  he says to fotbollskanalen.se.
Wlliam Atashkadeh
Wlliam Atashkadeh

- I aim not at the World Cup because I've been injured so much. I'll see here now what happens. I will do everything I can to see how far I can get. It can go fast. Nothing is impossible.

During the 2012 season Iran's coach Carlos Quieroz - former coach of Portugal and the assistant manager to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United – traveled to Örebro and checked when William Atashkadeh played match. When Quieroz was watching the striker, Atashkadeh scored two goals against Atvidaberg and hailed by Quieroz. - Carlos had a good look at me and he had contacted me several times. They have a good group of players in Europe with Persian ancestry and there is a contact in Skåne who usually watch these games. They heard about me and Carlos came to Sweden. I scored twice and we talked after the game. Then I said that I wanted to wait because I wanted to come up with the Swedish U21 national team, but I was not in it even though it went very well. In December, he asked again if I wanted to come and then I said certainly and went in March. How did it go? - I was just back from a foot injury so I was in the fitting exercises and so. It felt good and I know what I'm going for.

How did it feel to Carlos Quieroz when he went to Örebro to see you?

- It was really awesome of course. He has held global player and World Team so it was really cool. They were proud and it was impressive that a great man was in Örebro and watching me play. How do you see the chances of being in a World Cup squad? - Like I said: I was with a squad in Dubai in March. But then I played almost the entire year. Now I'm on the way back and there might not be games until April so it's nothing I'm aiming for. - But I do not know. I actually have no track of the team's second forwards, I just know that one is in Standard Liege and he has started in almost all internationals and he took the team to the World Cup. But the rest of the squad's strikers I do not know much about, so I do not really know how I can measure myself. How do you see the Iranian group with Argentina, Bosnia and Nigeria? - It's a damn tough group but anything can happen. These are not easy teams and all have very good players.

Carlos Queiroz keen on Spurs job

By Mani Djazmi BBC World Football Former Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz says he is interested in becoming the next manager of Tottenham. The Premier League club are looking for a new man at the top following Monday's sacking of Andre Villas-Boas. Fellow Portuguese Queiroz, 60, is now in charge of Iran, who have qualified for next year's World Cup in Brazil. Asked whether he was interested in the Spurs job, he said: "Absolutely. Tottenham is a club I really appreciate a lot and I have great admiration." In an interview with BBC World Football, Queiroz revealed he had had "some private connections in the past" with Spurs owner Daniel Levy. He also said he wanted to return to the Premier League after two spells as Sir Alex Ferguson's number two at Old Trafford, first from 2002-2003 and then from 2004-2008. "One of my coaching dreams is to get back to English football," said the former Real Madrid, Portugal and South Africa coach. "I was very happy in Manchester. It was the most happy and outstanding football period of my entire career."

Team Melli continues its ascend in FIFA ranking.

Team Melli jumped 12 places up the ranking table to 33 in the World and number 1 in Asia in the FIFA/CocaCola  monthly world ranking for December 2013. Accumulating 720 points , Iran also overtook Nigeria which is grouped with Iran in the FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil , while at continental level , Iran is leading the ranking ahead of Japan South Korea and Australia. With the qualification to the World Cup and 3 consecutive wins in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Team Melli's points accumulated as others lost ground. According to the latest ranking, Spain still leads the World Ranking , followed by Germany and Argentina. 1) Spain 2) Germany 3) Argentina 4) Columbia 5) Portugal 6) Uruguay 7) Italy 8)Switzerland  9)Netherlands 10) Brazil.

FIFA World Cup Group F Rankings

3    Argentina    1251    0 19    Bosnia and Herzegovina    899    2    Up 33    Iran    720    12    Up 37    Nigeria    710    -1

Asia top 10 team

Dec 2013
Rnk Zone Rank Team Pts +/- Pos
33 1 Iran 720 12 Up
47 2 Japan 638 1 Up
54 3 Korea Republic 577 0 Equal
58 4 Australia 565 1 Up
65 5 Jordan 536 5 Up
68 6 Uzbekistan 526 0 Equal
71 7 United Arab Emirates 507 0 Equal
85 8 Oman 408 2 Up
87 9 Saudi Arabia 391 12 Up
92 10 China PR 376 1 Up

Puma to provide Team Melli U-22 kit.

The German sportswear manufacturer PUMA will be supplying Team Melli U-22 kits in the forthcoming AFC U-22 championship to be hel in the middle of next January in Muscat Oman. In a statement to ISNA , the Vice-President of FFIRI  Seyed Hadi Ayatollahei , announced the deal and said that the U-22 team is not included in the contract with main Team Melli kit supplier UHLsport. PUMA is the supplier to many World Cup finalist teams and was the supplier of the kit in Iran's last world Cup appearance in Germany 2006. PumaAyatollahei also dismissed fears expressed by Alireza Mansourian about the recruitment of a foreign coach for the Omid Team.   The FFIRI official emphasized that the coach will be assigned to the U-23 team or the B team and not the U-22 which will remain under Mansourian for the foreseeable future. "He should focus on his job as we have no plan on changing him, The coach we are trying to recruit is fo another TEam Melli age rank , which is the Omid or U-23" Ayatollahei said. Ayatollahei also confirmed that the current Team Melli sponsor , a Car dealer , has been having difficulty sticking to its contractual obligations. A last minute sponsorship deal was struck between the FFIRI and a small company that deals in importing foreignluxury cars to Iran , in what seemed like a surprise move. The deal was questioned by many observers, and it does not come as a surprise that the sponsoring company has difficulty in paying its commitment. Ayatollahei said that a last warning was given to the sponsor to respect its obligations. "Failure by the sponsor to carry out its contractual obligation will force us to cancel the contact and look for a new sponsor"    

Team Melli U-22 squad announced

Alireza Mansourian has announced an initial list of 31 players who will be called for a Training camp to be conducted at the National Teams training centere in Azadi Complex. The squad was strengthened by the availability of both Sardar Azmoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh ,both of whom will be enjoying the European winter breaks from their clubs and are available for the competition. 26 players will proceed to Kish Island for a friendly match against South Korea. During the period, the U-22 team will be playing 3 friendly matches with club sides. At the end of the camp ,Mansourian will issue a shortlist of 23 players who will form the squad for the inaugural AFC  U-22 championship which will be held in Muscat , Oman. Iran is grouped with Australia,Japan and Kuwait in Group C. Team Melli U-22 will meet Japan on the 12th January 2014. Team Melli U-22 is one of the title contenders. PLAYERS LIST 1    Ahmad GOHARI (12/01/1996) 2    Ali FATHIAN 3    Ali GHOLIZADEH (10/03/1996) 4    Ali RIGI 5    Alireza JAHANBAKHSH (08/10/1993) 6    Amir ABEDZADEH (26/04/1993) 7    Amir Mohammad MAZLOUM (27/01/1996) 8    Amirhossein KARIMI (09/02/1996) 9    Armin HASHEMI  (04/02/1996) 10    Armin SOHRABIAN 11    Iman SALIMI (01/06/1996) 12    Mehdi AMINI (16/05/1996) 13    Majid HOSSEINI (20/06/1996) 14    Maysam JOODAKI 15    Milad SARLAK 16    Mobin EZZATI 17    Mohammad BAZAJ (30/03/1996) 18    Mohammad BAZARAFSHAN 19    Mohammad NIYARAKI 20    Mohammad SAEEDBROAYEH 21    Mohammadreza KAVEH (22/07/1997) 22    Mohammaed ABBASI 23    Mojtaba MOGHTADAEI 24    Morteza TABRIZI 25    Mostafa HASHEMI (19/10/1996) 26    Pyam NIAZMAND 27    Sadegh MOHARRAMI (01/03/1996) 28    Sivahsh HAGH-NAZARI 29    Sardar AZMOUN (01/01/1995) 30    Yahya NAJJARIAN 31    Yousef SEYYEDI (08/03/1996)

Ali Karimi expresses his desire to play in another World Cup.

Ex Team Melli player and current Tractorsazi Tabriz player , expressed his interest in playing in what would be his second World Cup after his initial appearance in World Cup 2006. Ali Karimi , who was injured and off football for a few weeks, is still considered an influential player in his club, but was ignored by Carlos Queiroz after he decided to quit football altogether at the end of last season.

Karimi's decision to quit football was as the result of losing the Hazfi Cup Final to Sepahan at the end of last season, however he soon changed his mind but neither his club Perspolis nor Team Melli showed any interest in his services. Karimi eventually turned up at Tractorsazi and showed glimpses of his brilliances and wizardry, although not consistently. The Tabriz team temporarily claimed top spot in the Persian League  table before Karami’s previous club Perspolis replaced them at the top.

 Asked by a reporter of his aspiration with team Melli in Brazil, Karimi responded “If there is a chance , God willing , I like to serve my country and play in the World Cup. Players’ selection should be based on  skills, abilities and standards, their current forms , the number of appearances with their clubs and their track record. These are the standards that the national teams across the world are using for their selection. If that criterion is applied here, then I think I stand a chance and hope through my display and effort with my club, I make the squad. However , if there are other things behind the scenes  that I am not aware of or hidden from the public,  then I am not interested.”

Karimi continued his sarcastic tone when he said “I wish success for Team Melli but I sincerely hope that our players do not fight amongst themselves at the end of the match against Argentina trying for Messi’s shirt”

With such a statement, it is highly unlikely that the 35 year old midfielder will endear himself to the Team Melli selectors and find a place in next year’s World Cup squad.