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South Koreans grab a win against Iran.

Seoul: Korea Republic moved to the top of Group A in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar™ after a 2-0 victory over the Islamic Republic of Iran on Thursday saw them climb above their opponents with a game to play.
After dominating the first 45 minutes at Seoul World Cup Stadium, Korea opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time through Son Heung-min before Kim Young-gwon doubled their advantage in the 63rd minute with the goal that ultimately killed off the Iranian challenge.
The victory meant Korea claimed a first win over Iran in more than a decade as they also dealt the Iranians their first defeat in Group A to mean they go into their final game away to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday knowing three more points would see them win the group.
While both sides had already secured their passage to the FIFA World Cup, there remained top spot in the standings left to play for as Korea also sought their first win over the Iranians since the 2011 AFC Asian Cup™, with the sides having faced off seven times since.
Both Son and Hwang Hee-chan returned to the Taeguk Warriors’ line-up having missed the previous qualifiers, while Team Melli were without leading scorer Mehdi Taremi, captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Saman Ghoddos, with COVID-19 ruling the trio out.
And it was Paulo Bento’s side who had the first chance of note when just before the 10-minute mark Hwang Ui-jo slipped the ball to Son on the left before darting to the near post and heading the Tottenham Hotspur forward’s first-time delivery just wide.
Korea controlled the majority of the play in the opening 45 minutes but an Iranian backline that had conceded just twice in eight matches to date stood firm until first-half stoppage time when Son’s third goal in Group A broke the deadlock.
The Korean captain was first to a loose ball, skipping round Ahmad Noorollahi in the process and advancing goalwards before unleashing a fizzing shot from 25 yards that proved too hot to handle for ‘keeper Amir Abedzadeh who in truth should have done better.
Korea could have doubled their lead shortly after the restart when Hwang Hee-chan raced through the Iranian defense before slipping in Son, only for the forward to be denied by a superb save from the outrushing Abedzadeh, who was then up quickly to keep out Hwang Ui-jo’s follow-up as he went some way towards making amends for his earlier error.
Bento’s side then did open up a two-goal cushion when good interchange play between Lee Jae-sung and Hwang Hee-chan down the left led to the former playing a low ball into the center for defender Kim – up for a corner just moments earlier – to send home from six yards.
The visitors had their best chance of the night with a little over 10 minutes to play when substitute Allahyar Sayyadmanesh delivered an inviting ball in from the right that the diving Sardar Azmoun could only head into the hands of a grateful Kim Seung-gyu.
Azmoun then played a lovely backheel into the path of Sayyadmanesh just seconds later but, with only Kim to beat, the Hull City forward dinked the ball over the 'keeper and wide.
Son could have killed the game off with six minutes remaining but saw his goalbound effort deflected wide by Hossein Kanani as the game ended 2-0 and the Koreans maintained their unbeaten record.
Korea now sits a point above Iran ahead of Tuesday’s Matchday 10 clash with the UAE in Dubai, where victory would see them win Group A. Iran, meanwhile, return to Mashhad to round off their campaign against Lebanon.

Ancelotti's lesson to Iranian coaches.

After a very hard and heavy defeat against a long-time rival,  Barcelona, Ancelotti the Real Madrid head coach gave a great unintended lesson to every single Iranian coach in how to be graceful in victory and truthful in the loss.

Khabar Varzeshi newspaper suggested that The Italian coach was exemplary after his team lost at home 0-4 to bitter rivals Barcelona by accepting full responsibility, unlike typical Iranian coach who is looking for scapegoats and false excuses to justify his team's defeat.

The newspaper wrote: "Compare the behavior of the experienced and Professional Real Madrid coach to the behavior of some Iranian coaches who blame everyone but themselves in case of defeat. Barcelona scored four goals at Real Madrid's home stadium to avenge a series of previous defeats by Ancelotti's players. Barcelona Fans could not believe at all that their team would cross the barrier of Real Madrid with such ease playing this good game and with astonishing results,

 After this game, Carlo Ancelotti, without giving any excuse, just said: I am responsible for this defeat, but I ask you not to create a crisis from this loss; Because we will return to our normal routine and bounce back stronger." If we compare this behavior of the Real Madrid coach with the behavior of most Iranian coaches who blame everyone but themselves in case of defeat, it is an education and teaching that needs to be followed if Iranian coaches really seek success and respect. Iranian coaches usually blame the referee being their favorite targets, the federation, the Ministry of Sports, and other factors for the loss but never apportion the blame or even think of the possibility that they have misread the game, made the wrong substitution, used the wrong gameplan or simply they were outplayed by a better organized and coached team.

Certainly, with his experience, this coach can turn Real Madrid into the same good and invincible team again. The first step is for a coach to admit his mistakes, which Ancelotti has accepted, so there is a lot of hope that he will get his team back on track. "Unlike Iranian coaches, who do not take the first step, which is to admit their own mistakes and weaknesses."

What are the options of Skocic against South Korea?

Any coach who loses nearly half of his starting players needs to be worried, Skocic is not an exception despite his assertion in the pre-match press conference that Iran will stick to the same game plan and will not resort to a defensive game. Sadegh Moharrami, Saeid Ezatollahi, Alireza Jahanbaksh, Saman Ghoddod, and Mehdi Taremi, are the five players who started the last match against the UAE but will be missing from the game against South Korea. Perhaps the two most significant and important players would be Taremi, whose goals have been pushing Iran up in the table and winning the games for Team Melli, and then Jahanbakhsh, an inspiration and a key player whose much-improved game has meant a powerful Iranian side that has not been defeated in the competition. It is not that the rest of the absentees are less important, but the reality is that Jahanbakhsh's and Taremi's absence has the biggest impact. Despite that, Iran's bench is far from poor and has many players that can fill the gap. Skocic will have to wight his options carefully and play a balanced game against the Koreans. He is right in saying that Iran will not go into a defensive mode, as this will just give the Koreans an advantage, so what are his options?

Expected Line-Up

In the goal, there is very little doubt that Amir Abedzadeh will continue being the number one ahead of Beiranvand. Amir Abedzadeh In defense, the absence of Moharrami can be easily covered with several options. Milad Mohammadi and Majid Hosseini are both available and capable despite the fact that it will not be their ideal posts. Mohammadi is a left-back while Hosseini normally plays in the center. A switch of posts is quite possible, however, since the team needs pace against the nifty Koreans, Mohammadi seems better suited for this match. Shojaa KHALILZADEH Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN Milad Mohammadi Omid NOORAFKAN Middle of the field, where Team Melli has had good control in the qualifiers, is the most affected with the loss of two key players. For the holding defensive Midfield, Milad Sarlak, is a player with industry and stamina seems to be a good option for a starting place along with Ehsan Hajsafy.  This selection will give Skocic another option as Hajsafy can also operate as the pseudo-right back and switch play at that post. For the offensive side, Nourollahi and Gholizadeh are the most suitable combination. With the scheming of Nourollahi, and the close tight control of Gholizadeh, the forward line will be fed properly in the offensive moves. Vahid Amiri can be employed slightly further up the line or operate as a winger in a 4-4-2 system. Skocic will most probably start him in the midfield role before seeing how the game is progressing. Milad Sarlak Ehsan HAJSAFY Ali GHOLIZADEH Ahmad Nourollahi Vahid AMIRI Upfront, there is little doubt that Sardar Azmoun will take his rightful place as the sole forward, Despite a drop in form after recovering from injury and covid, Azamoun remains the best options upfront in the absence of the talismanic Taremi. Sardar Azmoun Much will depend on the progress of the match but our prediction is that Skocic will start with 4-5-1 system that will switch to 4-4-2 in the offensive part.  Other players for consideration are Mehdi Torabi, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, Karim Ansarifard.        

Skocic : "We will not play a defensive game"

in the press conference before tomorrow's match between Team and South Korea, Dragan Skocic announced that his team is not going into a defensive mode.

In response to a question from a Korean reporter that now that Iran has qualified for the FIFA World Cup, can one expect a defensive game against the Korean team? Skocic responded: "Do you really think that we will play a defensive game? I do not think so. Tomorrow we will stick to our usual style of play and the gameplan will remain the same despite the fact that we, both teams, have qualified for the finals.

"being first in the group is an important issue and we will be ready to achieve that goal. We are well prepared for this game. We lost several key players and in addition, jet lag (disruption of the body biological clock due to flight and time difference) and the gradual addition of players to the team yesterday and today added to other problems, but despite all these issues, we have displayed our quality in previous games and this is not the first time we have faced such difficulties."

Skocic in response to the question of what is your plan to restrain players like Son Heung Min? He said: "We are aware of the quality of the Korean legionnaire players, but we have prepared for it and we try to give them the least space. The Korean players are respected, but we also have quality players playing in Europe."

Regarding the absence of players such as Taremi and Jahanbakhsh, he said: "Of course, they are important and very valuable players, but it does not mean that we do not have the necessary players for tomorrow's game. As in the game against Iraq, we did not have six players because of Coronavirus, but we ended the game in our favor.

S. Korea coach willing to take risks vs. Iran in World Cup qualifier

SEOUL, March 23 (Yonhap) -- Chasing the top seed in South Korea's group in the final Asian World Cup qualification round, head coach Paulo Bento on Wednesday called on his players to "take some risks" in their next showdown against Iran.

South Korea will host Iran at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. Thursday. It will be the penultimate match in the current World Cup qualifying phase for the two countries, both of which have already secured spots in the big tournament.
With Iran leading Group A at 22 points and South Korea sitting in second place at 20 points, Bento has repeatedly talked about wanting to overtake the Middle Eastern powers for first place. South Korea will have to play out of their comfort zone to accomplish that, Bento said.
Paulo Bento (R), head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, speaks at a press conference at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on March 23, 2022, on the eve of a World Cup qualifying match against Iran, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Paulo Bento (R), head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, speaks at a press conference at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on March 23, 2022, on the eve of a World Cup qualifying match against Iran, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association.

"A draw for them (Iran) is a result that can make them stay in the first position. On the other side, there will be a team (South Korea) that wants to reach three points and first position, and, of course, should take some risks during the game," Bento said at his online press conference from the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. "I am confident we'll be able to take those risks and reach the victory, and make our fans happy."
South Korea last defeated Iran in January 2011. Iran won their next four meetings by 1-0, and the two have had three consecutive draws since, including a 1-1 tie in October last year in Tehran.

 
Things will be quite different this time around. Both countries have lost a few players to COVID-19 infections, but Iran, minus their two leading scorers in Mehdi Taremi and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, have suffered a bigger blow. Members of the South Korean men's national football team train at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on March 23, 2022, on the eve of a World Cup qualifying match against Iran, in this photo provided by the Korea Football Association. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
But Bento remained wary of Iran's quality.
"We should play as we played before during this phase of qualifying; trying to control and dominate the game through ball possession, and trying to play in opponent's midfield as much as we can," Bento said. "And of course, we should take into consideration that we're going to play against a strong team. We need to attack as much as we can. At the same time, (we should) respect the opponent. When the moment dictates that we should defend, we should be able to do that as well."
As for South Korea's own absences, which include young, useful midfielders Paik Seung-ho and Kim Jin-gyu, Bento said he will just have to find ways to beat Iran with the players he has.

"(Paik and Kim) are players that, due to their features, allow the team to play with a different way. They adapt themselves to many tactical systems," Bento said. "We need to find the right tactical system to play tomorrow. We will play with a strong starting XI. We will have options on the bench to use during the match. And of course, all of the coaches like to have all the players available, but it's not always possible to have all of them available. We need to find the solutions and make the team compete in the best possible way."

Match Preview: Korea Republic v  Iran

the-afc.com
Seoul: Top spot in Group A is on the line when familiar foes the Korea Republic and Iran clash on Matchday Nine of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar™ at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday.
Both teams have already secured their passage to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ having wrapped up the first two places with minimal fuss, while the pair remain unbeaten after eight games.
The Iranians currently sit two points above the Taeguk Warriors with two games to play and if they avoid defeat in the Korean capital, Team Melli will go into their final fixture against Lebanon in Mashhad as firm favorites to progress as group winners.
Iran and Korea last faced off on Matchday Four at Azadi Stadium and there was little to separate the sides as they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s leveler canceling out Son Heung-min’s opener.
Since then, they have each won all four of their games, with Iran booking their ticket to the FIFA World Cup Qatar™ following a 1-0 victory over neighbors Iraq on Matchday Seven and the Koreans joining them after a 2-0 win against Syria on Matchday Eight.
Another successful qualifying campaign has seen the Iranians advance to the global showpiece for the sixth time, and third in a row, while Korea’s record is among the best in world football as they have now reached an incredible 10 successive FIFA World Cups.
The match-up at Seoul World Cup Stadium brings back memories of the final round of the 2018 AFC Asian Qualifiers when Iran, already confirmed as group winners, also traveled to the Korean capital on the penultimate game.
With Korea still involved in a battle for the second spot, the sides played out a goalless draw as Carlos Queiroz's 10-man Iran posted a ninth successive clean sheet following a trademark resolute performance at the back.
It was another in a long list of matches in what is one of Asian football’s biggest rivalries, with the sides having met numerous times over the years, including in the past four FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns.
The last three meetings have all ended in draws, while Iran had won the previous four – all by a 1-0 scoreline – as they proved a continuous thorn in the Korean side. You have to go back to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup™ quarter-finals for the last time Korea recorded a victory.
Ahead of the latest battle in the rivalry, Iran has been dealt a triple blow with captain Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Taremi, and Saman Ghoddos all ruled out of Dragan Skocic’s squad through COVID-19.
Paulo Bento has few such worries with star man Son arriving on the back of bagging a brace in Tottenham Hotspur’s win over West Ham United on Sunday and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan returning after missing the last two AFC Asian Qualifiers due to injury.
The game marks Korea’s final home match in Group A as they travel to Dubai to take on the United Arab Emirates on March 29, when Iran will bring the curtain down on their campaign at home to Lebanon.
Korea Republic v  Iran Venue: Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul Kick-off: March 24, 20:00 (UTC+9)

Mahdavikia finalizes Omid Team list

Mehdi MahdaviKia finalizied a list of 27 players for Omid Team. According to the official FFIRI website, after holding the initial training camp of the Iranian U-23 team at the National Football Center on March 17-18, Mehdi MahdaviKia, following the completion of six training sessions has invited 27 players to the team's first camp in the new year. The team is preparing for the U-23 Asian Cup with the further aim of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Players under the age of 21 have been invited to the upcoming camp. The names of the players invited to the camp are as follows:  
# Name Post DOB Club Age Height
1 Amir Hossein Nikpour GK 04-Apr-02 GolGohar Sirjan 20
2 Payam Parsa GK 22-Jun-02 Sanat Naft Abadan 19
3 Reza Naseri GK 30-Mar-01 Sepid ​​Rood Rasht 20
4 Milad Kerr DF 01-Jan-00 Zob Ahan 22
5 Mohammad Amin Hezbavi DF 06-May-03 Foolad Khuzestan 19 182
6 Mohammad Ghorbani DF 21-May-01 Nasiji Ghaemshahr 20 186
7 Mohammad Mehdi Ahmadi DF 10-Jan-01 Naft Masjed Soleiman 21 180
8 Saeed Ahani DF 09-Feb-01 Naft Masjed Soleiman 21 177
9 Saman Fallah DF 12-May-01 Peykan 20 184
10 Younes Akbarpour DF 16-Mar-02 Mes Rafsanjan 20
11 Ali Asghar Sadeghi MF Mes Rafsanjan 21
12 Alipour PourDara MF 04-Aug-01 Kuwait SC 20 172
13 Alireza Bavieh MF 21-Aug-02 Foolad Khuzestan 19 172
14 Amir Mohammad Mohkamkar MF 20-Dec-01 Sepahan 20 179
15 Behzad Salami MF 23-Mar-02 Tractorsazi Tabriz 19 183
16 Mohammad Hossein Eslami MF 13-Apr-01 Zob Ahan 20 180
17 Mohammad Hossein Zavari MF 11-Jan-01 Sanat Naft Abadan 21
18 Abolfazl Babaei FW 22-Oct-03 Fajr Shahid Sepasi 18
19 Ahmad Shariatzadeh FW 24-Feb-02 Sanat Naft Abadan 20
20 Ali Zare FW 14-May-01 Mes Rafsanjan 20 181
21 Amir Ali Sadeghi FW 09-Feb-01 Esteghlal Tehran 21 175
22 Amir Jafari FW 18-Jan-02 Shahr Khodro 20 176
23 Arya Yousefi FW 22-Apr-02 Sepahan 19 181
24 Fardin Rabet FW 29-Oct-01 Shahr Khodro 20 180
25 Hossein Nokhodkar FW 24-Feb-02 GolGohar Sirjan 20
26 Mehdi Hashemnejad FW 27-Oct-01 Naft Masjed Soleiman 20 177
27 Sina Hatami FW 19-Nov-01 Aluminum Arak 20 185
       

Cheragpour calls for action to address shortfalls in Iran's football.

An increasing number of football analysts are concerned with the poor standard of the Iranian football league which was evident in the top of the table clash between Esteghlal and Persepolis in the Tehran derby while also bemoaning the poor discipline and the leniency of the football federation against violations and violent play in matches that are committed without being punished.

In a recent interview, Jalal Cheraghpour the former Team Melli coach and a current football analyst talked to Mehr News and expressed his disappointment with the derby draw between Persepolis and Esteghlal and also discussed Team Melli.

"The derby had everything but football! " Jalal Cheraghpour said.

" I would like to start with this issue, a comprehensive definition of a football game in one sentence; Because we need to know a specific definition of how a match is presented in order to be able to analyze it."

The veteran football expert added: "The comprehensive definition of the '98 derby was war and conflict in a game in which there was no sign of real football! We saw the wastage of football. When we do not observe tactics during the match and do not understand a certain strategy, it means that we are dealing with football waste. All the derby scenes were a football waste. There was nothing technical to rave about or analyze "

" It was like a war, not just small incidents or minor fringes " Cheraghpour, said: "Unfortunately, the incidents were not anything like what happens in a normal football game. Excessive stress should not lead to abuse to others. Pressure to get results and failure to get a win must not lead to what we witnessed,  a war in which happily no real weapons were used! "

Cheraghpour then commented on the various flashpoints in the match and in particular the behavior and misdemeanor of Persepolis coach. : "Golmohammadi's behavior was the result of the same football that we saw. The behaviors were completely amateurish and immature. I am not saying that Golmohammadi was wrong or not, but I am saying that we confused the competition with a football war."

"The Football Federation is going in the wrong direction again " The former coach of the Iranian national team pointed out the need for the federation to pay attention to the non-technical issues and the troubles and side issues that are perpetually created in every match in the league. He said: "I have no doubt that the Football Federation is still being steered in the wrong direction. We need a Human Behavior department. We need psychologists and clubs should be forced to employ psychoanalysts and disorders analysts to control the emotional disorder of players and coaches. The volume of indifference is mixed with false excitement, which is unbelievable. "

"The referees have become apathetic and the teams are behaving unprofessionally. All these wrong behaviors are naturally transmitted to Team Melli"

"The national team list is becoming repetitive" Cheraghpour said about the latest squad list to play against South Korea and Lebanon: "We are still witnessing a repetitive list despite the current disparities. Technical problems remain on the list. In my opinion, now that the qualification Team Melli is assured, we needed to solve some problems in certain positions. Why are we so conservative? " Criticizing some of the old players invited to the team, Cheragpour said: "I think if we were looking for progress, a player who has been in the national team for eight years yet plays the least minutes, would not have been invited anymore. Why Karim Ansarifard and Ehsan Haj Safi are still on the list. I like them both, but their physique and stamina no longer suit the technical requirement of modern football and even the Iranian national team. "

"The list of the national team is not progressive," said Cheraghpour. "This team is again an instrument of the head coach and only fulfills his wishes. With Carlos Queiroz, we also had the same personal selfishness and the objective was to create a successful resume for the head coach. Skocic was selfish like Quieroz. "look at the list, there are eight players that should not be there

The Iranian football expert emphasized:" Eight players of the team have passed their football best. I fail to understand why we do not invite a player who has room to develop, instead. In my opinion, Kamal KamyabiNia does process half of the abilities of three years ago, but he is still present on the list. At the same time, we leave out a player like Mohammad Daneshgar, who still has room for improvement with the national team and who has had an admirable performance in the league with his club."

He was asked whether the Croatian Head coach is also pursuing personal triumph in the games against South Korea and Lebanon? "Skocic position is quite strong," he said. "He is no longer afraid of not being on the bench of Team Melli. If he leaves Iran today, he will still have a good CV with the records he achieved with Iran."

About the strategy that should be deployed in the World Cup 2022, the former coach of Team Melli said "in my opinion, the technical staff must avoid selecting players who keep the ball at their feet longer than 3 seconds or head the ball to pass. They will no longer be useful. Now, world football is moving at a fast pace and momentary decisions of the players are crucial. Unfortunately, our football is much slower than ever. Most Iranian players need twice the time to think and ultimately lose advantage and opportunity"

Louis van Gaal launches furious rant over "bulls***" FIFA World Cup in Qatar

Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has slammed FIFA’s decision to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the tournament just eight months away. Van Gaal is among a growing number of critics of FIFA and its policies of monetizing and commercialization plus its involvement in politics with discrimination and double standards.

There is plenty of ill-feeling surrounding the tournament already, with the human rights abuses in the country as well leading many to question how the tournament ended up being hosted there. The reports of thousands of migrant dying as they attempt to construct the stadiums for the tournament in horrendous working conditions has also led to widespread anger.

And former Manchester United boss Van Gaal has been open in his feelings towards the upcoming tournament. Speaking on Monday, the 70-year-old said: “I have already mentioned it in previous press conferences. I think it's ridiculous that the World Cup is there.

“We are playing in a country that FIFA says they want to develop football there. That's bulls***, but it doesn't matter. It's about money, about commercial interests. That matters in FIFA.

"Why do you think I'm not on any committee at FIFA or UEFA with my expertise? Because I have always opposed these kinds of organizations. I can say that in Qatar later, but that won't help the world get rid of this problem."

Allahyar Sayyadmanesh is added to Team Melli final World Cup qualifiers.

Hull City Forward Allahyar Sayyadmanesh is now part of the Iran squad for their final World Cup qualifiers.

Allahyar is recalled after the absence of 5 players including the talismanic forward Mehdi Taremi.

The Persian Leopards have already secured qualification to this year’s finals in Qatar – and became the first Asian country to do so in January.

Top of third-round qualifying Group A with 22 points from a possible 24, Iran has two group games remaining, starting with an away match in South Korea on Thursday 24th March.

Their qualification campaign concludes with a home game against Lebanon on Tuesday 29th March.

Fenerbahce loanee Sayyadmanesh became his country’s youngest-ever goalscorer when he netted on his Iran debut in a 5-0 friendly victory over Syria in June 2019, aged 17.