IT can be dangerous to make predictions in football, but one can safely be made regarding Hull City’s Iranian striker Allahyar Sayyadmanesh.
By Leon Wobschall
Saturday, 9th April 2022, 6:00 am
The Yorkshire Post
When he finally breaks his scoring duck for the Tigers – hopefully, sooner rather than later – expect his teammates to quickly make a beeline for him and warmly embrace him.
It will mean a lot to him and his teammates, not to mention those close to him back in his home city of Amol, close to the Caspian Sea in northern Iran.
Moving between clubs in mid-season is rarely straightforward, more especially when you swap not only countries but differing cultures.
That is the reality that confronted Sayyadmanesh when he switched to East Yorkshire from Turkish giants Fenerbache at the end of January.
Brought in on loan with a view to the transfer being made permanent in the summer, the 20-year-old was always likely to require a period of integration.
With a full pre-season behind him, one school of thought suggests that 2022-23 might be his time when Hull – should they wish – will see the best of him.
So Hull may have to read beyond his current statistics – no goals in six games so far, with an injury not helping his cause.
Hull City's Allahyar Sayyadmanesh during a Sky Bet Championship match at MKM Stadium, Hull.
In the here and now, he could just do with a goal to back the positive impression he has made on the training ground.
City head coach Shota Arveladze said: “If he’d scored last week, it would be much better for me and it would be a great leap. He has had two great chances in the last few weeks, but it will come.
“I would have liked to have used him much more, but he got injured and it takes time.
“But I was surprised from day one that he really integrated (fast) into the group. I think we should give a lot of credit to the club, the boys and the staff. They have opened the doors to the social life, which we have here.”
Allahyar Sayyadmanesh signed in January (Picture: Hull City)
Given that this is his third loan spell away from Fenerbahce, having previously impressed during spells at İstanbulspor and Ukrainian outfit Zorya Luhansk, Sayyadmanesh clearly has a bit about him as an individual.
It is a view backed up by Arveladze, with the club going out of their way to help him assimilate into life in Yorkshire.
Events like on Thursday when Hull owner Acun Ilicali took players and coaching staff to an Italian restaurant for a team meal during a flying visit to the city, all help play their part.
Arveladze continued: “He (Sayyadmanesh) is good and passionate and he has a will to do well in football and they (Iranians) have this history.
“He has been raised well and knows about respect and his position and how to act with the boys in the dressing room from his mum and dad and friends.“If we want people and players to succeed, we have to try and get them involved in every case.
“Let’s say they spend four hours at the club from 9 am to one or 1.30 pm. For the rest of the hours, they are outside.
“I don’t believe being on Zoom and Skype and having lunch with their families on the screen will make them play better. They have to be integrated. His English is good enough and his girlfriend is here.”
While Sayyadmanesh could be involved today, Mallik Wilks, the club’s top-scorer last season with 22 goals, is unlikely to be.
Despite City’s struggles for goals of late, Wilks – despite being fit again after recovering from a foot injury – has been omitted from several match-day squads. Given that he has scored in his last two games against Boro, he might be useful today.
On Wilks – out of contract in June although City have an option to add another year – Arveladze said: “I’ve spoken to him two or three times. He is a fantastic lad. I am just waiting for when he gets really fit and have talked to him about getting his energy and speed back.
“I am still pulling him out and telling him: ‘Come on, Mallik, we need you’.
“It can be quite long for speedy, heavy-muscled boys, like him. It is difficult to get to the level he was before. He had six to seven weeks out, then had a small injury and last week, he was sick and missed sessions. It is a little bit complicated.”
“We think it's a good group. We know every opponent in the World Cup is difficult but with England, you definitely get an exciting match-up. Gareth (Southgate, England manager) and I go way back. He's a guy I look up to and has always been there for me, and given me advice. I reached out to him when I got the job and asked if he'd be interested in telling me more about international football. I looked at him as something as a mentor and since then we have stayed in touch.”
Gareth Southgate, England manager
“The first two teams (USA and IR Iran) we've not played for quite a while. The third (Wales or the winner of Scotland-Ukraine) is a total unknown but throws up a possible British derby. We know what they're all about! When you're seeded, you get the advantage of missing out on those big six or seven teams. But there are some really high-ranked teams in Pot 2, the US in particular, and I know Gregg Berhalter quite well – we've met a couple of times and had long chats about things. They've got some very good players and we know what they could be capable of as a nation.”
Iran's records against the teams of the group are quite healthy and that is quite a boost for Team Melli players ahead of the first game on November, 21st.
Team Melli played four times against possible and actual opponents. England remains the only team that has not faced Iran before. Team Melli managed 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss to the teams in the preliminary group.
By far the biggest and most famous result against the opponents here was in Lyon on 21st June 1998 when Iran beat USA 2-1 in one of the most anticipated matches of the 1998 World Cup. Estili and Mahdavikia were the heroes of the day scoring for Iran. But 20 years before that in Argentina, when the world cup had only 16 elite participationg teams, Team Melli gained a famous draw with overhyped Scotland or the Tartan Army coached by Ally McCloud who was promising the Scotland team will return home lifting the World Cup before a ball was even kicked. The Scottish team was a star spangle group of the best player in the English First Division, the predecessor of the Premiere League.
Team Melli also played a single match against Ukraine in a friendly international which at the time was making a name for itself in European football, in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ali Daei scored the only goal of the match.
Iran's loss to Wales came in a friendly match in the Araymehr Stadium and was part of the team's preparation for the Argentine 1978 World Cup.
USA asked Iranian for a friendly in the states in 2000 hoping to get revenge for the loss in Lyon two years before. This match was played in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California in front of 50,000 fans. Mahdi Mahdavikia was once again the scourge of the American team when he scored early in the sixth minute of the match. US team equalized through Armas in the second half, the match ending in a 1-1 draw with the USA not being able to exact revenge.
So, for all intent and purposes, Team Melli has no psychological disadvantage in preparing for the World Cup. Such head-to-head results should boost Iran's hopes of qualifying from the group stages for the first time in history.
The Iranian national football team was placed in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
With nearly all matches except a few played in the World Cup qualifiers, the ranking of the teams present in this period of competition was also determined. Based on this, the Iranian national team will be in Seed 3 as in the previous period. The draw for the World Cup will be held on Friday in Doha, and Team Melli will know its opponents.
* What does it mean to be in Seed 3?
The placement of Iran in Seed 3 is a good thing, because a team from Seed 4, which is lower than Iran in terms of points in the FIFA rankings, will be in our group.
* Which teams will we not be in the same group with Iran?
Also, considering the ranking of Iran in the World Cup, Team Melli will definitely not be in the same group with the teams in seed 3. Iran will not be drawn in the same group with the other Asian teams such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea. Also, if Australia or UAE qualify for the World Cup through the playoffs, this team will not be drawn with Iran. Thus, the Iranian national team will definitely not be grouped with the teams of Senegal, Serbia, Poland, Morocco, Tunisia, South Korea, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and "UAE or Australia" (in case of reaching the World Cup).
World Cup qualifiers are as follows:
Seed 1 Belgium (1), Brazil (2), France (3), Argentina (4), England (5), Spain (7), Portugal (8), Qatar (52)Seed 2: Denmark (9), Netherlands (10), Germany (11), Mexico (12) , USA (13), Switzerland (14), Croatia (15), Uruguay (16)Seed 3:Senegal (18), Iran (21), Japan (23), Morocco (24), Serbia (25), Poland (28), South Korea (29), Tunisia (36)Seed 4: Canada (33), Cameroon (38), Ecuador (46), Saudi Arabia (53), Ghana (61), , 3 playoff teams
* Mexico and USA are still on the face, No, for all intents and purposes, we should consider these two teams among the teams that have qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
Note: In the World Cup draw, teams from different continents, except Europe, will not be grouped with a team from their own continent, and from Europe, a maximum of two teams can be in the same group.
Ali Daei will participate in the draw ceremony.
Iran's legend and former Team Melli coach will be one of the 7 selected football personalities who will be drawing the names out of the pot.
Once again Iran football was in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
The government security forces stationed in Imam Reza Stadium in the holy city of Mashad forcefully prevented women from entering the stadium for a unique and perhaps once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch their beloved Team Melli playing.
There has been enough written about the subject of women's entry into stadiums in Iran. FIFA, despite its own corrupt practices and the dominance of the powerful lobbies in its decision making, rightly threatened Iran with a ban a few months back, if they stopped women from attending football matches.
Feeling the high risk of public discontent, the wrath of the masses, and very possible eruption of violence in the streets if Team Melli were to be thrown out of the World Cup because of that, the authorities dominated by clerics and bigots, succumbed to pressure. They allowed Iranian females to attend a few international matches with extreme restrictions.
However, in the match against Lebanon, the final qualifier match for both teams, the regime was back to its old tricks!
The security forces, deployed pepper spray on Tuesday against females who were also subjected to insults, pushed, shoved around by a brutal security force outside Imam Reza stadium. The females were told to go home as there are no place for them in the stadium. Many of the women held genuine tickets.
Of course, the old finger-pointing, denials, the blame game, and the all-time favorite speech that this was all the work of the great Satan, will start to be circulating, but the fact remains that the government through their security agents has once again exposed the ugly part of the country to the outsiders. It has put the good name of Iran into disrepute with such uncivilized treatment of women. The Persian society from thousands of years ago has valued women’s roles, importance, and always appreciated their part. They are now being demoted, devalued, humiliated by the very regime that is supposed to protect them.
Not only they are being constantly prosecuted for not covering their hair or wearing the hijab according to the whims of a few, but they have also been deprived of the freedom of watching a football match too. This is one of the hundreds of other restrictive rules and practices of this clerical regime.
It is very sad to admit that the only way that the regime understands, and respects international law is by throwing the book at them. FIFA will surely reach the conclusion that it is dealing with deceptive and conniving people. A total ban on international matches in Iran is very much on the card. Iran has few friends and many enemies, and that will be reflected in any FIFA decision.
Mashad: Iran completed their AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to Qatar™ schedule in style, eliminating Lebanon from playoff contention with a 2-0 victory at the Imam Reza Stadium on Tuesday.
Goals from Sardar Azmoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh continued Team Melli’s superb form on home soil and ensured they will go into Friday’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ draw full of confidence after an outstanding campaign.
Lebanon came into the Matchday 10 clash with the door to June’s AFC qualification playoff ever so slightly ajar, but a sixth Group A defeat meant Mashhad marked the end of the road for Ivan Hašek’s side.
While the Cedars came into the tie without the likes of Soony Saad and Hassan Maatouk, Iran welcomed back Jahanbakhsh, who missed Thursday’s 2-0 defeat to Korea Republic, and it was the Feyenoord star who forced a solid save from Mostafa Matar with the game's first real chance, a well struck 20-yard effort in the 19th minute.
Dragan Skočić’s men monopolised early possession, while Lebanon looked to minimise clear cut chances for their opponents, but the visiting side’s resistance was broken by a goal of beautiful simplicity, with Hossein Kanani dissecting the defence to find Azmoun's perfectly timed run, with the Bayer Leverkusen forward easing the ball home from 12 yards in the 35th minute.
Iran looked to be cruising at that stage, but the hosts were almost punished for some untidy moments in possession prior to the interval, with Hussein Zein sending a rare Lebanese effort on goal narrowly over Alireza Beiranvand’s crossbar in the final minute of the first half.
The hosts continued to live dangerously after the break, with Hilal El Helwe sending Beiranvand sprawling with a volleyed effort that went only inches wide in the 48th minute, but Lebanon’s slim hopes were finally dashed when the Iranian captain put the result beyond doubt with just under 20 minutes remaining.
Again, it was a Kanani pass that unlocked the Lebanese defence, with his lofted ball catching out a much higher defensive line before Jahanbakhsh (pictured below, centre) beat Matar with a cultured side-footed effort which sent the bouncing ball floating into the net from 15 yards.
In Dubai, the UAE team fought gallantly to defeat South Korea 1-0 to seal its position in the AFC playoff and also
confirm Iran as the group winners.
With their third successive FIFA World Cup appearance long secured, Iran’s latest win means they overtake Korea Republic in group A.
Mashhad: Lebanon will look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, while Iran's focus rests on clinching top spot in Group A when the two sides meet in their final AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar™ Group A fixture on Tuesday.
A 3-0 home loss to already-eliminated Syria last time out did severe damage to Lebanon’s hopes of reaching their first ever global Finals via June’s playoffs but results elsewhere mean Ivan Hašek’s retain a glimmer of hope going into Matchday 10.
Three points behind third-placed United Arab Emirates, and two short of fourth-placed Iraq, the Cedars can still claim the playoff spot for themselves should they defeat high-flying Iran, in addition to results in the group’s two other fixtures all their way.
Even the first element of that scenario is no easy task.
Team Melli hasn’t lost a FIFA World Cup Qualifier on home soil since November 2012 and has been similarly difficult to beat there in this campaign, with Son Heung-min the only player in Group A to find the back of the net for a visiting team in Iran.
Dragan Skočić’s side - who qualified for Qatar 2022 weeks ago - will welcome back Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who missed Thursday’s 2-0 defeat to the Korea Republic due to COVID-19, while Sardar Azmoun is expected to lead the line in the absence of Mehdi Taremi, who also returned a positive test prior to the match in Seoul.
But while the Iranian squad is filled with European-based stars, Lebanon’s biggest task may well be to overcome the disappointment of Thursday’s defeat.
With a playoff place on offer, the Cedars failed to perform in Saida, slumping to a disastrous 3-0 defeat to a side that had taken just two points from their previous eight matches in Group A.
That result came as a devastating blow, but Iraq’s win over the United Arab Emirates a few hours later meant that Lebanon’s campaign retains a sense, however slight, of final day optimism.
Hašek and his players may well take confidence from their earlier meeting with Iran, played last November, when a Soony Sadd goal had Lebanon 1-0 ahead going into second-half stoppage time, only for late goals from Azmoun and Ahmad Nourollahi to dramatically snatch all three points for the visitors.
The Lebanese outfit also seems to thrive away from home. While their five home games have produced only a solitary point, they have taken five from four matches on the road, with their only away defeat coming against group leaders the Korea Republic.
They have never beaten Team Melli in Iran, but they did famously claim a 1-0 win in a World Cup Qualifier in Beirut back in 2012.
If the Lebanese class of 2022 can shrug off the disappointment of last week’s defeat and produce a shock of their own, all eyes will turn to Dubai, where the results of both the United Arab Emirates and Iraq will reveal the final twist in what has been a dramatic Asian Qualifiers tale.
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.
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 KHALILZADEHHossein KANANI-ZADEGANMilad 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 HAJSAFYAli GHOLIZADEHAhmad 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.
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.
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Three points behind third-placed United Arab Emirates, and two short of fourth-placed Iraq, the Cedars can still claim the playoff spot for themselves should they defeat high-flying Iran, in addition to results in the group’s two other fixtures all their way.
Even the first element of that scenario is no easy task.
With a playoff place on offer, the Cedars failed to perform in Saida, slumping to a disastrous 3-0 defeat to a side that had taken just two points from their previous eight matches in Group A.
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?
