After 3 matches in Europe in addition to the Guinea match in Tehran, the picture is quite clear on where Team Melli stands in regard to its chances, the strategy and game plans that Queiroz will deploy in Brazil.
It is almost certain that Queiroz strategy will be based on defense. Tight defenses, even down to parking the bus, tight marking, defending from deep and dependence on counter-attack to score a goal or two.
“We shall not concede” is the war cry for Queiroz to his players.
Who is the no 1 goalkeeper?
Since Mehdi Rahmati left Team Melli on his own accord
, many feared a gap developing at a critical time of the qualifiers. Rahman Ahmadi answered the call and in fact, did very well to become one of the key players who guided Team Melli to the finals of the World Cup. There will be two more keepers in the team beside Ahmadi, but none of them can be compared to the Sepahan keeper. Daniel Davari short stint with the team has been nothing but embarrassment conceding goals that no goalkeeper at this level should concede. The latest was the very soft goal against Angola where he was a spectator when the ball was headed in the net. Sousha Makani has not featured much in the team but at club level he has been both brilliant and a calamity. Haghighi’s standard is really unknown since very few people in Iran have seen him play en force.
The quality of defense
Defensive strategy is hardly a pretty thing to watch and for the perfectionist, it’s a game killer. Realistically speaking though, Queiroz can only play with the cards on hands and what players he has, seems to fit his plans well. With number of solid defenders in Hosseini , Sadeghi or Montazeri , Heydari , Pooladi or Beikzadeh and a strong goalkeeper in Ahmadi at the back It seems that this line can do the job well. With Nekounam and Teymourian admirably doing the defensive midfield work, Team Melli can be pretty assured of possessing a quality defensive system. On paper, Iran has a reliable defense capable of holding the onslaught that the opposing teams might deploy on them. Although It is doubtful if any of the 3 teams will use an all-out attack game plan on Iran, not unless they are a gambling lot.
The midfield Dynamos.
The most senior, high profile or experiences Team Melli players in the squad are mostly the midfield Players. The Captain Javad Nekounam , with 142 caps and 37 goals in his 14 years of Team Melli service, Andranik Teymourian, 78 Caps and 9 goals form the core of the Midfield holding (defensive) system but very well capable of attack and shooting from long range. Haghighi and Haddadifar are also capable backups in case they are required. Nekounam and Teymourian have a good understanding of each others role as they have been playing beside each others for years. In attacking sense, Ashkan Dejagah and Masoud Shojaei will be carrying out the duties on the flanks while several other options are available for Queiroz to enhance these two depending on the type of plan he has in mind. Khalatbary , Hajsafy and Rahmani are fine option when needed.
for Team Melli, Ashkan Dejagah has been a true revelation since he made his debut in Oct 2012. He has added quality, finesses and class in the midfield. His scoring record is not bad either with 4 goals in 13 games. He can be the player that may very well make the difference. The same cannot be said about Masoud Shojaei though. After a long term lay off due to a series of injuries and operations, Masoud never seemed to fully recover to return back to his old level. Target of boo boys in Azadi , The midfielder has not convinced many critics that he is a regular starter for Team Melli. However , as seen in the practice matches, Masoud has still some magic left in his legs which can benefit the team.
How good are the forwards?
The answer is that they are good enough; however, like any expert will tell you, the effectiveness of the forwards is greatly dependent on the overall plan of the team.
Who can score for Team Melli?
Nowhere, in the 4 matches played, was there an
y sign of potent offensive strategy, although Team Melli has the potential to inflict damage to any of the teams in the group with the players in hand. Ashkan Dejagah coming from behind the lone forward can be effective and score goals. His individual skills, explosive runs, accurate and powerful shooting are all attributes that augurs well for the Midfielder cum winger that helped him score many goals in his career. In the central forward position, be it Ghoochannejad or Ansarifard in the lone striker role, both the players have a proven record of prolific scoring. In case these two players fall short, Queiroz has the chance to introduce the yet unproven qualities of Jahanbakhsh or Azmoun. Both these youngsters lack any experience at top level, but their youthful energy and audacious tactics, can possibly yield some results. Their lack of experience could be an advantage in situations where senior players shy away from making some moves, but the younger ones would give it a go.
Further back Teymourian and Nekounam despite being the holding (Defensive) midfield players, both have lethal long range shooting ability and both have scored spectacular goals. Nekounam’s scoring record for Team Melli is a source of pride. The only doubt in the scoring department is Masoud Shojaei. Not known for his scoring skills, he has been pretty average and hardly replicated his earlier career moves and dazzling displays. Shojaei’s chances of scoring based on his record and performance of late, is pretty remote.
Defenders of Team Melli have also shown some remarkable scoring record. In fact both the two goals scored in the last of Iran’s World Cup in 2006 were scored by defenders, Golmohammady and Bakhtiyarizadeh.
There used to be a prolific scoring pair in Team Melli, but not in the forward line. Aghli and Hosseini , at one stage , scored more goals than the forwards did in Team Melli. Aghili is no more there but Hosseini is still there doing a sterling role in the central defense and also quite a good job at set pieces. Hosseini is a definite favorite to score and will be targeted by his teammate especially at corners. To replace Aghili’s scoring ability, Team Melli still has a defender who is very well capable of scoring with his explosive headers. He is Amir Hossein Sadeghi.
Any surprises?
Football is a strange game. Mostly predictable but sometimes it does not run according to the script. Perhaps the Portugal North Korea’s match is still fresh in the minds of many World Cup fans where the Asian representative was blown apart by 6 goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates in 2010. Further back, it is also difficult to forget the humiliation that Germany inflicted upon a lackluster and pathetic Saudi Arabian team in World Cup 2002 by 8 goals with mercy. Team Melli falling apart in this manner is highly unlikely. The strong mindset and character of Iranians is one shield against such occurrence. The fighting spirit of the Persians is a trademark and Team Melli has proudly replicated the spirits at many stages, especially when they were in challenging situations.
