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.

S. Korea’s National Football Team Gathers Ahead of Final 2 World Cup Qualifiers

S. Korea's National Football Team Gathers Ahead of Final 2 World Cup Qualifiers

After sitting out South Korea’s past two World Cup qualifying matches with an injury, forward Hwang Hee-chan is back in the mix, fully healthy, and ready to help the country close out the qualifying round on a high note.

Hwang, first-year forward for Wolverhampton Wanderers, arrived at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, Monday afternoon for the start of training camp. South Korea, having already grabbed a spot in the World Cup, will face Iran in Seoul on Thursday and the United Arab Emirates in Dubai on March 29 to close out the final Asian qualification round.

Hwang Hee-chan of the South Korean men's national football team speaks to reporters before a training session at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on March 21, 2022, in preparation for Asian World Cup qualifying matches. (Yonhap)

Hwang Hee-chan of the South Korean men’s national football team speaks to reporters before a training session at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on March 21, 2022, in preparation for Asian World Cup qualifying matches.

Both South Korea and Iran have qualified for the World Cup with time to spare, and they will be battling for the top spot in Group A. Hwang said staying motivated, even after qualifying for the big tournament, won’t be an issue for his team.

“Our goal is to win both of the remaining two matches, and we want to finish first in the group,” Hwang said. South Korea currently have 20 points, two back of Iran. “We are all pursuing the common goal and we all understand the importance of that match. I am sure everyone has arrived here prepared to win.”

South Korea’s last win against Iran came in January 2011. In the seven matches since, South Korea have managed three draws and lost four other times. Their most recent meeting ended in a 1-1 draw last October in Tehran, with South Korea wasting Son Heung-min’s second-half goal.

But Hwang said it was still a major confidence boost for South Korea.

“We left that match with a lot of confidence in ourselves but we were also disappointed not to have won that game,” Hwang said. “That’s going to fuel us this time. Since we’ll be playing in front of our home fans, we’ll be able to find an extra gear inside us.”

Hwang missed South Korea’s two previous qualifiers due to a hamstring injury. Without missing a beat, South Korea defeated Lebanon 1-0 and then Syria 2-0. Son, the team’s longtime captain, was also absent with injury.

Hwang said he was never worried about the team because of South Korea’s depth up and down the roster, adding that he was “proud” of his teammates for delivering wins without him.

“In some earlier matches, we were also missing a few players, but we always have players ready to step up and contribute,” Hwang said. “No matter who’s on the field, we’re going to be just fine. We’re not a team that will lose games just because we’re without a couple of players.”

Hwang had a recent injury scare for Wolves last weekend, when he appeared to have hurt his left hip against Everton. He did come in off the bench against Leeds United on Saturday, and he said Monday that he had just suffered a minor bruise.

“It stung for a bit, but after two or three days, I was back to 100 percent,” Hwang said.

Seoane: Azmoun still “missing a lot”

By Rune Gjerulff

Sardar Azmoun is still far from his top level, according to Leverkusen coach Gerardo Seoane.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Gerardo Seoane has emphasized that there is a lot more to come from Sardar Azmoun.

The forward, who arrived injured from Zenit St. Petersburg in January, made his first start for Leverkusen in Sunday’s 0-2 win over Wolfsburg.

Assessing Azmoun’s performance after the game, Seoane told reporters:

“You saw two or three situations, where he was lacking a bit of the final explosiveness to assert himself. We all know it’s difficult to judge what percentage level he’s at. But there is still a lot missing.”

Azmoun will now be able to gain some match practice during the international break, having been called up for Iran’s games against South Korea and Lebanon.

“We are happy for him that he now has two games with the national team. That will do him good,” added Seoane.

A difficult game’ vs. Iran with top seed at stake in World Cup qualifying group, Bento predicts

provided by the KFA. (Yonhap)

With one box checked, Paulo Bento has quickly shifted his focus to the next goal to achieve.

Under his tutelage, South Korea have already booked a ticket to Qatar for this year’s FIFA World Cup with two qualifying matches left. Few would have batted an eye if Bento had chosen to take his foot off the pedal for the rest of the current qualifying campaign.

Instead, Bento on Monday called up most of his usual suspects in a bid to win his team’s final two qualifying matches this month. South Korea will host Iran in Seoul on March 24 and wrap up the final Asian qualifying round by visiting Dubai to play the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 29.

With 20 points after eight matches, South Korea are in second place in Group A of the ongoing round, two points back of Iran. The top two teams from each of the two groups in this round will earn automatic berths. Iran and South Korea are already in, while Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia are still duking it out for the two tickets in Group B.

Instead of playing it safe this month, Bento has taken dead aim at Iran for the top seed in Group A. Winning the group and rising in the FIFA rankings should also help South Korea’s position in the World Cup draw, allowing them to avoid some tough countries, though Bento said he wasn’t yet thinking ahead to the draw.

“We have two games. We should think how we’re going to face the next opponents and how we can do our job and try to finalize this qualifier in the best possible way,” Bento said at his online press conference Monday. “And that is to get the six points and finish in the first place. After that, we will see what’s coming and see where we’re going to be in the draw. I think we have a good challenge before that.”

Facing Iran has been a challenge for South Korea for years. South Korea’s last victory against the Middle Eastern foe came in January 2011. In their most recent meeting, held in Tehran in October, the teams ended in a 1-1 draw, with South Korea blowing a 1-0 lead in the second half.

South Korea has managed just nine wins against 10 draws and 13 draws all-time versus Iran.

“In the physical aspect as well as in the tactical one, Iran has players that can break the balance in our team, players that have experience,” Bento said. “I have no doubt about their quality. We will try to reach the victory in order to reach the first position in the group. I am sure that it will be a difficult game but at the same time, I am convinced that we can do that and we’re going to try to do that without any doubt.”

To that end, Bento went back to the likes of Son Heung-min, who leads Tottenham Hotspur in goals this season, and Hwang Ui-jo, FC Girondins Bordeaux forward and one of Bento’s most trusted offensive options.

But the coach also made a couple of surprise choices on defense, with Suwon FC defender Park Min-gyu and Seoul E-Land back Lee Jae-ik.

This is Park’s first senior national team callup. Lee had been brought in during the previous World Cup qualifying round in October 2019 but didn’t play in any matches then.

With the starting center back Kim Young-gwon playing with a yellow card — one away from automatic suspension — and another veteran Kwon Kyung-won apparently not 100 percent, Bento said he wanted extra options on his backline. He reserved particularly high praise for the 26-year-old Park, who had appeared in 12 matches for the under-20 national team.

“Park is a good player in the technical aspect. We know he has good defensive principles,” Bento said. “It’s a good opportunity to see him in our context.”

5 Key players absent against South Korea!

Team Melli’s bad fortunes continue ahead of the top of the table clash with Korea Rep. and Lebanon as five key players of the team will be absent.

An absence could affect the equations of Skocic and the national team. Following the announcement that Saeed Ezatollahi and Sadegh Moharremi, two starters for Team Melli are serving suspensions, it has now been reported that the PCR test of Saman Ghoddos, Mehdi Taremi, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh has been declared positive and these players will most likely not be able to play against Korea Rep. and most probably against Lebanon 5 days later.

The recently appointed team manager Hamid Estili’s has also been diagnosed positive. This is all confirmed by the official FFIRI website

It is now more likely that Skočić will start with a new look team while giving fringe players some game time. In any case, Iran will not have its full team available against the Koreans.

On a positive note, this match seems to be a perfect opportunity for the reserve players to show their worth for Skočić and lay claim for a starting role. These players can show their ability in the match against a powerful South Korean team that has been improving throughout the qualifiers while their golden boy Sun Heung-min is in peak form for Tottenham. Of course, picking replacement players will not be an easy task for the Croat coach looking to defend his undefeated record with Iran. Whatever the case, the composition of Iran’s team against Korea is broken. Skočić has to walk on the edge of the sword and get his team out of this difficult situation. It remains to be seen what Team Melli will do without its key players in the match against South Korea. A positive result, in a form of a draw or a win, will enhance the reputation of Iran globally but most importantly, their place in the FIFA Ranking table, so important for seeding in the Wold Cup Qatar 2022.

Saman Ghoddos out of the squad.

Team Melli midfielder Saman Ghoddos has been diagnosed positive in the latest PCR and hence lost the chance to travel to the Korean capital for the match against the host nation and the following match against Lebanon in Mashad.

In a communique with the FFIRI Brentford, the premiere league club from London has confirmed that Ghoddos will not be available for selection for the upcoming international matches.

Hamid Estili, who has recently been appointed as the new Manager of the Iranian national team, confirmed the news: “Unfortunately, we will not have Ghoddos in these two matches, but we hope that other legionnaires will be able to join the squad and play for Team Melli without any problem”. Saman Ghoddos was a starter and played both the last two matches against UAE and Iraq. His absence gives coach Dragan Skocic some difficulty. Skocic has announced that the result of the game against South Korea is very important to the team.

Team Melli arrived early morning Sunday in Korea and after the PCR test, were immediately sent to quarantine. Many Legionnaire players are yet to join including Azmoun who played for Leverkusen today in a 2-0 away win versus Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. Taremi is also expected to leave for Korea after the match against Boavista. Milad Mohammadi, Ehsan Hajsafi, and Karim Ansari also played for AEK Athens in a 1-0 loss to PAOK in the Greek league.