Tag: Dragan Skočić

Marijo Tot “We have a good chance of advancing from the group

The assistant coach of the Iranian national football team expressed hope that Team Melli would advance to the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2022 for the first time in its history.

In an interview with tportal site, Tot mentioned that this is a historic occasion for Croat coaches. For the second time in history, two Croatian coaches will be leading two different teams in the World Cup. This happened first at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where Zlatko Kranjcar and Branko Ivankovic, were in charge of Croatian and Iran respectively. Zlatko Dalic has now managed to clinch qualification to the World Cup with Croatia, while another Croat Dragan Skocic achieved similar success with Iran.

“We are very happy with this group, it is clear that you can not have an easy opponent in the World Cup,” said Marijo Tot, about Iran’s draw in the 2022 World Cup. England is both on paper and in reality the first chance to win the group title. The other three teams can compete equally for second place. I honestly think we have a very good chance of making it to the second round. There is a major rivalry with the United States because Iran played the United States in the 1998 World Cup and Iran won 2-1. The players who scored in that game have a special place in the country. It will be a special game now that we all know for what special reasons and our players will go to the World Cup with great motivation.”

 

“In the case of the third competitor, I would prefer Ukraine.” The assistant coach continued: “There is still a long way to go before the tournament starts and anything can happen. But many fans in Iran have the chance to be present for Team Melli in the World Cup. I believe that this time we can take that historic step forward and cross the group for the first time. Alireza Jahanbakhsh from Feyenoord, Mehdi Taremi from Porto and Sardar Azmoun from Bayer Leverkusen are Iran’s first hopes in this cup. We also have players who play in Greece and Turkey. We also have Sadegh Moharremi from Dynamo Zagreb, who plays very well here in Team Melli and was the best player on the field in the last game against Lebanon. I do not want to get into Dynamo’s problems, but given how good Muharrami is, I wonder why he does not get more minutes of play with his club in Croatia.”

About the defeat of Iran against South Korea, he said: “Despite the fact that we went to Seoul with an incomplete team, that is, without 6 or 7 players from the main team, we were quite strong in that game as well. But regardless of everything, we were ended up first in the group. We are the best team in Asia. We travel to this championship with the extraordinary support of the fans who will surely be with us in Qatar.”

Skočić, hopeful of advancing from the World Cup group B.

The head coach of Iran’s Team Melli evaluated Iran’s group in the FIFA World Cup 2022 and emphasized that Iran has a chance to advance from the group stage for the first time in its history.

Dragan Skucic,  speaking to the Croatian media by HRT, commented on Iran’s group in the 2022 World Cup: “The group can always be better or worse. This group is not bad, although it is a bit unusual because England, the USA and probably Wales or Scotland play almost the same style of football. Of course, there is also Ukraine. In any case, I think the draw went well, there were more difficult groups.

Iran will face England on the first day of the World Cup on November 21st. “Our goal is to try to advance to the next round from this e group,” he said. I think England has a lot of chances and I also think we have a chance with other öpponents in the group. I think we can compete with them and achieve qualification to the knockout stages. We definitely have good players and a lot of potential in the team and we have a fighting spirit too.

Skocic knows Arabic football well and is convinced that a big World Cup awaits Qatar. In the end, he said: I was in the Arab Cup in Qatar a month or two ago. Everything was exceptional, I was in all the stadiums. I think it will be a big World Cup in terms of organization. Ïran’s head coach also commented on his own country’s team chances: ‌” Besides Croatia, Belgium has a great chance to advance, but we should not forget Morocco. I think Canada has a lower chance of qualifying than the other group teams.”

Iran- Lebanon : Match preview

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.

Head2Head

 

H / A / N Matches W D L Goals + / –
H 4 4 0 0 14 – 0 +14
A 6 4 1 1 13 – 3 +10
N 1 1 0 0 2 – 0 +2
Total 11 9 1 1 29 – 3 +26
Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
11.11.2021 World Cup Qualifier / Round 3 – Group A A 2 – 1 Saïda International Stadium (Saïda ) 100
19.11.2013 Asian Cup Qualifier A 4 – 1 Sports City, Beirut 0
11.06.2013 World Cup Qualifier H 4 – 0 Azadi Stadium, Tehran 91,300
06.02.2013 Asian Cup Qualifier / Group B H 5 – 0 Azadi Stadium, Tehran 19,733
11.09.2012 World Cup Qualifier A 0 – 1 Camille Chamoun Sports City, Beirut 10,000
17.06.2004 WAFF / WAFF H 4 – 0 Azadi Stadium, Tehran 40,000
28.11.2003 Asian Cup Qualifier H 1 – 0 Azadi Stadium, Tehran 20,000
19.11.2003 Asian Cup Qualifier A 3 – 0 Sports City, Beirut 5,000
03.09.2002 WAFF / Group 1 N 2 – 0 Al Abbassyin  Stadium, Damascus 2,000
12.10.2000 Asian Cup / Group A A 4 – 0 Sports City, Beirut 52,418
13.11.1996 Friendly / Friendly A 0 – 0 Beirut 50,000

Created by www.teammelli.com . All rights reserved © 2009 Team Melli Website – Updated Jan. 2022
 

 

Korea Rep v Iran post match analysis.

It had to happen one day, as Team Melli lost to its nemesis South Korea after 11 years. It also meant the end of Dragan Skocic’s undefeated record extending two years and 15 matches. Iran lost to a full-strength Korea 2-0 in World Cup stadium in the top of the table clash of Group A FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers.

Under the circumstances, it was an honorable defeat, if there is such a term and the result is hardly a source of shame but more rather a disappointment. Losing half of your fix starting players while playing against the top team in the group is in fact expected and fair. This does not indemnify the coach and player, however, as there were some shortfalls and gaps that need attention and analysis.

Starting at the lineup. Despite Skocic statement in the press conference that his team will not be playing a defensive game, his lineup and gameplan were exactly that!

There were six defenders in his team: Shojaa KHALILZADEH, Majid HOSSEINI , Milad MOHAMMADI, Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN, Omid NOORAFKAN, and Ehsan HAJSAF . However one interprets that, it is still a defensive park-the-bus like lineup.

With a team like South Korea, such a plan will be a dream as it allows their players to keep the pressure up and keep coming at you time and time again until they score, and that is exactly what they did.

Opting for a defensive game plan was not the best option despite the half-strength team. Skocic actually only one defender in Moharrami who was easily replaceable without overhauling the team defense.

There was also this disturbing unconfirmed news that Khalilzadeh started the match carrying an injury sustained in training. It was clear that the defender was suffering and had to be substituted before halftime.

In the Goal:

Despite the horror of the first goal, where Amir Abedzadeh committed a real blunder, the keeper was at the top of his game and was at his best during the first half. His aerial superiority and timely interceptions and distribution of the ball were quite creditable. Even in the first few minutes of the second half, he managed to make a miraculous double save and thwarted Hueing Min Son several times. In the second goal, he was not to be blamed either.

The Defenders:

Skocic wanted to solidify this line to ensure the Koreans don’t turn their full-strength team into an advantage. The poor marking in addition to the clumsy handling by Abedzadeh, resulted in the first goal, but it was not only the keeper’s fault. Questions should be asked why 4 markers could not stop Son Heung-Min from shooting. That was feeble marking.  The second goal, however, was definitely poor marking which allowed the South Korean defender to find himself unmarked in the box and a simple tap-in to score.

On the positive side, the defense really cut the Korean supplies by giving Son Hueing Min very little breathing space. A world-class player like him can inflict real damage and despite scoring one goal the Iranian defenders deprive him of many.

Where were the Midfield players?  

Collectively, it was the worst of the 4 lines of the team. As the game plan required defending from deep, Skocic was counting of these players to form the first defense line, however, that was the Achilles Heals of the team. The defensive side of the midfield worked fine and relatively did what it was asked to do, but they all failed to support the lonely striker in Azmoun and were instrumental in having Azmoun experience one of his most futile matches with Team Melli.

The insistence of Gholizadeh and Nourollahi to send long balls or trying to pass the ball behind the Korean defense to Azmoun failed one time after another. In fact, during the whole match, Iran managed one such success in passing behind to Azmoun, which the striker managed to head mildly into the Korean keepers waiting arms.

Whether the two central midfielders were going according to the game plan or using their own initiatives, is unknown but that is a clear shortfall and needs to be addressed for future and more important games.

Jahanbakhsh and Ezatollahi were sorely missed in this match.

A One-man show at the front!

Basically, that was the case with Azmoun up front against South Korea. He drew a lonely and desperate figure. There was no chance in hell for Azmoun to create a threat let alone score with the little support he had from his teammates and their game plan. Frustrated and lonely, Azmoun was easily neutralized by the Koreans.

Conclusion

In general, the absence of 5 key players is significant for any team and a handicap against the strongest, but in hindsight, things could have been better. It is a loss that practically meant very little, but for the experience and future games, Skocic should have a big lesson to learn and study the match carefully to discover the loops and the gaps that lead to the loss. But once again, no big harm was done.

One point to end the subject. This match will surely be celebrated by the anti-Skocic camp, but then again let us not get fooled by them and their hidden agenda. Skocic’s reputation remains intact and would be prudent to support him all the way to Doha.

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

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)

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”

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.