Carlos Queiroz was globetrotting looking for dual citizenship players or those with Iranian ancestry to pick them for Team Melli. in his quest , he managed to find a player who was a long way from Iran. Steven’ Mehrdad ‘ Beitashour , playing for San Jose Earthquake at the time, was one of these players attracting the attention of the Portuguese coach.
INTERNATIONAL
A dual American-Iranian citizen, Beitashour chose to represent Iran after being approached by Queiroz, when he was called into camp for 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification. He made his debut in Iran’s 2-1 win over Thailand, coming on as a 76th minute substitute for Hossein Mahini. He made his first start and recorded his first assist for Iran in the ensuing match, again against Thailand, a 3-0 victory that ensured their qualification to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Beitashour then went on to start the next match as well, a 4-1 victory over Lebanon. Prior to committing to Iran, Beitashour had been called into one camp with the United States men’s national team, getting the call from head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in August of 201
The American-Iranian also made the squad to the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, however he was not picked to start any match nor was he used as a substitute.
From then on , Beitashour went into oblivion with Team Melli. Not selected for any matches , not that there were many and not considered for the finals of the Asian Cup 2015. Whether he will be available again to play for Iran in the future, is debatable.
So , what went wrong?
The major problem with selecting Beitashour was the logistics. Selecting a player who resides and makes his living on the other side of the world is a logistical nightmare under any circumstances. The only practical time that a player can join a squad is during major tournaments such as the World Cup , once every 4 years. Under other circumstances or during FIFA days, a trip from USA to Iran and back within 3 or 4 days is simply a nightmare.
Logistics aside, Beitashour had a very tough player and established veteran to compete with in Team Melli. AT the time, Khosro Heydari was one of the best performers in the team while Hossein Mahini was closely challenging for recognition as a fix starter. Apart from these two , several younger defenders were raring to go. Beotashour’s position was looking shaky and his value for the team beginning to be questioned.
Overall, Beitashour never really established himself in the team with the logistics problem and the tough competition around. In total , he made 6 appearances for Team Melli half of it only as a starter. At 27 Years old, he has still a long way to go in his football career, whether any of it will be with Team Melli is another argument. At the present moment and with the Team in Australia without Beitashour , the Vancouver Whitecaps defender may find it difficult to make the Team Melli squad anytime soon before the next World Cup. Beitashour is still a quality player as he has shown with his club in the MSL where he made 27 appearances for the Canadian outfit. He was also included in the “Protected Players” list , which indicates that his team is not willing to let him go or transfer to another club.
