Tag: Mehdi Taremi

Second victory for Team Melli in CAFA Nations Cup 2023

Team Melli faced Kyrgyzstan in the final group match of CAFA Nations Cup 2023 this Friday evening. The match ended 5-1 for Iran with Mehdi Taremi scoring a hat trick (34', 39', and 56') and Sardar Azmoun helping himself to a brace (56' and 66'). Morzaev (52) scored the only goal of the host.

It is the second game in a row by Amir Ghalenoei players which was accompanied by a high-scoring victory, while the possession of the ball and the field was completed in the hands of the Iranian national team.

This team was able to score two goals in the first half by using the players' tactical intelligence and the combined efforts of Mehdi Taremi. The second half was accompanied by the Kyrgyz shock. A blunder by Morteza Pouraliganji's in clearing the ball in the box, and Beiranvand poor positioning and awareness, allowed the Kyrg striker to score their only goal of the match, to the delight of about 10,000 spectators present at the "Dolan Omurzakov" stadium in Bishkek.

It was for the second consecutive game against that the second-ranked team in Asia, that Team Melli has been breached with ease due to a combination of factors. That fact that Team Melli was easily scored against must have raised a few alarms in the coaching staff.

Amir Ghalenoei has some serious work to do on the defense.

Also, a point of concern was the failure in the game plan to change offensive moves, as the team tactics is becoming obvious. There has to be a combination of plans to attack as the stronger teams will not be so easily defeated by crosses from the flanks.

Mehdi Taremi showed his high quality when he again scored a hat trick for the second consecutive game.

The introduction of Sardar Azmoun to replace the ineffective Reza Asadi changed the game up front. the Pair Azmoun and Taremi scored three times.

Team Melli has now qualified for the final match to be played against Uzbekistan next Tuesday.

Apart from the strikers Azmoun and Taremi, Mohammad Mohebbi played a solid game as well. Ramin Rezaeian, Mehdi Torabi, and Omid Nourafkan were also at their best. Reza Asadi, Pouraliganji, Beiranvand were the weak links.

Team Melli trounces Afghanistan 6-1

Team Melli outplayed Afghanistan at Dolon Amorzakov Stadium in Bishkek in its first match in the CAFA Nations Cup 2023 winning 6-1.

With that result, Iran takes a commanding lead in Group B of the tournament as it only requires a draw against Host Nation Kyrgyzstan next Friday to qualify for the final match in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Mehdi Taremi scored a hat trick in the match which included a penalty, while Azmoun, Jahanbakhsh, and Asadi helped themselves to one goal each.

Contrary to expectations, Amir Ghalanoei preferred to use most of the main players in the match against the 155th FIFA ranking team in order to get familiarized with the players that will most probably form the core of the starting lineup in the AFC Asian Cup next January.

As predictable, the game was dominated by the favorites Iran from the first minute, and by the 3rd minute, Team Melli could have scored with Mehdi Taremi's shot on Alireza Jahanbakhsh's pass, but Afghanistan's goalkeeper blocked the ball. Iran's pressure finally paid off in the 20th minute, with Sardar Azmoun opening the score tally after a cross from the left by team captain Ehsan Hajsafi's cross. Azmoun neatly headed the ball into the net to give Iran a 1-0 lead. One minute later, Team Melli scored again, and this time Mehdi Taremi did the trick to make it 2-0.

Five minutes later, a foul by the Afghan goalkeeper Faisal Hamidi on Tarimi in the penalty area resulted in a penalty, which Taremi himself dispatched cooly into the net in the 28th minute. In the last minutes of the first half, Afghanistan caught the Iranian defense napping and could have scored in their first real attack of the match, when Musawi passed the ball in front of an empty goal but Niazmand managed to grab it just before passing the goal-line.

In the 45th minute, Azmoun skilfully dribbled his markers in the box and sent a neat pass to Taremi, who stepped over the ball and left it to the on-rushing Jahanbakhsh. The Feyenoord winger scored Iran's fourth goal with a precise shot.

In the second half and in the 51st minute, Mehdi Taremi completed his hat trick when he scored his third goal and Iran's fifth from a deep pass by Omid Nourafken. In the 57th minute, a foul was committed by Saeed Ezatollahi on the Afghan forward right on the edge of the box, where the Iranian midfielder was left for dead by the nifty Afghan's dribble. Ezatollahi had no choice but to foul him for a free kick. The resulting shot produced the best goal of the match which was scored by the Afghan captain Farshad Noor with a ferocious shot into the roof of the net. Niazmand had no answer to that shot.

That spectacular free-kick goal made the result more respectable and precious for the underdogs. However, 10 minutes later, Iran scored the sixth goal by the substitute forward Reza Asadi who recorded his first national goal on a back pass by Sadegh Moharrami. In the rest of this match, the efforts of both two teams did not yield results, as Iran came out with a clear 6-1 winner.

Team Melli will face the Kyrgyz team on Friday, June 26 at 18:30 Iran time in the second game of the CAFA Nations Cup 2023.

starting line-up.

Iran: Payam Nazam, Ehsan Hajsafi, Sadegh Moharrami, Mohammad Hossein Kanaanizadegan, Seyed Majid Hosseini, Saeed Ezzatollahi, Omid Nourafkan, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebbi, Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi.

Head coach: Amir Ghalenoei

Afghanistan: Faisal Hamidi, Farshad Noor. , Amanullah Sardari, Mehboob Hanafi, Farzad Ataei, Mohammad Saharani, Basit Mushtaq, Ali Basit Nazari, Tofi Eskandari, Yama Sharzad and Omid Mousavi. Head coach: Abdullah Motairi. who was suspended for the rest of the tournament and was watching the match from the stands.

CAFA Nations Cup 2023 Diary.

Taremi's attack on CAFA!

After the training session of Team Melli under Ghalnoei yesterday, Mehdi Taremi was quizzed by a horde of journalists and reporters on his view n Team Melli. After the customary praise of the head coach, effusing about the qualities of Amir Ghaleneoi. whom he never worked with in his club career, the interesting part was Taremi's comment on the Technical value of CAFA Nations Cup. " Such a tournament has no value for The National Team." The Porto forward decried, albeit indirectly, pointing to the low standard of the participating team, while he said added that he understands that taking part in the tournament is a commitment and needs to be respected."

When a reporter reminded him that Team Melli has always lagged behind others in the preparation and organization of friendly practice games, Taremi was unimpressed and stuck to what he said!

Perhaps not the wisest of characters on and off the field, as a professional who plays in the top league in Europe, his declaration that it CAFA has little value lacks insight. During the preparation for the FIFA World Cup, Iran managed only two quality friendlies while Japan, Korea, and Saudi Arabia tripled that number.

Taremi forgets that it is not winning in these matters that matter, it is a big chance for the coach in his new job to understand, evaluate, and familiarize himself with the qualities of his players and their capabilities in different formats. What better than a handful of games in a matter of a week or so?

Sardar Azmoun also gave a brief interview after the practice session on the same subject of CAFA. Asked about the value of this tournament for Team Melli's preparation, Azmoun said that "We have all the respect for all participating teams, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Oman, and the rest. Our mission as players is to execute what the management has planned, It is not for me to answer that question, you need to direct it at the federation leaders, not players. Our job is to play and represent our country at international levels"

The rebel Kuwaiti coach of Afghanistan makes headlines

The video where the head coach is directing his players to leave the pitch is going viral across social media.

Abdullah Al Mutairi, a mediocre Kuwaiti coach at best with hardly any achievements in his coaching career, beckoned, or rather, forced the Afghan players to leave the field after Kyrgyzstan scored the winner deep into injury time.

The game was level at 0-0 when Kyrgyz Republic found the winner deep in minute 97 of the match which gave them a huge chance of winning the match. However, a massive controversy took place immediately after the goal as Afghanistan’s head coach, in protest, forced his players to leave the playing area before the final whistle. Despite a few attempts by the referee to simmer down the heated situation, the former head coach of the Nepal men’s national team was not in a mad state signaling the referee has been bribed!!.

The sight that followed the walkout by the Afghanistan men’s national team was embarrassing. Kyrgyz Republic’s players celebrated their opponents leaving the pitch while Abdullah Al-Mutairi applauded sarcastically.

People like Al Mutairi with zero credibility as a coach and a track record for controversy, should be put away from football. There is no place for such characters in the beautiful game. Granted, football has become tarnished in the last few years as it is not the purist game, with commercial interests, bribery, and corruption in the World of Football making headlines, the beneficiaries are most the leaders at the top. depriving young footballers of playing their beloved game is bigger than anything. This is why the like of Al Mutairi needs to be made an example with FIFA, AFC, and CAF need to act by giving him the heaviest sentence possible. Long, preferably permanent, suspension from the game should be applied.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1667592843706380288

Mehdi Taremi claims top scorer title while Porto loses the league title to Benfica.

Team Melli and FC Porto forward, Mehdi Taremi claimed his first top-scorer title in one of the top Europe leagues to become the third Iranian after Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Sardar Azmoun winning such accolades in the Eredivisie and Russuan premiere leagues respectively. Taremi ended the season 2022/23 with 22 goals, 3 more than second-place Goncalco Ramos of Benfica. Meanwhile, FC Porto have failed in their defense of the Primeira Liga title after Benfica’s home win versus Santa Clara secured the championship, this Saturday, despite the Dragons’ 3-0 triumph at home to Vitória.
Sérgio Conceição’s men were in need of a huge favor from bottom-of-the-table Santa Clara in order to leapfrog Benfica at the top of the table, as Vitória came to town.
Porto held up their end of the bargain with a 3-0 victory, complete with goals from Mehdi Taremi, Otávio, and Evanilson, but an equally-proficient night in front of goal for the Eagles meant the Blue & Whites were kept at bay, trailing top-spot by two points on the final day of the season.
Conceição pulled up no surprises with his XI at the Estádio do Dragão, filled to the brim with hopefuls roaring their team on to a potential back-to-back conquest of the Primeira Liga title. Things began to look very favorable for the Northern giants after their regional heavyweights Vitória found themselves reduced to ten men just two minutes in, following Tomás Händel’s red card for a poor challenge on Matheus Uribe.
Just five minutes later, an incredible run on the counter from Pepê enabled the Brazilian to set Taremi up for the opener, with the Iranian requiring little more than a side-foot toward the goal to break the deadlock.
Unfortunately for the Dragons, the Eagles had also taken the lead via Gonçalo Ramos before doubling their advantage through Rafa Silva, just as Otávio’s strike across goal landed a second blow to Vitória in the 32nd minute.
In the 39th minute, Evanilson made it 3-0 with a classy finish on the half-volley, adding comfort to the scoreline before the half-time interval.
For the second half, the protagonists were the same but the intensity wasn’t quite at the levels demonstrated in the first period, with Vitória holding back Porto’s waning forcefulness and appetite.
The Primeira Liga’s top scorer Taremi neared a brace in the 67th minute with a chipped attempt on Bruno Varela, stopped by the ex-Benfica man before Ibrahima Bamba’s risqué clearance off the line, using his shoulder.
Porto left it a 3-0 - a score matched by Benfica at the Estádio da Luz - as the Dragons bowed out to a second-placed finish behind their bitter rivals, lifting the title for the first time in four years.
 

MEHDI TAREMI SCORING RECORD IN PORTUGAL

 
Season Team Comp Minutes played Appearances Lineups Substitute in Substitute out Substitutes on bench Goal Yellow card Yellow 2nd/RC Red card
2022/2023 Porto PRL 2636 33 31 2 22 2 22 7 0 0
2021/2022 Porto PRL 2434 32 27 5 13 5 20 4 1 0
2020/2021 Porto PRL 2226 34 26 8 20 8 16 1 0 1
2019/2020 Rio Ave PRL 2352 30 26 4 11 4 18 2 0 1

Medi Taremi registers another milestone.

Porto FC and Team Melli forward scored four goals, a (poker), in the match held late Saturday evening against middle-of-the-table team Famalicao in Liga Portugal.

This is the first time an Iranian player has achieved such a milestone in a single match in any European League. Three of the goals came from the spot kick. The match ended 2-4 for Porto who has now reduced the deficit with the league leaders Benfica to one point only. Benfica, the favorites to win the title this season has a game in hand.

Taremi was substituted a minute before the regulation time to receive a standing ovation from the visiting Porto fans as they sang his name.

Taremi has enjoyed unprecedented success with Porto in his third season with the club which he joined in season 2020/21. He has also increased his goal tally to 21 goals to leapfrog Benfica's striker Goncalo Ramos who is on 18 goals, Taremi first played for Rio Ave which he joined in 2019 for one season. He scored 18 goals and provided 2 assists for the small club a fact that caught the interest of the 3 top clubs in Portugal. He was on the brink of agreeing terms with Benfica before Porto stepped in with a lucrative offer.

In his first season with Porto, Mehdi Taremi scored 16 goals, next season he was on 20 goals. So far this current season he has already surpassed those records with 21 goals and one match left.

How is Team Melli under Ghalenoei?

With one win and a draw already under his belt, Ardashir (Amir) Ghalenoei seems to have started well in his second term with Team Melli.  The nucleus of the previous team is still intact as Ghalenoei used most of the players who qualified Iran for the world cup under Dragan Skocic and then briefly in the World Cup finals, under Carlos Queiroz. However, the addition of several new players and the return of previous ones has given a slightly different shape to the same team.

Overall, Team Melli played delightful football in both matches, despite some shortfalls that need to be worked upon by the coaching team. The passing of the ball, finding spaces, defensive coverage, crosses from flanks, and counterattacks were all carried out to acceptable to good standards. The shortfalls were in the poor finishing, final ball delivery, mental agility, and the chronic shortfall of Iranian players, general slowness. While modern football demands quick and swift thinking by footballers, Iranian players seem to take extra seconds to make such moves.

  The match against Kenya was particularly worrying in the sense that the Iranian players could not physically match the Kenyan team! The African players won most of the one-to-one tackles which mostly ended up with the Iranian hitting the lawn with both arms raised up in protests to no avail. Physical strength and body build have always been one of the better attributes of Iranian footballers throughout the years. It is important to keep that up, especially against stronger teams. It is also important by Ghalenoei to instill some discipline and discourage play-acting.

Although not much can be read from the two matches, and not much can be presumed from Ghaleoei's public statements, it seems that a fresh mentality is going to dominate Team Melli's playing style. Under eight years and something, Team Melli fans were exposed to the dour defensive-minded style of Carlos Queiroz. Ghaleoei has a different mindset and we do hope it is aimed toward more attractive football that appeals to the fan but of course, not to the detriment of results. Offensive footballs require such tools as gameplans with several options and competent skillful players to finish the moves. On the face of it, Team Melli has players up front that play in the highest standard leagues such as Azmoun, Taremi, and Sayyadmanish with the newer generation players such as  Amir Hossein HOSSEINZADEH and Arya BARZAGAR waiting for their chances.

These players have proved time and again their worth.  It is up to the Ghalenoei to utilize the skills of such talents. There is a small problem with finishing for Taremi, perhaps he is experiencing a down in his performance, but he and his teammates cannot be so wasteful and profligate as they have shown in these two matches.

There are no shortages of talent on the defensive line and the goalkeepers, so that is the least of the worries.

The biggest challenge for Ghalenoei remains the midfield. It is the line where the forwards must receive quality and timely service in order to finish the job. The present complexion of the midfield is not so hopeful. Unfortunately, Jahanbakhsh who mainly operates mainly as a winger has been facing form degradation recently with erratic performances. Ezzarollahi seems to have stagnated and his value remains on the defensive side, Ali Gholizadeh is one of the better players that Ghalneoi may focus on for the offensive side, Nourollahi is another player whose value varies between one match and another. Saman Ghoddos came with such promise, but he is yet to deliver consistently. Team Melli has no midfielder that can take the game by the scruff of the neck. There is no such player in the current generation of footballers, unfortunately.

So, the lack of creative, quality, and consistently good midfield players will remain Amir Ghalenoei's biggest challenge.

One bright side of the two matches was the introduction of Sepahan's midfielder Mohammas Karimi. Hardly a household name in Iran, the former U20 Team Melli player, performed very well in the first half and was one of the few good players while he was on the field. There seems to be a player that can serve Team Melli well if given the chance. In the contrast, his club teammate Moghanlou was utterly wasteful, out of place, and at times, lost in the lineup of Team Melli in both matches. No doubt he played and scored well with his club, but in the two matches at an international level, he remains way out of place.

First win for Team Melli and Ghalenoei

Team Melli defeated Kenya 2-1 in an international friendly in Azadi on Tuesday evening in front of approximately 25,000 fans with a large contingent of females in a special section of the aging stadium. The first goal of the match was scored by Michael Olunga in ( 51’), Iran equalized through Mohammad Mohebbi (76'), and the winner was scored by Ramin Rezaeian (84') This was the second match under the leadership of recently appointed coach Amir Ghalenoei who opted for a few changes from that match against Russia. In came Mohammad Karimi as a defensive midfielder and Armin Sohrabian in the defense line for their debut match for Team Melli. Alireza Jahanbakhsh made the starting line up too. Rozbeh Cheshmi replaced Shojaa KhalilZadeh to partner Kananizadegan in the heart of the defense.   GOALS 51st minute: Kenya started the scoring when Captain Michael Olunga cleverly disposed of Armin Sohrabian on the right flank and ran towards the goal with Kanaizadegan the only player between him and the Hosseini in goal. Olunga who plays his football with Al Duhail of Qatar cleverly shot past his marker and into the far corner of Hosseini to register a beautiful goal in the 51st minute. 76th minute: Iran's equalizer came through an immaculate assist by Ramin Rezaeian, whose perfect free kick was met by Mohammad Mohebbi to head into the empty net with the Kenyan keeper stranded in the other corner. 84th minute: Iran's winner came late in the match when Rezaeian worked himself nicely into the box and shot at an acute angle with Masani in Kenya's goal helping the ball cross the line.   PERFORMANCE: In the first half, Team Melli was far from the high standard of the last match against a much stronger team in Russia. The overconfidence, evidence in some showboating, the poor discipline, and alarming wastefulness in which the team played showed that Amir Ghalenoei has a lot on his hand to build a formidable team. There were quite a few bad performances from the like of Taremi, Jahanbakhsh, and particularly Moghanlou. In the contrast, the debutant Mohammad Karimi was a breath of fresh air with his passing, tackling, and self-confidence. In the second half, the goal scored by Kenya shocked Iran to the spine. Ghalenoei had to embark with a few substitutions which slowly but surely ensured that Team Melli comes out from this difficult match as the winner although it was a cesarean win. MAN OF THE MATCH MVP   Despite playing in the second half, Rezaeian made a lot of difference as he defended and attacked at well from the left flank. He assisted the first goal while scoring the second. He remains one of the few reliable and dependable players of the old team who will undoubtedly be an asset to Ghalenoei. THE DUISSPAONTMENTS. Mehdi Taremi is going through a rough time both at the club and country levels. It is probably the curse of the World Cup. His performance against Kenya was rusty, profligate, and uncertain. Jahabnbakjsh is also another player that is finding it hard to repeat his fine standards of a few years back. Although some excuse may be given for the fact that he is recovering from an illness. Every player selected for a national team is scrutinized analyzed and given thorough tests before selection. That is a forgone conclusion, however, the selection is Shahriyar Moghanlou is an enigma! Although his record with Sepahan is not that bad, in the two matches he played so far and was given a lot of minutes by Ghalenoei, this forward has shown nothing to suggest that he is even an average bench player for Team Melli let alone a starter. Could it be a psychological hurdle or something else? Whatever the case, his case needs to be seriously reconsidered with so many promising young players waiting in the wings for their chances. ATTITUDES, AGAIN Once again Team Melli players showed a certain lack of discipline and discipline that cost them a gaol and perhaps could have cost them the match. The constant falling to the ground for the slightest of contacts has become a trend in Iranian football. Sohrabian was guilty of losing his balance and then waving for a foul in the event that led to the Kenya goal. However, the culprit of the match was Mohammad Mohebbi who fell to the ground in at least 5 tackles, of which the referee only whistled for him once only. Although Taremi, is so famous for simulation in Portugal, in fairness did not resort to this in today's match, this trend championed by Mehdi Taremi is highly criticized in Portuguese media. Unfortunately, it is quietly glorified by Iranian media labeling such antics as smart and wins penalties for his team.

The plight of Team Melli players in Europe

The spiral dive of Iranian footballers' fortunes have continued since the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

It is safe to say that apart from Mehdi Taremi, in one match against England, none of the Team Melli players displayed any meaningful football or quality in the World Cup to attract interest from European clubs, or even regional Persian Gulf leagues. As if this was bad with no buyers turning up for the Iranian stars, most of the Team Melli players (on the edge or above 30 years old) even household names are struggling in their clubs too,

Perhaps the most noticeable fall from grace and drop in form has to be that of Sardar Azmoun. The days when the central forward of Team Melli was in Russia playing for Zenit, were perhaps the greatest achievement of any Iranian player in history. Not only Azmoun won several titles with the St. Petersburg club, he also achieved the title of top scorer in the Russian league to become only the second Iranian footballer to do so after Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the Netherlands Eredivisie.

Then came that dreadful transfer to the Bundesliga.

No doubt, the injury to Sardar was a great setback at the time when he needed to prove himself at Bayer Leverkusen, however, even after full recovery, Azmoun was far from convincing and lacked the quality to earn himself a place in the starting line up for a middle of the table Bundesliga club. Now, Leverkusen is thinking of cutting their losses by loaning him to other clubs.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is another player whose winning the top scorer title was a bad omen. His time with Brighton in the Premiere league was best to be forgotten. On his return to the Eredivisie with Feyenoord this time, it was hoped that Jahanbaksh will rediscover himself and find the quality that abandoned him in England. It was not to be as Jahanbakhs steady decline and poor showing made him a semi-permanent bench warmer. Jahanbakhsh never utilized the occasional playing time he was afforded to prove himself. It is safe to say that he will be on the unwanted list of Feyenoord by the end of the season, barring a miracle, that is.

in Charleroi, Ali Gholizadeh was a lively and important player. The winger had enough quality to force the Belgian club to renew his contract for another three years, however, the jinx of drop in form hit Gholizadeh too, this time in Belgium. Recently, it seems that the winger of Team Melli has been facing domestic problems complicating the matter even further.

Royal Charleroi will face the Union team in the framework of the 23rd week of the Belgian league. Charleroi's 20-man squad was announced for this match, while the name of Iranian winger Ali Gholizadeh was once again missing from the list. In last week's game against Club Brugge, Gholizadeh was left out by head coach Felice Mazo's, and this happened for the second week in a row. The Belgium website 'le Soir claimed that Ali Gholizadeh's mind is somewhere else and this Iranian player is getting closer and closer to the exit door of the club.

Saman Ghoddos continues to be a fringe player in the Premier League with Brentford, with cameo appearances every now and then. Saeed Ezatollahi plays in the second division of the Danish league, which even the local media hardly covers. Ehsan Hajsafi and Milad Mohammadi play in AEK Athens, The latter has seen action in 10 of the 19 league e matches his club played only six as a starter while Hajsafi fared much better with 12 matches starting and 1 substitute out of 19.

Majid Hosseni's club Kayserispor is currently ranked 8th in the Turkish Süper Lig. With the domestic league at halfway stage, Hossini has featured in 15 out of 19 matches, displaying acceptable form in most of the matches. He is one of the few successful Iranian players in Europe.

The onus on Mehdi Taremi  to continue being the flag bearer of Iranian footballers. Although far from perfect, Taremi continues displaying quality and scoring valuable goals for his club. He is the only Team Melli player who is making headlines in Europe.

Guessing the lineup for US game tonight.

A win against the US Team will assure Iran's qualification to the round of 16 of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for the first time. No need to emphasize the importance of this day and match to the squad and what is expected from them.

With two different lineups against England and Wales, Queiroz was a few days wiser and perhaps realized the players' selection and game plan errors he committed against England while working to strengthen his much-improved performance against Walse when Team Melli dominated the game.

We will take a look at the possibilities of tonight's lineup vs a desperate US team.

Goalkeeper.

The "Masked man" is ready! Alireza Beiranvand suffered a broken nose during the game against England when he clashed with Majid Hosseini, so he was replaced by Seyed Hossein Hosseini. Although Hosseini could not be faulted for the heavy defeat, he showed his abilities in the match against Wales by keeping a clean sheet, only the second in Iran's history in the World Cup. However, Beiranvand, in a rather petulant manner wants to play on and with a protective mask, which has given Queiroz a selection headache. Will the Portuguese opt for Beiranvand, a keeper that he blindly trusts in, or take no risk and play Hosseini or Abedzadeh as a second choice?

It remains to be seen as this one could be a last-minute decision.

Defense To say that the disastrous defending against England has improved against Wales is an understatement, and that has given Queiroz some peace of mind, but that does not mean it is perfect. The way that Rashford and BUkayo Saka bamboozled Iranian defenders to score was an embarrassment and could well occur again.

Group defending and defenders' positioning is still lacking coordination. Iranian players seem to be over-enthusiastic at times and at times they pay for that.  A defensive coordinator in the coaching staff needs to work hard to assure the threats of the likes of Weah and Pulisic in the US team are neutralized. Saying that perhaps the defense line has picked up itself for the US game after the Win against Wales.

In the central role, Majid Hosseini and Morteza Pouraliganji could be Queiroz's picks. It is hardly unlikely to disturb the stability here. On the flanks, it is also logical for Ramin Rezaian to maintain his post despite the shaky start initially. At left back Milad Mohammadi has not performed as best he can and was short of confidence in both matches. His inclusion is under question against the USA, as Queiroz has two good options there. Players such as Vahid Amiri or Abolfazl Jalali can fill the role with the latter being a useful player on attacking.

Midfield

Perhaps Team Melli's weakest link. Lack of leadership, poor control, and shortage of creative players have marred this line. Al Gholizadeh stands out among the weak midfiled and he has proven that he can change the outcome of the match with his clever passing and shooting. He has already earned his place in the starting lineup. Ahmad Nourollahi has been disappointing as an offensive midfielder and lacks the capacity to control the game and provide quality balls to the forwards. He also has a slight knock from the previous game that will force Queiroz to leave him on the bench.

Team Melli needs creativity and pace here. This can be provided by Saman Ghoddos and/or  Mehdi Torabi who can complement Ali Gholizadeh. It remains to be seen if Queiroz is brave enough to opt for an offensive lineup such as this.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is suspended for getting himself two yellow cards so he is out.

On the defensive side of Midfield, Ehsan HajSafi, with his superior performance against Wales, can once again be the starter next to the disappointing Saeed Ezatollahi.

Forwards

The least of Queiroz's worries. Two excellent forwards who can play alongside each other and disturb any defense as the match against Wales proved.

Aggressive or cautious;

Is it the main issue? If Queriz wants to be conservative, he will play Mehdi Taremi in the starting lineup without Azmoun, or vice versa otherwise, both strikers will be playing against USA America.

Game Plan

Perhaps being cautious is a good thing when Team Melli needs to avoid defeat to make it to the round of 16, but the World Cup has taught us that goals can be scored with half chances and at any time in the game including added time. Team Melli scored against Wales in minutes 98 and 101. So, it is not very wise to depend entirely on the defense trying to achieve a draw. Iran has the tools and the players that can excel in offensive games and score against any team. The team has already scored four goals, a record in its own right. This has to be utilized and force the Americans back.  The USA despite two draws, is not a team that is to be taken lightly. Christian Pulišić (Chelsea), Timothy Weah (Lile), Weston James McKennie (Juventus), and Haji Amir Wright (Antalyaspor) are all potential threats to Team Melli's defense.

Gregg Berhalter, the USA coach must have done his homework on Team Melli. There are no secrets and no hidden weapons here. What Queiroz needs to do is play a balanced game. Tight at the back but effective on offenses and less of those Hail Mary direct one football.

A knockout like match between IRAN and USA.

Team Melli is still brimming with joy following the dramatic victory over Wales. It was a well-deserved win for Iran, especially after the embarrassing 6-2 hammering by England. It was also timely and Team Melli boys should be full of confidence going into Tuesday's match against the US team in a politically charged World Cup match.

As for the Americans, there is no other choice except to win, or else they would be on the first flight home. It is claimed that this group of U.S. players is considered the best generation of American soccer. But they finished third behind Canada and Mexico in World Cup qualifying and now face a must-win final group-stage match. Their game against England showed the quality of the Americans. They were brave and logical in the game plan.  The US team rattled the post from a thunderous shot by Pulisic. They were also the better team against Wales and could have put the game to bed by the first half. In the second half, Wales took control and managed to equalize through a late penalty. The American players themselves, know the difficulty of the task ahead as their star player Weston McKennie  said: “The most important thing is that we control the outcome of our journey in this tournament with the last game against Iran, So the next thing is just to go out and get three points against Iran.”

“We got to win the game,” midfielder Gio Reyna said. “We’re not really thinking about anything else, just three points and then we're through.”

In their last and only meeting in the FIFA World Cup, Iran famously beat the U.S. 2-1 in a 1998 World Cup match in Lyon, France which eliminated the Americans and caused thousands of flag-waving fans to pour into the streets of major Iranian cities in celebration. That was perhaps the greatest post-revolution victory for Iran's football. In the leadup to the rematch on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation angered Iran's government by briefly displaying Iran’s flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. Calls by the Iranian side including Queiroz to kick US from the tournament was nothing was "A Storm In A Teacup" meant to politicize the match.

“I just hope we don’t leave it to the 90th-whatever minute," said Stu Holden, a midfielder on the bench that night and now a Fox commentator. “It would be pretty cool to call a last-second U.S. winner, but selfishly I’m quite OK with us just getting that done early and moving on to the round of 16 because that would be a lot better for my blood pressure.”

As for Team Melli's readiness, it seems that both Alirezas will be absent. Beiranvand is still unfit after the broken nose in the opener against England, while Jahanbakhsh got himself booked again against wales hence he will serve a one-match ban.

The expectation is that Queiroz will stick to the same game plan that was used against Wales. Why change a winning team? However, the match against the USA will be much more difficult than the last one as the Americans have to win and that will mean constant pressure and a barrage of attacks. This might be a good thing for Team Melli if the defense does its job and will possibly leave the back line of the US team a bit light. Unfortunately, Team Melli has proven to be slow in transition and counterattack up front. Taremi in particular lacks pace, and the way Queiroz insisted to send the balls directly behind the Welsh defense for Taremi, simply did not work.  Goals have been a struggle for a U.S. team, which got just three from forwards in 14 World Cup qualifiers. Team Melli is much better off keeping the ball and penetrating on the wings and through the middle. With some players who can shoot, it is also a good option too.

Nothing significant has changed on the field of play for Team Melli. Beiranvand's absence should not be felt as Hosseini or Abedzadeh are well capable of guarding the goal, while Jahanbakhsh's absence is not a great loss as he has been struggling in this World Cup.

The absence of a schemer in the middle of the field has forced Queiroz to use route one football. It is not pretty and most of it ends up as lost possession allowing the opposition to mount counterattacks. The is still a card in Saman Ghoddos who can be an asset in the midfield and well capable of feeding Azmoun and Taremi. Whether Queiroz has enough trust in the Brentford midfielder is not known.