The most taxing selection for Carlos Queiroz must be the goalkeeper. Even if Team Melli coach does not admit it in public, the 4 goalkeepers that have accompanied him to Austria training camp are far from optimum in experience, current form , dependability, and/or reliability.
Starting with Sousha Makani , with a grand total of two caps both in meaningless friendly games, Makani has an acute lack of experience at international level. However, Foolad Khuzestan keeper’s eccentric character and temperament can be a serious liability for the team. Only yesterday , Makani conceded two goals in the quarter finals of the AFC League Champion , both of which were due to elementary mistakes that has no place in a stage like the World Cup.
Daniel Davari , is another young goalkeeper who has just been relegated to the second division of the German Bundesliga. The young German/Iranian keeper has 3 caps so far which is paltry for any player to be given a major role in his team in the World Cup. Like Makani , Davari has yet to show a strong performance to ease the worries of the fans. His two soft goal conceded in Azadi against Guinea in Iran’s last friendly international. left the local Iranian fans awe struck as they were under impression that they were witnessing another legend in the class of Nasser Hejazi. Davari’s poor form was again witnessed in the match against Bayer Munich in the Bundesliga, a game which was televised in Iran for the fans to see yet another disappointing performance from the young promising keeper. So , neither the experience , nor his current form gives the fans the confidence in Daniel Davari’s ability to deliver. It will take anything between an insane person or a very brave coach to start with Davari in the goal comes June the 16th.
Reza Haghighi , is another mysterious selection for Queiroz. A selection that defies the coaches text book.Hardly anyone in Iran can claim that they have seen Haghghi actually play competitive football match for a longtime. He was transferred to Rubin Kazan in the Russiain league in 2012 were he never managed to win a regular place and was a reserve goalkeeper for the whole season. Next season the Russian club loaned him to his original Club Persepolis. Yet again, Haghighi was second fiddle to the superb Brazilin keeper, Nelson. Alireza Haghighi’s frustration with being reserve created a few headaches in the team which forced Ali Daei , Persepolis coach to send him back to Russia. Rubin Kazan already had their quota of goalkeepers for the season so they searched around but could not find him anything better than a loan to a second division Portuguese club Sporting da Covilhã. And wallla, Alireza Haghghi is immediately picked for Team Melli by Queiroz to the astonishment of the critics and the media!.
Neither the form of Haghighi , (admittedly he did play 14 games for his club !) , the method of his selection or his experience at international level (4 caps) , can qualify him for being the regular starter for Team Melli.
That leaves the last one in Rahman Ahmadi. This goalkeeper was always in the fringes of team Melli for years. However, he was sparingly selected but his real break came with Mehdi Rahmati’s un-ceremonial farewell last year. When Queiroz called upon him at a crucial stage of World Cup qualifiers, the Sepahan goalkeeper did not disappoint. He has 10 caps, 8 of it won as recent as 2013-14 season, however he remains undoubtedly the best choice in experience and form. His age and demeanor of being a calm character can also play a vital role in commanding his defense line.
Nonetheless, the no 1 goalkeeper for Sepahan & Team Melli, suddenly found himself on the bench in the last few matches of the season for his club , giving way to the second fiddle an ex-Team Melli keeper Shehab Gordan !
With one experienced goalkeeper, even though he has 10 caps which is meagre at international level, this position is one major headache for Carlos Queiroz. The Portuguese coach has always been a guarded person and a staunch believer in solid defense. Between the woodwork, his options are limited at this stage. Queiroz might rue the fact that he overlooked the most experienced goalkeeper in Iran, Mehdi Rahmati at such crucial stage. Perhaps diplomacy and leniency added to a bit of tolerance and forgiveness would have gone a long way to ease some of the goalkeeping worries for the World Cup.
Only time will tell.
