Note, ISP will bring u the best analysis on the teams in Iran group, but until then this will have to do, also note there may be one or two mistakes in these articles, i noticed one or two on iran...
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Asian World Cup Qualifying: Spotlight On IRAN
2/4/2005 4:31:00 PM
The second stage of Asian Qualifying for the 2006 World Cup begins on February 9th. Only eight of Asia’s forty-three teams have survived this far and now lie tantalizingly close to a place in the greatest competition in the world. Goal.com Asia correspondent John Duerden analyses the prospects of the eight remaining teams. Sixth in the series are Iran.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups of four. The teams that finish in the top two positions in each group will automatically be heading for Deutchsland next summer. The two third placed teams will play-off against each other, the winner of which will face a team from the North and Central American qualifying region for a place in the finals.
Group One consists of South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait. Group Two consists of Japan, Iran, Bahrain and North Korea.
IRAN
The most skillful team in Asia has not always been the most successful. The country’s halcyon days came in the 1970’s when ‘Mighty Iran’ won three consecutive Asian Cups without losing a game and qualified for the 1978 world cup in Argentina.
It was another 20 years before Iran qualified for the world cup again and the country missed out in 2002. The team’s Croatian coach Branco Ivankovic will be determined to make up for lost time in 2006.
2004 was an interesting year for the mercurial ‘Team Melli’ as it showed in patches what it is capable of, finishing third in the Asian Cup. The quarter-final triumph over South Korea will live long in the memory as Asian Player of the Year; Ali Karimi tormented the Korean defense, scoring three goals in his team’s 4-3 victory.
The reward for that win was a semi-final tie with hosts China, and an unlucky exit from the competition after a penalty shootout. The Persians had done enough however, to show the rest of Asia that they were once again a team to be reckoned with.
The first stage of qualification for Germany wasn’t as smooth as it should have been with Jordan winning in Teheran. That home defeat spurred the players on to win their remaining games and earn a place in the second stage.
According to FIFA’s official rankings, the pairing of Iran and Japan in that stage pits the best two teams in Asia together, though South Korea would dispute such a claim. Iran’s attacking, at times maverick, style contrasts with Japan’s well-organized and disciplined system. It would be difficult to imagine two Japanese defenders slapping each other around the head after a defensive error as Rahman Rezaei and Ali Badavi did last July but Ivankovic is proud of his players’ passion and will to win.
Those players will travel to Bahrain in the opening game full of confidence as they defeated the Gulf state’s team 4-2 in the Asian Cup. The desire for revenge will also be strong as it was Bahrain who defeated Iran 3-1 in the same stage four years ago, condemning the country to a play-off with Ireland. A win in the upcoming fixture will take the pressure off the Iranians in time for the visit of the Asian Champions, Japan. North Korea will not hold any fears for the Middle Easterners as they have an excellent record against the communist country and won 3-1 in Pyongyang in October 2003.
Sometimes it seems that Iran’s most dangerous opponent is itself but if the country’s talented offensive players perform as well as they can, those stars will be able to parade on a global stage in the summer of 2006. The team boasts no less than three Asian Players of the Year; 1999 winner and all-time international goal scoring record holder, Ali Daei, 2003 winner, striker Mehdi Mahdavikia and 2004 winner Ali Karimi. It is time for these players and their team-mates to turn potential into consistent performances.
Key Players
Vasid Hashemian
Known as the ‘helicopter’ for his ability to hover in the air, Hashemian plays for German giants Bayern Munich. The Bavarian team signed him after some impressive performances for previous German club Bochum. The 28 year-old is a gifted goalscorer but has a petulant streak. He only recently ended his self-imposed international exile, as he refused to play for the national team after being left on the substitutes bench in 2001.
Opposing defenders may be rueing his return when the next stage of qualifying commences.
Ali Karimi
‘The Wizard of Teheran’ is, on his day, just that, a magician with a football. If his coach could coax a little more consistency out of the 26 year-old then he could truly become a world class player. He already enjoys such status among Korean defenders as he led them a merry dance, scoring a hat-trick in the Asian Cup, one of the best individual performances ever seen in Asia.
The winger currently plays his club soccer in the United Arab Emirates but rumours of an impending move to Germany and Spain are getting louder. His talents deserve such a stage.
Prediction
Iran should have no problems in finishing in the top two places in the group as the team has the talent and goalscoring capability that most other Asian nations can only dream of. ‘Team Melli’ is also capable of shooting itself in the foot and nobody in Teheran will be booking hotels in Germany just yet.
John Duerden
...
Asian World Cup Qualifying: Spotlight On IRAN
2/4/2005 4:31:00 PM
The second stage of Asian Qualifying for the 2006 World Cup begins on February 9th. Only eight of Asia’s forty-three teams have survived this far and now lie tantalizingly close to a place in the greatest competition in the world. Goal.com Asia correspondent John Duerden analyses the prospects of the eight remaining teams. Sixth in the series are Iran.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups of four. The teams that finish in the top two positions in each group will automatically be heading for Deutchsland next summer. The two third placed teams will play-off against each other, the winner of which will face a team from the North and Central American qualifying region for a place in the finals.
Group One consists of South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait. Group Two consists of Japan, Iran, Bahrain and North Korea.
IRAN
The most skillful team in Asia has not always been the most successful. The country’s halcyon days came in the 1970’s when ‘Mighty Iran’ won three consecutive Asian Cups without losing a game and qualified for the 1978 world cup in Argentina.
It was another 20 years before Iran qualified for the world cup again and the country missed out in 2002. The team’s Croatian coach Branco Ivankovic will be determined to make up for lost time in 2006.
2004 was an interesting year for the mercurial ‘Team Melli’ as it showed in patches what it is capable of, finishing third in the Asian Cup. The quarter-final triumph over South Korea will live long in the memory as Asian Player of the Year; Ali Karimi tormented the Korean defense, scoring three goals in his team’s 4-3 victory.
The reward for that win was a semi-final tie with hosts China, and an unlucky exit from the competition after a penalty shootout. The Persians had done enough however, to show the rest of Asia that they were once again a team to be reckoned with.
The first stage of qualification for Germany wasn’t as smooth as it should have been with Jordan winning in Teheran. That home defeat spurred the players on to win their remaining games and earn a place in the second stage.
According to FIFA’s official rankings, the pairing of Iran and Japan in that stage pits the best two teams in Asia together, though South Korea would dispute such a claim. Iran’s attacking, at times maverick, style contrasts with Japan’s well-organized and disciplined system. It would be difficult to imagine two Japanese defenders slapping each other around the head after a defensive error as Rahman Rezaei and Ali Badavi did last July but Ivankovic is proud of his players’ passion and will to win.
Those players will travel to Bahrain in the opening game full of confidence as they defeated the Gulf state’s team 4-2 in the Asian Cup. The desire for revenge will also be strong as it was Bahrain who defeated Iran 3-1 in the same stage four years ago, condemning the country to a play-off with Ireland. A win in the upcoming fixture will take the pressure off the Iranians in time for the visit of the Asian Champions, Japan. North Korea will not hold any fears for the Middle Easterners as they have an excellent record against the communist country and won 3-1 in Pyongyang in October 2003.
Sometimes it seems that Iran’s most dangerous opponent is itself but if the country’s talented offensive players perform as well as they can, those stars will be able to parade on a global stage in the summer of 2006. The team boasts no less than three Asian Players of the Year; 1999 winner and all-time international goal scoring record holder, Ali Daei, 2003 winner, striker Mehdi Mahdavikia and 2004 winner Ali Karimi. It is time for these players and their team-mates to turn potential into consistent performances.
Key Players
Vasid Hashemian
Known as the ‘helicopter’ for his ability to hover in the air, Hashemian plays for German giants Bayern Munich. The Bavarian team signed him after some impressive performances for previous German club Bochum. The 28 year-old is a gifted goalscorer but has a petulant streak. He only recently ended his self-imposed international exile, as he refused to play for the national team after being left on the substitutes bench in 2001.
Opposing defenders may be rueing his return when the next stage of qualifying commences.
Ali Karimi
‘The Wizard of Teheran’ is, on his day, just that, a magician with a football. If his coach could coax a little more consistency out of the 26 year-old then he could truly become a world class player. He already enjoys such status among Korean defenders as he led them a merry dance, scoring a hat-trick in the Asian Cup, one of the best individual performances ever seen in Asia.
The winger currently plays his club soccer in the United Arab Emirates but rumours of an impending move to Germany and Spain are getting louder. His talents deserve such a stage.
Prediction
Iran should have no problems in finishing in the top two places in the group as the team has the talent and goalscoring capability that most other Asian nations can only dream of. ‘Team Melli’ is also capable of shooting itself in the foot and nobody in Teheran will be booking hotels in Germany just yet.
John Duerden