World Cup 2018 Preview - Iran

Credit: FIFA (ETPhotos)

Team: Iran

Manager: Carols Queiroz

This is the third World Cup in a row for the manager, having led his native Portugal in 2010. He has managed Iran since 2011, qualifying them for the last World Cup in Brazil and he goes up against the country of his birth this time round in the group stages.

Group: B

Other teams in group:  Spain, Portugal and Morocco

 

THE SQUAD

Is this the squad to earn Iran only their second ever World Cup win from their four appearances in the World Cup? That one win came in a famous victory over America in France ’98 but they are in a tough group this time around with their best hope of a victory coming in their opening game against Morocco.

The squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Rashid Mazaheri (Zob Ahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Maritimo, Portugal).



Defenders: Ramin Rezaeian (Ostende, Belgium), Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Padideh), Morteza Pouraliganji (Alsaad, Qatar), Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal), Seyed Majid Hosseini (Esteghlal), Milad Mohammadi (Akhmat Grozny, Russia), Roozbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal).

Midfielders: Saeid Ezatolahi (Amkar Perm, Russia), Masoud Shojaei (AEK Athens, Greece), Saman Ghoddos (Ostersunds, Sweden), Mahdi Torabi (Saipa), Ashkan Dejagah (Notthingham Forest, England), Omid Ebrahimi (Esteghlal), Ehsan Hajsafi (Olympiacos, Greece), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis).

Forwards: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Karim Ansarifard (Olympiacos, Greece), Mahdi Taremi (Al Gharafa, Qatar), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Heerenveen, Netherlands).

 

HOW THEY GOT HERE

They were the first Asian team to qualify for the tournament and were the second overall team, behind Brazil, to book their berth in Russia. They conceded just two goals in qualifying, which they managed to do with two games to spare.



 

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Alireza Jahanbakhsh

Jahanbakhsh was the top scorer in the Dutch Eredivise with 21 goals this season, making him the first Asian player to be the top goal scorer in a major European League. He played against Dundalk in the 2016/17 Europa League group stages.

Saeid Ezatolahi

At 16 the youngest player ever to play professional football in top flight Iranian football, Ezatolahi subsequently moved to Atletico Madrid before joining Rostov in Russia. The 21-year-old received a red card in the final qualifier which means he will miss the match against Morocco.

Reza Ghoochannejhad

Like Jahanbakhsh, Ghoochannejhad has great experience playing in the Netherlands, having been capped up to u19 level with the Dutch underage setup. Top scorer with Heerenveen for the past two seasons, the 30 year old will be a key option for Queiroz.

 

WHERE THEY ARE PLAYING AND STAYING

15 June: Morocco v Iran, St. Petersburg.

20 June: Morocco v Spain, Kazan Arena

25 June: Morocco v Portugal, Mordovia Arena

Iran will base themselves in Moscow during the tournament at Lokomotiv Bakovka’s training centre.

 

THREE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE TEAM

Iran have qualified for four World Cups but this is the first time they have made back-to-back finals.

The dozen consecutive clean sheets that they kept in qualifying for Russia 2018 is a World Cup record.

The Iranian squad were the first to land in Russia ahead of the kick off of the tournament next Thursday. They landed nine days ahead of the start of the World Cup. “The Iranian national team will relish rubbing shoulders with the best teams in the world and being part of this fantastic World Cup family,” said Carlos Queiroz after this team landed in Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. “We arrive raring to keep this dream going for as long as possible and we look forward to playing our part in making this the best World Cup ever.” 

 

THEIR RECENT FORM

The Iranians have played six friendlies this year, winning four (against Sierra Leone, Algeria, Uzbekistan and Lithuania last Friday) and losing by a single goal to both Tunisia and Turkey.

First game: They take on Morrocco in their first game of the World Cup in St. Petersburg on the second day of the tournament – Friday 15 June.

 

 

    About Macdara Ferris

    Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile