Daei bids to stop the rot

[Afshin]

(FIFA) Even with the legendary Ali Daei at the helm, Iran are currently facing up to one of the toughest periods in their history ahead of their next 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifier against United Arab Emirates on 2 June.

Team Melli have been winless over the past ten months, their last success dating back to July 2007 when they defeated co-hosts Malaysia 2-0 in the final group match of that year’s AFC Asian Cup. Or, to be exact, the Iranian faithful will have waited 314 days for a victory when the chance next presents itself in Iran’s third preliminary match, a disappointing reality for a team that has captured the continental title three times and represented Asia in as many FIFA World Cups.

Iran’s penalty shootout defeat by Korea Republic in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup 2007 after 120 goalless minutes proved to be the beginning of their seven-month drought, during which they drew against both Qatar and Costa Rica in friendlies before being held at home by a resilient Syria in the opening qualifying match for South Africa 2010, all without a single goal being scored.

Fittingly, it fell to Ali Daei - Iran’s all-time leading scorer - to solve this particular problem, but in his first game in charge, Team Melli slumped to a 1-0 friendly defeat by Bahrain. The goals did finally come in Daei’s next match in charge, but his joy was to be short-lived as Iran inexplicably threw away an early two-goal cushion in their second FIFA World Cup qualifier to draw 2-2 with hosts Kuwait.

Enduring faith
Daei’s failure to end Iran’s winless spell should not, however, be interpreted as a sign that the Iranian Football Association made a wrong appointment. Daei, after all, had already made his mark as coach the year before, steering an unfancied Saipa to the Iranian league title. Indeed, only six weeks after Iran’s tie against Kuwait, he guided Saipa through the AFC Champions League group stage to book an unlikely place in the last eight with a game to spare, further underlining his managerial capabilities.

“We played with great pride and we beat some of the best teams in west Asia,” Daei said after Saipa sealed progression to the knockout stage. “I promised to be with Saipa until we finish in the Champions League.”

Daei’s recent success at the club level understandably provided his national team paymasters with new food for thought, and led to them offering this explanation for the disappointing performance against Kuwait.

“Coach Daei had only very short time to prepare the team so it is too premature to judge his work on results,” Amirhossein Karimpour, an official from the Iranian FA, told FIFA.com. “As well as being one of world’s all-time scoring greats, Daei has proved he is also a qualified coach with his good work with Saipa, so we don’t have a single doubt that he will do his job well for the national team.”

Top trio return
Iran’s desperate search for their first win under Daei’s reign will receive a timely boost in the team’s next training camp with the return of their European-based trio of Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia, Hannover forward Vahid Hashemian and Osasuna star Javad Nekounam.

Mahdavikia, renowned for his defence-splitting passes, was ruled out for the game against Kuwait due to injury. With the playmaker fit and back pulling the strings in the middle of the park, Iran’s chances of unlocking the UAE defence are sure to be increased considerably. Further enhancing the team’s creativity will be Nekounam, whose tackling ability will also shore up their defence, while Hashemian’s strength in the air is sure to give their Emirati rivals plenty of headaches.

“Mahdavikia has recovered and will be fit to play, while both Hashimian and Nekounam have been called up for the game against UAE,” Karimpour confirmed. “But the training camp begins just a few days ahead of the game so the new squad will not be announced until then.”

[ali_europe]

even I really hope our team to make a miracle become possible, but the chaotic and disasterous last few years since summer really has created huge problems....I wish Daei and our team the biggest luck to qualify with this team, but to be realistic I'm very pessimistic!

[BrankoWasTheBEST]

even I really hope our team to make a miracle become possible, but the chaotic and disasterous last few years since summer really has created huge problems....I wish Daei and our team the biggest luck to qualify with this team, but to be realistic I'm very pessimistic!

Surely you mean months 

[ali_europe]

even I really hope our team to make a miracle become possible, but the chaotic and disasterous last few years since summer really has created huge problems....I wish Daei and our team the biggest luck to qualify with this team, but to be realistic I'm very pessimistic!

Surely you mean months 

ooops, yes I mean months....although during the years IFF also didn't support the team that great, but the last few months the disasterous conditions might even destroy the performance of a team like Brazil or Argentina

[dashali]

even I really hope our team to make a miracle become possible, but the chaotic and disasterous last few years since summer really has created huge problems....I wish Daei and our team the biggest luck to qualify with this team, but to be realistic I'm very pessimistic!

Surely you mean months 

ooops, yes I mean months....although during the years IFF also didn't support the team that great, but the last few months the disasterous conditions might even destroy the performance of a team like Brazil or Argentina

Absolutely ali Europe jan...no team can survive such bad management,,,none

Afshin jan...well written buddy...great article.
Iranetehhhhhhh

[Joonevar]

This comment was left on our site earlier today. I am reproducing it here as is.


Well, maybe the title’s a bit ambitious. But come Saturday, Team Melli fans can judge for themselves whether they need to book tickets for 2010, as they will finally get their first peek in months of the Iranian football (soccer) team at full strength. Team Melli will take on Saudia Arabia in Riyadh in a crucial World Cup qualifying match.

Full of fresh faces and old favorites alike, recently-appointed coach Ali Daei has the not-so-enviable task of fulfilling the lofty expectations of Iranian football fans and defeating one of Asia’s powerhouses in their own hot, humid capital. Can he do it?

Well, if there’s anybody who knows Iranian football, it’s Iran’s very own Shahriar, and FIFA’s all-time leading goalscorer (109 international goals in 148 appearances). But his rise to the top of Team Melli has come not long after damaging accusations of governmental influence in the Iranian Football Federation, an arguably weak training schedule due to mass cancellations of friendlies (almost certainly because of politics), and most importantly, a number of weak showings in recent matches.

Additionally, Ali Daei has chosen not to call up a few of Iran’s most beloved football stars, most notably Mehdi Mahdavikia and Ali Karimi, the latter of whom even had personal requests made on his behalf by President Ahmadinejad, an avid football enthusiast.

And Iran’s schedule doesn’t get much easier. It’s subsequent World Cup qualifying matches involve the resilient U.A.E., a surprisingly strong North Korea side, and one of Asia’s perennial favorites, South Korea. A strong start is essential for Team Melli.

Excited? Well, even if you aren’t, you can catch the game at Iran Football Online, one of a number of websites that offer free showings of Iran’s matches (albeit not with the best quality). Or you can simply watch it on Jam-e Jan if you have Iranian satellite. Kickoff is at 10:15am Pacific Time.

-Kevin

http://www.iranican.com/blog/?p=166

[Behrouz]

Dostaneh mohtaram,

The good:

A young and an ambitious team
A fast team
A team with a lot of stamina
A team with several very fast players- This could be a nightmare for KSA's players
A team with a very clever defensive mid fielder "Nekonam". 
A team with two great central defenders
A team with at least 6 mid fielders who are all very good



The Bad:
We are in a transitional period, but must compete for a spot in the WC at the same time


Regards,

Behrouz

[Joonevar]

Dostaneh mohtaram,

The good:

A young and an ambitious team
A fast team
A team with a lot of stamina
A team with several very fast players- This could be a nightmare for KSA's players
A team with a very clever defensive mid fielder "Nekonam". 
A team with two great central defenders
A team with at least 6 mid fielders who are all very good



The Bad:
We are in a transitional period, but must compete for a spot in the WC at the same time


Regards,

Behrouz

I don't see transition as a bad thing. We have a lot of time to get it right but the points you made about the 'good' are excellent. We need young and hungry players. Big names are OK, but they are not they future, they should be included as backup and experience for the youngsters but will they accept this role? Will they be willing to be mentors instead of having the spotlight on them? If I know anything about Iranian psyche, it is that we are not willing to be outshone by anyone else. So the answer is its best to leave them out of a few games here and there until the balance and experience is right.

Daei is doing a fantastic job under the difficult circumstances and we need a gholdor to stand against the corrupt IFF mafia.

[Behrouz]

Joonevar jaan,

I do agree, transition is NOT necessarily a bad thing, however we have not managed "Time" and "how" properly.  Under normal circumstances and in a different country transition from a group of players or a system to the other would not only be a bad thing, but would have been perceived to be a natural evolution, something inevitable and often very exciting.  I suppose ALL of us Iran lovers have been talking about IFF’s inferior management skills, their continued trend of inefficiency, and their disrespect for time, or not even understanding value of it etc for quite sometimes.  We and I believe they too knew or could foresee what we are faced with right after the Asian games.  They knew our football system is in a desperate need of a significant overhaul.  Changes were inevitable, and we knew this includes new coaches, & new players etc. The authorities arrogance and ignorance surprised even those who have supported these thugs once it became evident that there are no plans for a simple "so long match- I am not sure if this is the right term" for some of these players who had played for their country for years and have come to the end of their careers- What a shame, isn't it?

having said all the above, I believe our team is a good team which could not only take care of the immediate tasks, but would simply get better in time.

Regards,

Behrouz

[dashali]

Behrouz jan...

agree with what you said...but I don't think you change your team when you try to qualify for the WC 2010??? not a good idea...

It's great to haver young players in the team.....but slowley...one by one.......give them a reality first and then...
I take you back 6-7 years...when Branco took over...he was the head coach of OMIED TEAM... the team that went to PUSN and won...the team with all younger players... remember that year? they chose Daei, golmohammadi and mierzapour as older players.... that team won the championship without the help of Daei and the stars were born then.
Branco took over tm and brought few of those youth players to tm....but one by one...
1st, Nosrati, then Nekounam, then Kazemieyan and kaebi and and and...little by little, one by one... most of those end up playing for TM in 2006 and basically become the well known players...

now, Daei thinks he can do the same. He just forgot that this team needs some experience.... before getting the job done. They need Kia and Karimi there to help the younger players, they need the experience there....this might be young and full of passion but they lack...EXPERIENCE
we all know how arabs deal with us ....their fight is always not fair and you get the young kids there...whom can save them?
older generation can reduce the pressure, all it takes is few minutes in the game and bammm you are normal, or you will be scared for the rest of your carreerrrrrrrr....
Daei is gambling now, maybe he learned it from Lasvegas , but this is big....very big.
we have the youngest and one of the best team ever, however, we lack the experience...
having KIA, Karimi and Hashemieyan could have just helped...and ease the transition...

Change is good....
but
we need to know ... HOW and when

last word is to KEVIN....I hate it when kachale bad bakht zooresh mieyad ya khaye nadareh ba esme dorostesh bieyad inja benevieseh...low life idiot, join and write like a man and not a pussy. You can advertise for your site,,,,who cares... 5 members in your site is all good...lol but be a MAN.

Iranetehhhhhhh

[Behrouz]

Dashali jaan salam agha,

You said it.  That's correct, changes are good if it is done wisely.  I was simply trying to support this young, abmitious, yet very inexperience in a big arena.  Dashali jaan, your judgment as a coach by far outweights mine and I respect your judgement.  I simply feel very disappointed for this bizzare system of Memlekat Dari and in this case Sazeman Football Iran.  But, on the other hand, I feel for these young kids whom for whatever the reasons may be perhaps fame, hoping for getting noticed by EU teams or simply the pride of becoming a TM player; neither of which they have been prepared for. 

Despite the fact that I hate this RAGHASI and KHESLATEH ANTARI of our football authorities, I wish this young team success against KSA.  These A Holes Dashali jaan have the audacity to say "At a min our players will have the pleasure of going to God's house"!!!

Ghroboneh shoma,

Behrouz