Iran now have potential to survive World Cup first round

Reuters- Iran have consistently been among the elite of Asian teams over the past 30 years and their squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany will be their strongest ever.

They have quality players in all positions and, man for man, are probably stronger than their rivals from East Asia, South Korea and Japan.

For Iran, surviving the first round of the World Cup in what will be their third appearance, will represent real success.

In Ali Daei, they have the world record international goalscorer. Daei had scored 107 goals in 145 internationals, up to Iran's match against South Korea in October.

Daei is among a handful of top names who are likely to play their last World Cup in Germany, another being Hamburg midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia, the 2003 Asian Footballer of the Year.

Iran also possess some exciting new faces who are expected to shine at the finals -- and beyond.

Javad Nekounam, one of the outstanding players in Asia this past season, is a midfielder who has interested a number of European clubs while striker Vahid Hashemian has already established himself in Germany with Hanover 96.

Iran easily qualified for the World Cup, finishing second behind Japan in Group B of the final round of qualifying.

Their only defeat was a 2-1 reversal against the Japanese in Yokohama, following an earlier 2-1 victory in Tehran, where Hashemian scored both goals.

Iran are hoping to prepare for the World Cup by organising a series of friendly tournaments and matches and will probably play many more preparation games in the months ahead than most of the other finalists.

Their Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic, who led them to third place in the 2004 Asian Cup in China, believes that is the best way forward for the squad, who play far and wide, to blend as a team.

The Iranians, who reached the finals in 1978 and 1998, failed to progress past the first round in either competition, but they appear to have the quality and strength in depth to make that jump in 2006.