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GOAL -
Last time Iran won the Asian Cup, personal
computers were not invented; internet was a concept in laboratories and the
year was 1976.
Thirty one years ago, it was a common occurrence for Iran to win the various
football championships in Asia.
In 2007, football in Asia is much more competitive and Iran is just one of
at least five teams with championship aspirations.
On paper, the 2007 version of the Iranian national team is more
internationally experienced than the version that played in the 2004 Asian
Cup. This time around, three of players (Mahdavikia, Karimi, Hashemian)
played their last season in Germany, one in England (Teymourian), one in La
Liga (Nekounam), one in Italy (Rezai) and one elsewhere in Europe (Zandi).
Add to that the four other successful players in the leagues around the
Persian Gulf (Moabali, Enayati, Kazemian and Khatibi) and one would expect a
starting team of mostly non-Iranian based players to show up on the field in
the Asian Cup.
Since the great disappointment of the 2006 World Cup, Iran’s national team
has been trundling along a bumpy road. The preparation process for the Asian
Cup has been minimal. Amir Ghalenoi, the new head coach, spent more time
talking about his “great vision and plan” than exercising such plans for
these games.
At last however, some elements of planning were shown as Iran played three
friendly matches against Mexico, Ghana’s Olympic team and Jamaica.
Compared to the other main contenders, Iran finds herself in the easiest of
the four groups. Grouped with China, Uzbekistan and Malaysia, many in Iran
believe that advancing from the first round is a high probability and are
already worried about the next round’s opponent.
I also think that Iran has an easier draw than other top major teams however
I do believe that Uzbeks will give Iran a hard time and China will press
Iran mildly. As one of the hosts, Malaysia has the element of home field
advantage although expectations are not that high.
One problem for Iran is the goalkeeping position. At the moment, the keeper
that seems to have the upper hand is Roodbarian who only two weeks ago was
third choice for the gloves. Roodbarian performed well during the West Asian
tournament and that elevated him over Talebloo to become the likely starter.
Interestingly, last season, Roodbarian was not even a starter for his own
club.
The defensive line has gone through a lot of ups and downs. Ferydoon Zandi,
a midfielder during the 2006 World Cup has been installed on the left side
but Rezaei as the central defender, is still the cornerstone of the defence.
The defensive midfielders’ line is the strength of Iran. Nekounam had a
superb season in La Liga and Teymourian played well in England. In front of
them, captain Mahdavikia brings a wealth of experience.
Ali Karimi on the other hand is coming out of his worst professional playing
year. Karimi had a miserable World Cup and followed that with a forgettable
season at Bayern Munich. Karimi needs to prove that he still has the sparkle
and hunger that made him an unbelievable player a few years back when he
starred with three goals against South Korea in the quarter-final of the
2004 Asian Cup.
In attack, with Ali Daei’s retirement, Vahid Hashemian is now the main
target. Hashemian has another tall striker, Enayati, playing next to him.
Between these two, Iran’s air power should prove superior to most opponents.
Iran’s biggest question mark is not on the field but it is on the bench.
Many in Iran’s media, including this writer, question if Ghalenoi was the
right choice to lead the national team. At this point, Ghalenoi has the best
players Iran has to offer and his team is in a relatively easy group. It is
up to this coach to keep his team focused and show leadership to get Iran to
the semifinal round.
Along with Australia, Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia, Iran is another
favorite to win this year’s Asian Cup.
On paper, Iran has all the right players. The question is if the head coach
can lead this team of star players into the right galaxy.
Kaveh Mahjoob
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