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GOAL - In the game of
football, the changing of the guard is one of the most difficult tasks
coaches have to face and players have to endure. This is especially true at
the national team level when as time passes, stars with legitimate
achievements in the past are expected to remain in the starting lineup while
age limits their skills and abilities.
It is not that often when a team with fresh set of faces steps into a major
tournament and surprises all. When such an event happens as it was the case
with Russians in Euro 2008, the youngsters and their head coach become the
darling of fans and media.
Today is such a day in Iran’s Team Melli. Iran’s golden generation of
footballers ruled the national team for almost a decade. While Ali Daei, the
current national team head coach, lasted as a star forward through the 2006
world cup campaign, many other stars that started in the mid-nineties with
him completed their playing days as new players took their places.
Rahman Rezai in defense, Ali Karimi and Mehdi Mahdavi Kia in midfield and
Vahid Hashemain the striker represent the last of the golden generation that
began their careers in the mid and late nineties. Replacing these players
who are either injured or are at the twilight of their careers is not an
easy task and requires planning, risk taking and independence of mind.
When Daei took over the Team Melli, many questioned his coaching experience,
the process by which he was selected and his openness to outside
consultation. No one however questions Daei’s independence, commitment and
sense of purpose. Just in a short period of time, Daei has created a
national team roster that is young and fresh, eager to succeed and also
includes a good mix of experienced players.
Daei took a chance in bringing a few untested players in the national team.
His plan was simple. He needed a team that would blossom to her fullest by
the next world cup and on this one topic even his most outspoken critics
agree with Daei. A few twists in the plot made Daei’s job easier in trying
out the new players.
Injuries sidelined Capitan Mahdavikia (age 31) and Ali Karimi (age 29).
Hashemian (age 32) chose not to participate in the first round of qualifying
matches. In the most bizarre of circumstances, Italian based defender Rahman
Rezai (age 33) showed up late to the camp and Daei excused him.
Over the last two months, Iran has found her central defenders Hosseini (who
has been a regular starter since the Asian Cup) and Aghili. Rahmati (age 25)
has turned into a reliable goalkeeper. In midfield, veterans Nekunam and
world cup discovery Andranik Teymourian provide the experience and stability
while newcomer Shojai has provided the new blood the national team needs.
More changes have taken place among the strikers as over the last two years,
Daei retired, Enayati proved repeatedly ineffective and Hashemian stayed
back in Germany for the first world cup qualifying round. In a few weeks, a
team that scored zero goals in five matches from July 2007 through March
2008 scored ten in the subsequent five games.
Four of these games were a part of the world cup qualifying campaign. The
offensive output was a result of the new players like Khalili and Gholamreza
Rezai and the open and attack minded game plan that Daei prefers. Human
Afazeli works as Iran’s national team assistant coach. Afazeli worked as a
technical analyst under Branko Ivankovic, Iran’s national team head coach in
the 2006 world cup campaign and after spending half a season as Daei’s
assistant in Saipa club, Human finds himself working with Daei once more.
Last week, I spoke to Human and asked about the national team’s direction
with the young players. Human was direct and to the point: “In the game of
football, there comes a time that stars have to be evaluated and replaced
with the younger players. These veterans have achieved a lot for the game
and their country but due to their age a new generation has to come and take
their place. We have great players that due to their age wouldn’t be able to
lead in three or four years from today. We need to plan now to find suitable
players and prepare and slowly replace them. The first round of the world
cup qualifying matches allowed us to experiment and test a series of young
players and set the stage for the new foundation of the national team.”
I asked Afazeli about midfielder Shojaei who has shown great potential in
becoming the next Ali Karimi of Iranian football and was recently
transferred to Spain’s Osasuna. Afazeli said: “Shojai has a lot of
potential. In 2006 I pushed for his inclusion in the national team squad and
expect a lot from him.” Another player Afazeil likes is forward Gholamreza
Rezai. “I expect Rezai to adopt himself well with the international scene
and become an effective player for years to come.”
Afazeli also stressed the importance of experience and admits not all the
youngsters have proven themselves. He went on to say that “We recognize that
we may need to bring back a few of the experienced players.” Yet, Afazeli
insists that the pattern of providing opportunities to youngsters would
remain as an important principle of the new coaching team.
As Iran’s national team prepares to face South and North Korea, Saudi Arabia
and UAE in the second round of world cup qualifying, Daei and his staff are
determined to qualify for the world cup with a young team that would reach
her most potential in the summer of 2010 in South Africa.
Kaveh Mahjoob
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