Shock results

Majeed Panahi

PLDC - Barely four weeks from the start of the IPL season 2002/03 and already the fans are staring at unusual standing table in Iran’s professional league. The top of the table is populated with unfamiliar names lead by a Shahrestani team , Fajr Sepasi , while the familiar powerhouses of Tehrani clubs are well behind in the standing. 

How long this situation will remain, is open to long and interesting discussion, but it certainly raises the question if these early results could be the beginning of as new era in club football in Iran. It is a legitimate question to ask, and if the Sharestani teams or the less famous Tehrani team can really challenge the big two , it will certainly change the whole complexion of Iran’s football. A dream in the making for many fans that seek the interest of the football development in Iran against the wishes of the bi-partisan crowds.  

On the field, neither Perspolis nor Esteghlal displayed any type of football that could assure their fans that a real challenge is on the way for yet another two-tier championship race. Apart from the first game against Pas, Esteghlal has two defeats and a load of goals scored against them in what it seems on paper as a formidable defense. 

Perspolis on the other hand, managed to collect 7 points from their 4 matches, but in reality even their own die-hard fans know that there was a huge element of fortune and some scrupulous refereeing decisions that has helped them gain these points.

On the field with the addition of Karim Bagheri and Yahya Golmohammady, their was a huge hope that this season, Perspolis will eventually prevail and play a classy type of football that has abandoned this most popular team in Iran in the last few seasons. The reality was a huge disappointment. Bagheri is no where near his usual known standard. Golmohammady has made little difference in the team, while the offensive line of Entezari , Raafat and Jabbary has been as inconsistent as their defenders. 

Pas Tehran, a club that always forms the biggest challenge against the Red and the Blues, have yet again failed to deliver. A quick look of this team roster , which is full of promising young players and established stars , is enough to send shivers in the spine of the opposition. On the field, however, the team has failed to convince their supporters. Pas remains an enigma, with more promises than delivery.  

The field is wide open for the likes of Fajr, Sepahan , Abo Moslem and Foolad to challenge the dominance of Perspolis and Esteghlal. Persistence and stamina, however, has historically been the Achilles heel of these clubs. They lose matches they really should win and when the killer punch is required they fail to deliver. In any case, the situation looks promising. The Shahrestani teams are playing organized modern football and most of them utilize the experience of established players mixed with some promising and rising stars.

The likes of Barg Shiraz, who can barely attract 3000 fans per match, have performed very well despite the results. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication for a team to succeed, and if self-belief is strong, we might just be in a shock of witnessing the first ever season where a team other than the usual Red and Blue winning the league this season.