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This article originally appeared on www.footballmedia.net.
footballmedia.net - Over the first nine days of the Persian New Year,
football fans witnessed what Iranian teams at different levels in Asia and
in the domestic league had to offer. The results proved that mediocrity is
“alive and well” in Iran’s football.
On the road in Saudi Arabia, Sepahan FC defeated Al-Shabab and now with six
points is in control of her own destiny to advance from the group stage of
the Asian Champions League.
On the road in Qatar, the Iranian national team played a meaningless
friendly match and managed to waste yet another opportunity to prepare for
the Asian Cup.
Iran’s U-23 team continued to disappoint and tied with Jordan in Tehran.
Three games and 270 minutes later, Iran’s U23 team has produced a BIG ZERO
on offense and now has wasted two of her three home games. With two points
gained, this team is in a well deserved last place position of her group and
a great distance away from the “Silk Road” to China.
In front of a big crowd, the REDS of Perspolis tied the BLUES of Esteghlal.
This was the most exciting, watched and talked about match of the four. With
the current national and U23 teams turning into symbols of disappointments,
the question is how long this drought of quality will last in Iran’s
football.
On the national level, the weak head coach, fresh from his share of mishaps
in eliminating Esteghlal FC from the Asian Champions League, continues to
insist that thirty days is sufficient to prepare his team for the Asian Cup.
He also has managed to convince himself that playing likes of Qatar, home
and away, will prepare Iran sufficiently to play the big guns of Asia and
the Aussies.
Many including this writer criticized Branko Ivankovich and the previous
Iranian Football Federation management for not planning and developing an
aggressive friendly schedule prior to the 2006 World Cup. We all saw the
negative outcome of such planning.
Amazingly today, in Ghalenoi and company, Iranian football has been handed a
coaching staff and a philosophy that is far worse in preparation and
planning than Branko’s. With this coach, his assistants, his game plan (or
lack thereof) and this federation, Iranian football fans should prepare
themselves for a series of great disappointments starting with the
elimination of the U-23 team in the Olympic qualification round and a poor
performance in the Asian Cup.
The U-23 team's quality of play and results are even more disturbing than
what Ghalenoi is doing to the Iran’s national team. The youngsters are
supposed to become the foundation of Iran’s 2010 World Cup team but it is
hard to find three players that have true national team qualities or
potential.
It is reported that until December of 2006, the Iranian football gurus were
unaware that the Olympics qualifying matches were weeks away and thought the
games were to start in June 2007. It should not therefore be a wonder to see
a poorly planned team was put together that can’t score, can’t put a good 10
minutes together, is not supported by the fans and ignored by its own
federation
Come 2009 and 2010, Iran no longer can rely on aging stars such as Hashemian
and Rezai. Karimi has long passed his “magician status” and is not even a
shadow of his old self. Mahdavikia will be in his early 30’s at the next
world cup and should have some fire left in him. Nekounam will then be the
only true star Iran will have left..
The U23 team should have been the place to find the fountain of youth and
talents for the national team. The fountain has dried up and the youth is
not producing. The future of Iranian football at the international level is
a dark one. It is no wonder that more people show up to watch the Tehran
Derby than the last six matches of the national and U23 teams combined.
Let’s fast forward to Sepahan. I can’t even recall the last time an Iranian
team won in Saudi Arabia. A friend reminded me that it must have been 1977
during the 1978 world cup qualifying matches. Sepahan played to tie and got
lucky with a counterattack. It is very rare to see an Iranian club get lucky
against a Saudi team.
Sepahan may have what it takes to advance to the next round of Asian
Championship League. This club may turn into the only bright spot of 2007.
As for the national and U23 teams, the fans will continue to hope for
brilliant individual moments, such as Hashemian’s goal in the 93rd minute in
South Korea. Brilliance of individuals is all they can ask for with the
current management and system in place.
“Asian Cup, here we come,” although unprepared and without sufficient
leadership! Iranian football management has managed to excel in one area.
They have excelled in mediocrity.
Kaveh Mahjoob
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