World Cup chances for Iranian players

[Martin-Reza]

I think it currently looks like this (not my choice, but judging Branko's decisions):

Fixed if fit:

Mirzapour
Kaabi
Golmohammadi
Rezaei
Zare
Nosrati
Nekounam
Alavi
Mahdavikia
Karimi
Zandi
Daei
Hashemian

Very good chances:

Talebloo
Navidkia
Borhani
Teymourian
Jabbari

Good chances:

Kazemian
Madanchi
Roudbarian

Little chances:

Nikbakht
Enayati
Sadeghi
Amirabadi
Rajabzadeh
Rahmati
Vaezi
Mobali
Maniei
Akbarpour
Khatibi

23 of those will make it, probably only 2 or 3 from the last group.

[Makaveli]

chances of being with the team at the world cup or chances of playing at the world cup? cuz ill bet my bottom dollar noone under Hashemian (besides Nikki if he gets fit) will get a single minute of playing time.

[Martin-Reza]

It's about the 23 men roster.

About playing time I think the guys in the second group (apart from Talebloo) have good chances. Navidkia or Teymourian might well come in.

But that's a different issue, I'm talking about the roster here.

[Hajagha]

I would put Madanchi a level higher for "very good chances". Here is Branko's sub if every thing goes the same thing he thinks: Ando/Alavi for Hashemian, Madanchi for Zandi, Nosrati for Ka'abi.

[Makaveli]

I would put Madanchi a level higher for "very good chances". Here is Branko's sub if every thing goes the same thing he thinks: Ando/Alavi for Hashemian, Madanchi for Zandi, Nosrati for Ka'abi.

Alavi for Hashemian?

[Martin-Reza]

I would put Madanchi a level higher for "very good chances". Here is Branko's sub if every thing goes the same thing he thinks: Ando/Alavi for Hashemian, Madanchi for Zandi, Nosrati for Ka'abi.

Probably we could the very good and the good chances category together...

Subs are interesting. I rather think Navidkia would be the replacement for a striker. Then he'd go on the left, Zandi on playmaking position and Karimi upfront as second striker. You're probably thinking of a 4-2-3-1 though.

Madanchi for Zandi definitely is an option, but I think only when Iran trail. Nosrati for Kaabi - I'm not sure if that ever happened before. Would be ok to stabilize the defense if we lead.

I think Alavi for Zandi is a kind of standard-sub. Then Nekounam goes on left side and Alavi takes his spot. That happened a couple of times already when we were leading.

[Hadi]

Yes Martin jan, Branko will go with something like you said but here is who I would bring to the WC if I were the coach:

Mirzapour
Kaabi
Golmohammadi
Rezaei
Nekounam
Mahdavikia
Karimi
Zandi
Daei
Hashemian
Teymourian
Jabbari
Mobali
Shojaie
Bagheri
Manie
Nikbakht
Talebloo
Ashena
Kazemian
Madanchi
Enayati
Zare

[Doctor DOOM]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Mansoor]

Keep in mind, Branko is gonna invite 35-6 players in the next few days. He will have a chance to take a good look at all of them and decide based on their fitness, past test games, and how well they will do in the camp. There will be 2-3 nice surprises in the camp, of which I am guessing 2 newcomers will join the final squad which are Oladi & Hosseini.

Again, this is what "I guess" Branko would do. From your list, "I think":
Vahedi will be in WC for sure. Alavi is off the first list but very good chances he will be there. Navidkia has little or No chance to make it. Teymourian is not in "very" good chance list. He failed in his 2 tests. Oladi and Hosseini have "good" chances. Borhani is not "very" good chance. He was not even used in the last 2 test matches. Mobali & Rahmati have "no chance" and off the list. Ansarian, F.Kazemi, Shojaei, Bakhtiarizadeh, and S.Rezaei have little chance.

Fixed if fit:
Mirzapour
Kaabi
Golmohammadi
Rezaei
Zare
Nosrati
Nekounam
Mahdavikia
Karimi
Zandi
Daei
Hashemian
Vahedi

Very good chances:
Talebloo
Jabbari
Kazemian
Alavi

Good chances:
Borhani
Madanchi
Roudbarian
Oladi
Hosseini

Little chances:
Teymourian
Amirabadi
Akbarpour
Ansarian
Bakhtiarizadeh
S.Rezaei
M.Shojaei
F.Kazemi
Navidkia
Khatibi
Enayati
Sadeghi
Rajabzadeh
Vaezi
Maniei

23 of those will make it, probably only 1 or 2(if to replace Madanchi) from the last group. My guess is Teymourian, and one between Amirabadi & S. Rezaei, or between Bakhtiarizadeh & Ansarian(in place of Hosseini), or Akbarpour(in place of Oladi). This depends on where he is gonna need another player based on his other selections. S.Rezaei is another possible surprise in the camp. He is a type of a player Branko likes as far as physique and style of play concerned. He plays multiple positions which is another thing Branko likes for the reserves. The only thing Branko may not like about him is he sometimes holds the ball longer than he should. But, his height, physique, and level of confidence may buy him WC ticket over others. To face the giants in WC, we need his sizes vs sizes of Amirabadi and else.

[Martin-Reza]

2 newcomers will join the final squad which are Oladi & Hosseini.
Again, this is what "I guess" Branko would do. From your list, "I think":
Vahedi will be in WC for sure. Alavi is off the first list but very good chances he will be there. Navidkia has little or No chance to make it. Teymourian is not in "very" good chance list. He failed in his 2 tests. Oladi and Hosseini have "good" chances. Borhani is not "very" good chance. He was not even used in the last 2 test matches. Mobali & Rahmati have "no chance" and off the list. Ansarian, F.Kazemi, Shojaei, Bakhtiarizadeh, and S.Rezaei have little chance.

Oladi has no chance at all in my eyes. Vahedi seems to be crossed off, I hope you're right. Alavi surely is in. He's the usual first sub of Branko as well as one of the few central defender options we have. I take any bet you offer that a fit Alavi will be in the roster, seriously. He played in 11 of our last 14 matches. Navidkia is hard to judge. He's one of Branko's favourites, but he was in horrible shape since his injury. I couldn't follow his recent games, but I think Branko's convinced of him. Teymourian didn't fail in my eyes. He did very well against Taipei and even scored, furthermore he was average against Costa Rica and was part of the Iranian team that played the best football in years. Actually I think Teymourian has even better chances than Jabbari, who surely didn't do better in TM and also Teymourian can play on several different positions, while Jabbari's playmaking position is already filled twice (or three times if Branko sticks to Navidkia who has unique qualities regardless of shape). Borhani might not have played for TM recently, but also he's one of Branko's favourites. Mobali indeed might have no chance, if one or two goalies aren't fit, Rahmati definitely will be considered, he's the goalie with the most TM caps after Mirza. From the final few names I see only very slim chances for Shojaei and Ansarian, but none for the others.

[Mansoor]

I didn't say Alavi won't be in the list. If you read, I said he will be there but not as in your first list. The reason being his current condition and what Branko complained about him in PSC interview. If Teymourian was doing well, why was he the first one being taken off the Costarica match? I think he was lost in right midfield, but I still give him a little chance to be the 23rd player. Borhani is in the list, but not in "very" list because he was not used, not because he has "little" chance. Most of those above "little" should make it. Possible injuries will also be a factor for inclusion of the "little" chance ones. Oladi was in the last squad's reserve list, and I am guessing will be invited for the 35-player list. I am "guessing" he will impress Branko in the camp, given we have no solid 3rd player in forward. If one goalie is not fit, it will be Vaezi not Rahmati. Forget about Rahmati. His weaknesses are exposed and don't even have a chance in his club to start anymore. Navidkia with current condition has "no chance" really, but he may get invited and show otherwise. Players of his class can snap out of problem any time, unless his injury is the "hidden" reason for his lack of quality playing.

[Martin-Reza]

Regardless of complaints, Alavi is fixed, there is no doubt about this. He's the only defensive mf alternative and one of four central defenders. He is as fixed as Nosrati. I insist on that .

Costa Rica was a test match, so don't draw quick conclusions about Teymourian. Mirzapour, Yahya and Karimi were also taken out at halftime (when we had outclassed the opponent and lead by 2 goals), that doesn't mean they were bad. Teymourian simlpy is a quick thinker and he's flexible, exactly what Branko loves. Usually Zandi is closing down the left side so Kia and Kaabi can play more offensive on the right, against CR Teymourian closed down the right so Zandi and Zare could do more on the left. That he wasn't so much involved in offense doesn't mean he did a bad job.

I'm rather sure Oladi will appear in the 35-men list, but I believe he has no realistic chance to be in the roster.

[Mansoor]

I thought you meant "starter" as the "fix" in your first list. That is what I meant about Alavi. He will be there because of exactly what you said.

Karimi and Yahya got subbed because of injury. Mirza got subbed because Branko was in badly need of testing a second keeper. Ando was neither injured nor there was a player in badly need of a test for his place. Ando was subbed because he was lost in the system, and he was ineffective.

As for closing the right for the left and vice versa, Branko is using diamond 4 instead of 4-2-3-1 to still have the control of the midfield. That means using midfielders in left and right that have more the characteristics of Zandi & Teymourian type of players rather than Vahedi & Kezemian (wing type). I don't think he wants to close one side for the other. That would be crazy to throw the balance off and show the opponent the way to defend. That is not a smart football and is not Branko's characteristic. That is why I also prefer to see Zandi moving out of left. He can't generate offense from the left and that is hurting Iran the most offensively with lack of balance in 2 sides, perhaps hurting the talented right side more than the left due to more pressure from the opponent's defense.

I agree with you on what Branko likes about players moving the ball fast. And that is why he prefers players like Teymourian & Jabbari & Nekunam over Mobali & Kazemian (unless of course the player is someone like Karimi that can actually do something amazing with the ball).

[Martin-Reza]

No, I meant fixed in the squad of 23.

About Ando, I have to disagree. He started against Tapiei, got the nod again as Kia replacement against Costa Rica and I think he did satisfyingly. He had done his job and so Branko gave Jabbari a chance for a half as well (who did worse in my eyes, but also because the whole team did worse of course). We surely can't clear that up though

I 100% agree with your analysis of requirements for the mfs in the diamond. But Kia actually doesn't really fit into the demanded right mf profile, and for me that's a big factor in the imbalance of our midfield. As you could see, without Kia, the same left side as always suddenly did great. They had more freedome to participate in offense with a more defensive minded right mf. Of course with Kia we're stronger, but I think Zandi is doing a good job as "neutralizer" to keep the offensive-defensive balance (usually 5-5).

[Hajagha]

If Teymourian does the same thing so far, he will be one of Branko's subs for sure. I agree with Martin here. Branko likes the guy. Actually I do too.

The best list, if I was coach , is Hadi's list, fantastic.