TM list

[Damavand]

78 ? We were destroyed by Holland 3-0 and Peru 4-1, and barely tied a scotland team who walked on the pitch with half the players recovering from having a hangover from the night before.

I presume you did not watch these games live. That Holland team was the absolute best in the world and would have won the WC that year had it not been for them being pitted against the host nation in the final. So losing to them by 3 goals was by no means a disgrace, especially since 2 of those goals came from penalties from fouls that we were not accustomed to.

Scotland had lost their first match 3-1 against Peru. So you actually believe these BS rumors that some of their players would be out the night before drinking when they should be fully preparing themselves to make up for that loss against Peru ?? No way. One of the main reasons for our good performance against Scotland was because our Ex coach O'Farrell visited the camp and really prepared the players mentally and tactically by pointing out all of the Scottish players' strengths and weaknesses. If it was not for the own goal we could have won that game.

As for the Peru game the score line was not a fair reflection of TMs perfrmance. Since a victory by 3 goals would have advanced TM to the next round it was decided to go all out attack against them, a decision in which in hindsight was not very wise since Peru had the strongest team in their history with some deadly players like Cubilas. Add to the fact that we did not have our best defender Eskandarian because of suspension the result was the 4-1 loss. But still, TM was playing so good that if a spectator had walked in the middle of the game and not looked at the score board, they would not have been able to guess which team was winning.

So even though the score lines shows otherwise, TMs debut appearance at the WC was quite respectful.

[Javeed]

If Azmoun get a suspension or is injuried in the middle of WC, are you really sure Gucci (out of form, even the goals he scores last year were moslty tokhmi ones), Ansarifard (playing in a weak euro league, never seen him score in a high level match) or Kaveh (good season in a decent euro league) will still be a 15 minute subsitute?

He can also put Jahanbaksh upfront. I've seen many AZ games where they subbed out Werghourst and put Jahanbaksh up top.
This would open up a spot on the right hand side for Taremi/Amiri/Torabi to get into some action!

[Camran khan]

and from my little following of Ramin's career in oostendeh even he gets lined up more frequently as a Right Winger than a Right Back..! so CQ's excuse for dumping vourisa again holds little water on that front either..!!

Not to mention that CQ actually has used our players in different positions than they play for their clubs a lot of times, such as Pouraliganji and Hajsafi.

[Saam]

I think the bottom line is that just about every world cup list by every country as far as I can remember has involved controversial picks and omissions. In the 98 World Cup, Aime Jaquet dropped the two best French footballers of that generation, Cantona and Ginola, when both were still in their prime and even more famous than Zidane at the time. He also picked a 20 year old winger named Henry and started him as forward despite his little experience in that position. The rest is history!
Of course this doesn't mean that every controversial decision is automatically correct. But what should always be taken into account is the coach's track record; whether or not his "gambles" have paid off before, and whether or not his decisions that at the time didn't make sense ended up making sense later on. For CQ, the net answer is YES. This is a guy who turned Pouladi from an average defensive midfielder into one of the world cup's best leftbacks. He turned another defensive midfielder Pouraliganji into the new version of Jalal Hosseini in the heart of our defense. He found a gem like Torabi when he was a bench warmer for Saipa and started an 18 year old Ezatollahi in a role where he's now so indispensable that trying to replace him for just one match is a dilemma!
Saam already offered a great theory as to why Rezaeian was preferred to Ghafouri. Now as for Jalal Hosseini: he has been a rock for Perspolis in the domestic and Asian leagues, that's very true. But we're not going up against Padideh and Al-Sad in the World Cup. We're facing three high pressure matches in a short span, two of them against attacking lineups comparable to those of Brazil and Argentina, with fitness and conditioning second to none. Now consider that four years ago, by the third match most of our team including Hosseini had run out of gas. What makes you think he would be in better shape against arguably tougher competition now that he's four years older??... If he was out of gas by the Bosnia match as a 32 year old, what makes you think he'll fare better against Portugal as a 36 year old?...
I remind you once again: CQ SEES THESE GUYS IN PRACTICE AND WE DON'T. And he's earned enough capital in the last seven years for us to trust his judgment. Let's enjoy this ride while it lasts.

I also think Hosseini decision is linked to the dynamic 4-3-3 tactic as well because he wants fast cb’s with a lot of stamina because we are going to quickly transition from defense to attack and vice versa. SJ Hosseini would not be able to keep up with that pace especially because teams like Morocco and Spain have extremely quick transitional play.

[BacheLot]

I also think Hosseini decision is linked to the dynamic 4-3-3 tactic as well because he wants fast cb’s with a lot of stamina because we are going to quickly transition from defense to attack and vice versa. SJ Hosseini would not be able to keep up with that pace especially because teams like Morocco and Spain have extremely quick transitional play.

but trusting an inexperienced international and WC debutant in such a vital position, imo , carries a far higher risk of a disaster when playing high caliber opponents ..!!
many of our young debutants in our team, especially those who have no EU club experience, are very susceptible to get overwhelmed by Sheer Speed and Intensity of WC level Play, and get unnerved and totally run over in their respective positions..!!
just because they hold their own against a bunch of U23 players of an @ best an avg asian side, it doesnt mean that they can actually live up to half their potential vs some of the world renowned players who are used to competing at highest of club level competition week in week out..!

even in our past WCs its been mostly the Veteran Defenders scoring crucial goals for Iran and many of our per-wc promising but inexperienced young talents have mostly choked and got ran over..!

initially as much as i really woulda wanted us to primarily play our 1st choice squad vs Turkey and go for a favorable result... !! Im now hoping that some of the questionable players also get a taste of this game to see if they are able to rise to tougher challenges or not..?

[krol]

I also think Hosseini decision is linked to the dynamic 4-3-3 tactic as well because he wants fast cb’s with a lot of stamina because we are going to quickly transition from defense to attack and vice versa.

This actually reminds me of another issue. If there was ever ONE flaw in Hosseini's game even at his peak, it was his inability to distribute out of the back. The very reason CQ likes Montazeri and PAG so much is that both were former defensive midfielders with the standard deep ball distribution skills that come with that position. If you remember, he also tried to convert Maziar Zare to a center back but the club coach wouldn't agree to it. It's always been obvious CQ sees playmaking ability as a crucial factor for his defenders. Majid Hosseini may not be as established as Jalal today, but he already has better long ball distribution.

BTW, CQ is not the first coach to notice JH's shortcoming in this area. Branko actually turned down Hosseini joining Perspolis 2 seasons ago for this exact reason.

[Saam]

but trusting an inexperienced international and WC debutant in such a vital position, imo , carries a far higher risk of a disaster when playing high caliber opponents ..!!
many of our young debutants in our team, especially those who have no EU club experience, are very susceptible to get overwhelmed by Sheer Speed and Intensity of WC level Play, and get unnerved and totally run over in their respective positions..!!
just because they hold their own against a bunch of U23 players of an @ best an avg asian side, it doesnt mean that they can actually live up to half their potential vs some of the world renowned players who are used to competing at highest of club level competition week in week out..!

even in our past WCs its been mostly the Veteran Defenders scoring crucial goals for Iran and many of our per-wc promising but inexperienced young talents have mostly choked and got ran over..!

initially as much as i really woulda wanted us to primarily play our 1st choice squad vs Turkey and go for a favorable result... !! Im now hoping that some of the questionable players also get a taste of this game to see if they are able to rise to tougher challenges or not..?

1) What world class competition is Hosseini playing against week in week out? His only experience has been playing in the last world cup and doing a massive fuck up that cost us the Bosnia game. Also, if I recall, Majid Hosseini is in the same PGL and the same ACL competition as Seyed Jalal where he is actually performing much better. Having experience is one thing but when the guy can't run what is his experience going to do for us? We need players who can keep up physically with the intensity of the game.

2) If I recall correctly, the last two World Cups we have been in, the only players who have cost us have been the veterans and not the "inexperienced young guys." Nekounam and Teymourian were the stars of WC 06 for us (both young WC debutants), and in the last World Cup, it was Haghighi and Pouladi (again young WC debutants). The ones who messed it up for us were veterans like Rahman Rezaei and Hosseini. So I fail to see who exactly has choked or gotten ran over? Can you elaborate?

[BacheLot]

1) What world class competition is Hosseini playing against week in week out? His only experience has been playing in the last world cup and doing a massive fuck up that cost us the Bosnia game. Also, if I recall, Majid Hosseini is in the same PGL and the same ACL competition as Seyed Jalal where he is actually performing much better. Having experience is one thing but when the guy can't run what is his experience going to do for us? We need players who can keep up physically with the intensity of the game.

2) If I recall correctly, the last two World Cups we have been in, the only players who have cost us have been the veterans and not the "inexperienced young guys." Nekounam and Teymourian were the stars of WC 06 for us (both young WC debutants), and in the last World Cup, it was Haghighi and Pouladi (again young WC debutants). The ones who messed it up for us were veterans like Rahman Rezaei and Hosseini. So I fail to see who exactly has choked or gotten ran over? Can you elaborate?

there is A lot in here that i dont agree with o hosele argue aboutesham nadaram dadaash..!!

let me just say, I'd far rather SJH as a CB vs our WC opponents, than this Hossaini Jr. kid with what is it ? 1 cap so far under his belt ? and that vs 2-3rd team of some tokmy asian footballing nation..!!

[sirvan]

1) What world class competition is Hosseini playing against week in week out? His only experience has been playing in the last world cup and doing a massive fuck up that cost us the Bosnia game. Also, if I recall, Majid Hosseini is in the same PGL and the same ACL competition as Seyed Jalal where he is actually performing much better. Having experience is one thing but when the guy can't run what is his experience going to do for us? We need players who can keep up physically with the intensity of the game.

2) If I recall correctly, the last two World Cups we have been in, the only players who have cost us have been the veterans and not the "inexperienced young guys." Nekounam and Teymourian were the stars of WC 06 for us (both young WC debutants), and in the last World Cup, it was Haghighi and Pouladi (again young WC debutants). The ones who messed it up for us were veterans like Rahman Rezaei and Hosseini. So I fail to see who exactly has choked or gotten ran over? Can you elaborate?

To add, it was Nekounam who clumsy gave the ball away after he tried to dribble in the middle of the field that lead to Messi's goal during WC 2014. Nekounam with all his experience was at fault there, had he just passed the ball to the side we would've gotten the point against Argentina.

[Saam]

there is A lot in here that i dont agree with o hosele argue aboutesham nadaram dadaash..!!
let me just say, I'd far rather SJH as a CB vs our WC opponents, than this Hossaini Jr. kid with what is it ? 1 cap so far under his belt ? and that vs 2-3rd team of some tokmy asian footballing nation..!!

Haha couldn’t give me any substance huh? It’s ok. If it’s your opinion, I respect it but I personally think we’re better off with Majid for these games. So we can agree to disagree.

[BacheLot]

there are many positions on the pitch that youth and energy play an more vital role in overall successful performance of a player, in GK position followed by CB arent really as reliant on pace and stamina as the rest..!!
imo, Experience, Communication and Organizational skills, Poise and Physical Size superiority and Authority, ability to clear Aerial threats, Stout Tackling play a biggest role in a CB's success..!!

the only knock on SJH, is his weak distribution outa the back..!! his long ball forward distribution isnt half bad, but he sure looks shaky combining with his back-line partners..!!

in absence of frequent, quality friendlies and with half our originally planned WC preparation camps being screwed over by ACL, I Fail to see how an internationally Raw and Untested youngin pup being a more trustworthy CB candidate against the world-class opponents we will be facing at WC, than one of the most consistent top performing veteran CBs in history of our football..!! A still Back-line-Bossing Legend who has been a leader on and off the pitch for much of his career..!!

[OFFSIDE_1]

I presume you did not watch these games live. That Holland team was the absolute best in the world and would have won the WC that year had it not been for them being pitted against the host nation in the final. So losing to them by 3 goals was by no means a disgrace, especially since 2 of those goals came from penalties from fouls that we were not accustomed to.

Scotland had lost their first match 3-1 against Peru. So you actually believe these BS rumors that some of their players would be out the night before drinking when they should be fully preparing themselves to make up for that loss against Peru ?? No way. One of the main reasons for our good performance against Scotland was because our Ex coach O'Farrell visited the camp and really prepared the players mentally and tactically by pointing out all of the Scottish players' strengths and weaknesses. If it was not for the own goal we could have won that game.

As for the Peru game the score line was not a fair reflection of TMs perfrmance. Since a victory by 3 goals would have advanced TM to the next round it was decided to go all out attack against them, a decision in which in hindsight was not very wise since Peru had their strongest team in their history with some deadly players like Cubilas. Add to the fact that we did not have our best defender Eskandarian because of suspension the result was the 4-1 loss. But still, TM was playing so good that if a spectator had walked in the middle of the game and not looked at the score board, they would not have been able to guess which team was winning.

So even though the score lines shows otherwise, TMs debut appearance at the WC was quite respectful.

actually, I did :-) . did you ?

I remember seeing our players in that first game with Holland, scared to death take a pass, and would actually look away to make sure they did not get a pass. Some of the TM worldcup players later on complained about that. I don't fault them for that since many of our players were actually only semi-professional back then, and were in awe as they stepped onto the field for Iran's first ever WC against Holland.

The Scotland team thoroughly underestimated Iran. Remember, this was 1978 and half the world could not locate Iran on the map. These were the times when players would smoke a cigarette or two during the halftime break. The Scotland team with Kenny Dalglish thought they were playing against a crappy team. It was well documented back then that the Scotland team was out partying and drinking the night before the game against Iran.

As for the Peru game, Roshan was playing with an injury. We were already realistically disqualified, and we went out for an all open game, and in someways many Iranians thought Peru is an easy win. Kinda like when we played against Bosnia. People were shocked after the 4-1 loss.

I am not trying to take anything away from that team, but we had one player in Adelkhani who played in a 3rd division league in Germany and the rest of our team was essentially semi professional players.

[Damavand]

actually, I did :-) . did you ?
I remember seeing our players in that first game with Holland, scared to death take a pass, and would actually look away to make sure they did not get a pass. Some of the TM worldcup players later on complained about that. I don't fault them for that since many of our players were actually only semi-professional back then, and were in awe as they stepped onto the field for Iran's first ever WC against Holland.
The Scotland team thoroughly underestimated Iran. Remember, this was 1978 and half the world could not locate Iran on the map. These were the times when players would smoke a cigarette or two during the halftime break. The Scotland team with Kenny Dalglish thought they were playing against a crappy team. It was well documented back then that the Scotland team was out partying and drinking the night before the game against Iran.
As for the Peru game, Roshan was playing with an injury. We were already realistically disqualified, and we went out for an all open game, and in someways many Iranians thought Peru is an easy win. Kinda like when we played against Bosnia. People were shocked after the 4-1 loss.
I am not trying to take anything away from that team, but we had one player in Adelkhani who played in a 3rd division league in Germany and the rest of our team was essentially semi professional players.

Of course I watched the games live. I would not have responded to your post if I had not.

Of couse the players were scared of Holland. They were the best team in the world. But our performance against them was totally respectable. The Dutch players and their coach all praised Iran after the game and said that they did not expect to face such a difficult team.

As for the Scotland game this whole thing about their players being out drinking was nothing but BS. They came up with that fabrication to cover their weak performance against Iran. Do you really believe their head coach would allow any of his players to go out drinking the night before regardless of what he thought about Iran. They had lost their first match against Peru. A match which they all thought they would win. No sane person would allow his players to run off drinking the night before. And yes they were totally caught off guard, but because they did not expect Iran to be so well prepared against them. Thanks to O'Farrell.

The Peru game was just planned all wrong. Going all out attack was a big mistake. We could have easily got a tie in that game if we had wanted to but the coach went for a victory by 3 goals to try to advance. As I said earlier our performance in this game was also good but we were just caught off guard by their fast and deadly counter attacks.

So contrary to what you implied in your original post, I thought our performance was quite commendable at the 78 WC, considering it was our debut appearance. Also I reemphasize that the results we got was not a fair representation of our performance.

[Omids]

Interesting read on the Scots and their expectation for the 1978 WC. Looks like they expected to win it all. So their draw against Iran was a real shock

https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/articl...nd-i-am-winner

[Damavand]

Interesting read on the Scots and their expectation for the 1978 WC. Looks like they expected to win it all. So their draw against Iran was a real shock

https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/articl...nd-i-am-winner

That was the Scots alight. They had the same delusion in 74 as well, which they loused up. They all blamed their failure in 74 for not thinking ahead and only scoring 2 goals against Zaire where as Yugoslavia demolished them by 11. So for 78 they supposedly had learned their lesson and were fully prepared to win the whole tournament.

Their results in 78:

3-1 loss to Peru
1-1 tie with Iran
3-2 win against Holland

BTW it was widely rumored that Holland lost their game against Scotland on purpose to avoid being grouped with Argentina and Brazil in the next round.