Iran’s midfield engine

PFDC – TEHRAN, The shooting star of the 2006 World Cup seemed already past his prime after returning from the Premier League in 2010, but currently is one of the backbones of Iran’s strong midfield.

The meanwhile 28-year-old midfielder is one of the main reasons that Iran’s fans can be optimistic about Team Melli’s Brazil 2014 campaign.

Not only that Teymourian as usual is the hard working sweeper in midfield, the Esteghlal Tehran man has majorly improved his offensive impact and perfectly suits as right central midfielder in Carlos Queiroz’ 4-3-3.

Two goals and four assists in three games

After missing out on the second round games against Maldives due to injury, Teymourian came on as second half substitute against Indonesia (3-0), while playing the full 90 minutes against Qatar (1-1) and Bahrain (6-0), scoring two goals and assisting four in the process.

While both of the goals came out of play – finishing off a a good attack which Teymourian himself had initiated with a great throughball against Indonesia and scoring a stunning long distance shot against Bahrain – all of the assist came off setpieces. Queiroz decision to assign the midfield allrounder for setpieces payed off, not only with the four directly created goals, but also for the opening goal against Bahrain, when a long Teymourian throw-in finally resulted in the goal.

But also beside his involvement in goals, ‘Ando’ increasingly gets involved in Iran’s attacking play, visible improving the attack regularily without putting less emphasize on his many defensive duties.

The great form of Teymourian doesn’t come as a surprise now that the Tehran-born midfielder finally is playing regularily again after spending too much time sidelined in England for years.

Shooting star

Teymourian caught public attention first in 2005 when he, together with playmaker Mojtaba Jabbari, lead an else medicore Aboumoslem team to the Hazfi Cup final, where they only narrowly lost to a back then star-studded Saba Battery.

Teymourian might have lost the Cup final, but he won the trust of national team boss Branko Ivankovic, who quickly discovered he would make the perfect match for defensive midfielder Javad Nekounam, and quickly made him a national team regular.

While Iran had a disappointing 2006 World Cup campaign, Teymourian played three splendid games and logically got attention from several European clubs.

Teymourian, a true fighter and leader on the field, wasn’t afraid of a big challenge and picked the Bolton Wanderers’ offer to play in England’s Premier league. After a promising first season, manager Sam Allardyce left the club and Teymourian struggled under successor Sammy Lee. So, after two seasons, 20 appearances and two goals, Teymourian left the club in 2008.

Sidelined

‘Ando’ signed a two-year-contract with Fulham, however, after debuting with a somewhat shaky substitute performance in a draw against FC Liverpool, manager Roy Hodgson didn’t rely on Teymourian anymore. Despite several convincing performances in the reserve squad and a quite successful stint at Championship side Barnsley, Teymourian spent the complete 2009/2010 sidelined.

2010 everything was set for Teymourian to reunite with Sam Allardyce at Blackburn, but due to his lacking match praxis at club level and an additional lengthy injury, Teymourian had missed several national team games in the Ali Daei era, and so didn’t fulfill the criteria for a work permit in England. Another special permit, as he had been granted in 2006, was denied and so the deal was first postponed to midseason and then, after Allardyce getting the boot, completely canceled.

The midfielder therefore returned to Iran joining Teraktorsazi for one season before reuniting with Mojtaba Jabbari at Esteghlal in 2011.

Now, after more than a year of regular club football action, Teymourian finally isn’t just back in action, but stronger than ever and even a return to Europe could be back on the cards.