World Cup preview: Iran

The Road To The World Cup

The Princes of Persia made it to Brazil through excellent defending, and timely goals. Their wins away from home in Tashkent, Doha and Seoul were all 1-0 results. Iran’s qualifying campaign concluded with a 1-0 (surprise) win over South Korea, but the game was marred by violence following the final whistle that included Iran’s goalkeeper getting punched in the face. Never a dull moment in international football. 

Group Stage Schedule 

Formation: 4-2-3-1

This team is built on defense, and the hopes that their best players, Reza Ghoochannejhad and Ashkan Dejagah, can nick a goal here and there. It was effective during qualifying, but it makes for some bland viewing for the neutral. Hey, whatever works.

Manager: Carlos Queiroz

The last time Queiroz was managing on the biggest stage, he led a putrid Portugal side that was arguably the biggest disappointment of the 2010 World Cup. The former Real Madrid manager has a different squad this time, and has hailed Iran’s team spirit. They can defend, but Queiroz faces a similar problem to the one he had with Portugal. Goals will be hard to come by, and Cristiano Ronaldo is not waking through that door.

Projected starting XI:

GK: Daniel Davari

DF: Jalal Hosseini

DF: Khosro Heydari

DF: Pejman Montazeri

DF: Steven Beitashour

MF: Amir Hossein Sadeghi

MF: Andranik Teymourian

MF: Javad Nekounam

MF: Ashkan Dejagah

MF: Ehsan Hajsafi

FW: Reza Ghoochannejhad

Projected substitutes:

GK: Rahman Ahmadi

GK: Alireza Haghighi

DF: Mehrdad Pooladi

DF: Ahmad Alenemeh

DF: Hossein Mahini

MF: Masoud Shojaei

MF: Ghasem Haddadifar

MF: Reza Haghighi

MF: Bakhtiar Rahmani

MF: Masoud Shojaei

FW: Alireza Jahanbakhsh

FW: Karim Ansarifard

The Captain: Javad Nekounam

At 33, this is Nekounam’s last chance to shine on the world stage, but what a career it has been. The veteran midfielder is approaching Ali Daei’s record for national team appearances, and is the linchpin of a resolute defensive side. He’s known for his willingness to take chances at goal from long range, along with an ability to organize a team’s defense. He spent six years with Osasuna before moving back to Tehran and now plays in Kuwait. Nekounam scored 24 times during his time in Spain.

The Star: Reza Ghoochannejhad

Ghoochannejhad has been hailed as Iran’s new savior and it’s easy to see why. The Holland-raised striker was potent for Standard Liege before moving to Charlton. “I love scoring goals,” he said in an interview with FIFA.com. “It is my job to put the ball into the net. I have scored goals everywhere but I am still working hard to improve my skills.” Gucci, as he’s known in Iran, has a chance to shine in Brazil, and is definitely a player primed for a breakthrough performance.

The Young Gun: Alireza Jahanbakhsh

The 20-year-old NEC striker made a name for himself at the AFC U-19 Championship, where he and Sardar Azmoun formed a dynamic combination. On the final day of the 2013-14 season he scored twice against Ajax to save his club from automatic relegation. He was voted the Eredivisie's best young talent, beating out the likes of Terence Kongolo and Memphis Depay. 

The Swan Song: Jalal Hosseini

Hosseini might be the most educated player on the team, with a degree in German studies, but he’s also one of the oldest. Like Nekounam, this will likely be his final chance at glory on the biggest of stages. He’s made 85 appearances for Iran in the past seven years. This generation of players will look to advance past the group stage for the first time in the country's history.

Three questions:

1. Will Iran’s defense first mentality prove effective against offensively potent teams like Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
2. Can Jahanbakhsh emerge as one of the next big stars with a breakthrough performance. 
3. Will Dejagah and Ghoochannejhad score enough to keep the Iranians relevant?

Trivial matters

Nicknames: The National Team, The Iranian Lions, The Princes of Persia

Most caps: Ali Daei (149)

Top scorer: Ali Daei (109)

First international: August 25, 1941. Afghanistan 0-0 Iran

World Cup appearances: 3

Best World Cup result: Round one (1978, 1998, 2006)

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