The Drama of Defending Iran: Team Melli’s Goalies

In May, Iran’s national football traveled to Bad Waltersdorf, Austria, for a three-week training camp ahead of the World Cup in Brazil. And, on Tuesday, June 3, the 23-strong team arrived in Brazil.

Manager Carlos Queiroz signed up three goalkeepers for the Brazil campaign: Alireza Haqiqi, who plays for Portuguese team Sporting da Covilha, Rahman Ahmadi from Sepahan Isfahan and Daniel Devari from German team Eintracht Braunschweig. Goalkeeper Sosha Makani from Foulad was not chosen for the World Cup squad. When Iran was at the qualifying stage for the competition, few would have predicted that Haqiqi, Ahmadi and Devari would have been chosen.

Iran has qualified three times for the World Cup—in 1978, 1998 and 2006. In each case, Team Melli’s goalkeepers have been remembered for their incredible spirit and huge fan base—but also because of some of the upsets they have caused. 

 

1978: Hejazi Demands Money to Board the Plane

Goalkeeper Nasser Hejazi famously argued with Iranian Football Federation officials over money a number of times and, in 1978, as the team prepared to fly to the World Cup in Argentina, he refused to board unless he was paid substantially in recognition of his role in bringing the team to the World Cup. The federation agreed, and he boarded the plane with his teammates.

When in Argentina, his goalkeeping was less than impressive. Iran was eliminated from the competition after Hejazi and other members of the defense underperformed, letting in eight goals over three matches.

 

1998: If only Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh could have played the first game...

For many Iranians, looking at this photograph will bring back memories of regret and disappointment. Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh, a hero for many, was unable to play Iran’s first match against Yugoslavia because of an injury. Nima Nakissa, star player during the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, took his place.

Iran had a good chance of beating Yugoslavia, which did not hold any particular advantage over the Iran side. But, due to a miscalculation on behalf of Nakissa and his teammate Javad Zarincheh, Yugoslavia won 1-0. Nakissa’s failure to dive and stop the ball kicked byYugoslav player Sinisa Mikhailovich still remains a sore point for Iranian football fans.

 

2006: Ebrahim Mirzapour’s Failing Footwork

Though Ebrahim Mirzapour was selected as Iran’s number one goalkeeper in 2001, he always seemed to have problems with his feet. Often, another member of the defense would come to his rescue, but his failure to kick got the best of him. In the 75^th minute of the game against Mexico, Mirzapour responded poorly to Hossein Kaebi’s back-pass. This was followed by another mistake, this time by center-back player Rahman Rezaei, who let the Mexicans through the defensive line and straight into Iran’s goal. Omar Bravo scored Mexico’s second goal, and Iran lost the game. Had Mirzapour been able to prevent this goal, the story could have been different.

 

2007, 2010, 2011: From Roudbarian to Rahmati

After the 2006 World Cup, Mirzapour was no longer the owner of jersey number 1. Amire Ghalenoei, Vahid Talebloo and Hassan Roudbarian shared the honor of goalkeeping for Iran’s national team. In the 2007 AFC Asian Cup game against South Korea, Roudbarian played for the first 110 minutes but Talebloo was brought in for the penalty shoot-out. Iran lost, with South Korea beating them 4-2 on penalties, and Iran was eliminated from the competition.

Mehdi Rahmati played in goal during Iran’s qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup, but the team failed to qualify. Rahmati was, however, an effective goalkeeper and performed well during the 2011 AFC Cup.

 

2014: And Now, These Three...

The story of Mehdi Rahmati’s retirement from national football is well known in Iran. He originally announced he was leaving without giving any reasons. But soon it emerged that the current manager, Carlos Queiroz, had said that, though he respected Rahmati and acknowledged his contribution to the team, he would not be asking him to play goal for this year’s World Cup games. Rahmati was so upset by the rejection that, in May, he cried on national television.

Whether Queiroz has made the right decision in leaving Rahmati behind remains to be seen. Fans are worried that the failures of 1998 and 2006 will be repeated.

German-Iranian Daniel Davari, who will be joining Swiss team Grasshopper Club Zürich next season, has played for Iran in a few friendly matches, but has often appeared inconsistent. During a recent game with Guinea, he let through two goals and Iran lost. Queiroz asked the team to speak to Davari in English, as his Persian is somewhat lacking.

Rahman Ahmadi played successful defense against South Korea during a qualifying match, but many people do not consider him to be the best choice to play in goal.

Alireza Haqiqi was 18 when he made a name for himself in Iranian football; many expected he would follow in the footsteps of the great goalkeeper Abedzadeh. But in recent years his performance has been uneven. He has played for Russian team FC Rubin Kazan and now plays for Sporting da Covilha in Portugal. It’s likely that even he is surprised to have been given the opportunity to play in goal for the World Cup.

 

The English-Language Defensive Line

Just before the 1978 World Cup, the major anxiety focused on Nasser Hejazi and whether he’d join his teammates on the plane out of Tehran. In 1998, the Iran captain, Abedzadeh, was sorely missed. In 2006, Mirzapour’s kicking style let down the team and its fans.

In these cases, the world knew who the goalkeeer would be.  But in 2014, the big question—and the big anxiety—is who will be in goal. Davari’s chances seem better than the others. But, because he is unable to commuicate in Persian, there are widespread fears about what might happen.