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Archive for the ‘Team Melli’ Category


We won, now let’s roast the coach!

Team Melli defeated Thailand in its final AFC Asian Cup 2011 qualifier in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. The victory came thanks to a last minute goal by Javad Nekounam. 
(Click here to read the match report and see the highlight video) 
Iran dominated the match and Thailand had very few good looks at Iran’s goal, but that was [...]

Afshin Ghotbi caught in a no-win situatiuon

Yesterday after his team defeated Esteghlal of Tehran in the Hazfi Cup, Hamid Estili, Steel of Azin Coach criticized Team Melli coach Afshin Ghotbi for leaving out his star defender and and Team Melli veteran Hossein Kaebi. 
A day earlier Zob-Ahan of Isfahan coach Mansour Ebrahimzadeh did the same thing in his post match interview. “I [...]

Iran Football Federation goes Public with Ghotbi’s credentials and contract

In a move designed to put an end to all the rumors regarding Team Melli Coach Afshin Ghotbi’s qualifications and the terms of his contract, the Iranian Football Federation (IRIFF) published copies of his coaching certification and copy of his contract on their website.
Based on the released information, the terms in Ghotbi’s contract are very [...]

The heat just got hotter for Afshin Ghotbi

Team Melli has qualified for the Asian Cup 2011 tournament, but the pressure on Afshin Ghotbi is increasing. Earlier this week a member of the Iranian Parliament suggested that they should look into other options, and immediately after that, as if it was a queue, a number of other coaches and so called football experts [...]

Iran earn their ticket to Asian Cup 2011

Team Melli fans, I am finally glad to be the bearer of some good news for you! After over three years of mediocre soccer at best, and all sorts of record setting losses, we finally won one that mattered. Yes, we defeated Singapore to make it to Asian Cup 2011 tournament.
OK, fine; Singapore is not [...]

John Duerden of goal.com writes about Coach Ghotbi’s challenge

John Duerden of goal.com is one of the few non-Iranians that can speak with authority about Iranian football. Over the years he has amassed a lot of knowledge about the current and historical aspects of Iranian football. He knows the players and personalities, recognizes the games that they play, and understands the drivers behind everything.
His [...]

Iran defeat Korea DPR in Qatar friendly

Finally a marker in the win column for Team Melli!
Team Melli defeated South Africa bound Korea DPR 1-0. This time I managed to watch the entire match. I was happy with what I saw in the first half. The boys kept good ball possession with short passes and created two or three good chances, and [...]

Mali come from behind to defeat Iran

Team Melli dropped its second match in Qatar international tournament. This time the defeat came courtesy of Mali.
Iran took the lead early in the second half but Mali came storming back shortly after.
Read the match report here.
I am not too concerned over the outcome of this match as it was obvious that Coach Ghotbi was [...]

Just when we thought we’d hit rock bottom …

……… Woosh! We drop even further down!
Iran lost its opening match of the Qatar International Tournament to the hosts.
I watched parts of the game. Our defending was dreadful, but there was a stretch after 30th minute and then another towards the end of the game, Qatar’s third goal not counting, that the [...]

Will Afshin Ghotbi survive the Qatar Tournament ?

Team Melli is in Qatar to play in Qatar’s friendly tournament. On schedule are Korea DPR, Mali, and Qatar.
Coach Ghotbi has been under sever criticism in the media; some fair and mostly not. The big question is will he survive this tournament if his team does not get convincing results?
Team Melli will be playing 4 [...]


World Cup 2010, March Madness Style

March 15th, 2010 | By: Daryl | Comments Comments(7)

American sports fans are about to go crazy with March Madness. For those unfamiliar, it's a 64 team NCAA college basketball knockout tournament (or 65 teams if you count tomorrow's play-in game). The teams are seeded and then organized into a bracket where the high seeds open by playing the low seeds and everything rolls from there. Obviously not everyone's happy with their seed, and there's always plenty of complaining once the bracket is released.

The World Cup isn't quite organized like this, but March Madness seems like a perfect excuse to pretend it was. So I've ranked all the qualified World Cup teams #1 to #32, based on the March 3rd, 2010 FIFA World Ranking. Below you'll find those seedings, followed by what the World Cup 2010 March Madness style bracket would look like. [read more]

David Beckham Out of World Cup 2010: Will You Miss Him?

March 15th, 2010 | By: Daryl | Comments Comments(10)

As Dave posted on The Offside yesterday, David Beckham will almost certainly miss World Cup 2010 after tearing his achilles tendon playing for Milan. Doesn't matter how golden your balls are, you still need your achilles tendon to play football.

So now we face the prospect of a Beckham-less World Cup in South Africa. My question to you: Is this a positive or negative? Will you miss D-Becks this summer?

On one hand, the public love Beckham the über-celebrity. He shows up and people go crazy, and it seems a shame that the many many Beckham fans either living in or travelling to South Africa will be denied a chance of seeing the man in action. Certainly Sepp Blatter will miss him.

On the other hand you could argue that Beckham the player is an all but spent force and that his presence in South Africa would be more about celebrity than soccer. As with any celebrity, there are also people out there who just flat our don't like old Goldenballs and so don't enjoy the attention he receives. I can definitely see how serious football fans might have been annoyed during World Cup 2010 with the multiple camera angles of Beckham sitting on the England bench. [read more]

Credit Cards Can Turn Your Couch Potato Self Into a World Cup Goalscorer. Apparently.

March 13th, 2010 | By: Laurie | Comments Comments(3)

Less than three months of advertising time left till World Cup! What this means is that we're going to be seeing a lot of ads like this one.

I think that the take home message here is that if you're a couch potato, the right credit card can [read more]

Podcast: World Cup 2010 Group A (Highly Scientific) Preview

March 12th, 2010 | By: Daryl | Comments Comments(8)

Ah, World Cup previews. They can be a bit dull and not particularly helfpul when it comes to predicting who will qualify from each group. One reason for this is that they focus too much on things like players and not enough on the really good things. Like quality of [read more]

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Club Football News

Leo Messi: The Hat-Trick Scoring UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

Seems Leo Messi can do no wrong. On Friday he became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a role that will involve speaking out on behalf of impoverished children. That alone deserves a pat on the back. Then yesterday Messi scored a hat-trick for Barcelona as they beat third-place Valencia 3-0. An (almost?) ...

Mar 15th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...

Beckham Severely Injured; Will Miss World Cup

It was the hobble felt 'round the world. One second, David Beckham is squaring up on a ball, unopposed. The next, he is begging for a change, hopping on his right leg, in severe, tearful pain. And just like that, in the dying minutes of a ...

Mar 14th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...

VIDEO: "Ditewig's Blunder" and the 10 Second Goal

How is this for a laugher? The video is simply called "Blunder Ditewig." A better title would simply be unimaginable. Check out Ditewig's blunder, and keep this in mind; this same game opened up in the first ten seconds with a goal. Don't believe me? I have video evidence ...

Mar 14th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...

POLL: Fernando Torres - Will He Stay Or Will He Go?

The inevitable has happened; flirtations with failure this season have given the Reds brightest star pause about his future. Though Liverpool continue to cling to the hopes of a top four finish this season, Fernando Torres can read the tea leaves, and he doesn't seem to like what his ...

Mar 14th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...

5 Things to Keep You Occupied if MLS Strikes

A tiny bit of good news on the MLS front: apparently the vote on Thursday wasn't an actual vote to strike. It was more like...a vote to vote on a strike. More like being engaged to be engaged than actually being betrothed. In other ...

Mar 13th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...

Beckham Sends an Anti-Glazer Message, and Manchester United Are NOT Happy

In case you missed it earlier this week, David Beckham sent quite the message in his return to Old Trafford. And he didn't even have to open his mouth; all he had to do was put on a scarf in the yellow-and-green stripes that symbolize the anti-Glazer movement -- ...

Mar 13th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...

Offside Rewind: Fingers & Thumbs

Seven stories from the past week on The Offside and World Cup Blog. You can't do this in Japan anymore. Great week for Champions League goals. Bad week for beating the Champions League final hosting hoodoo. World Cup 2010 jersey reviews: Bafana Bafana and Les Bleus. Dennis Bergkamp. Good at football. Brazil 1982. Good at football. ...

Mar 12th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...

Daily Dose: March 12th, 2010 - Featuring Higuain's Non-Pass to Cristiano Ronaldo

The Gonzalo Higuain non-pass that made Cristiano Ronaldo mad... Why Lyon won but their sponsors lost in the above game (BNET) Ice hockey offers soccer solution to penalty shoot-outs (NY Times) Extra Kiwi defender uncovered in Denmark (New Zealand World Cup Blog) Imaginary advertising at World Cup 2010 venues (Sport 24M) Proof that Americans ...

Mar 12th, 2010 | Read more Read this article...
 
 
 
 

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