Iran as a national team has long been neglected by the international community despite their past and recent successes. Russia 2018 will be their fifth World Cup appearance, but Team Melli has yet to advance to the knockout rounds in their history. Portuguese head coach Carlos Queiroz has been at the helm since 2011 and has seen the squad begin to take shape, preparing for the opportunity at a tournament just like this.
A Pragmatic Approach
There is no denying that the FIFA World Cup 2018 will pose some issues for the Iranian squad. Queirozs side have a vast gulf in quality between themselves and two group stage foes, Spain and Portugal. Even Morocco is tipped as the third-best squad in Group B, leaving Iran as long-shots to advance to the knockout stages. Therefore, the Asian superpower must vary their approach in Russia as opposed to their usual dominance against the likes of Syria and Uzbekistan.
As a quick overview, Iran prefer to set up in what we recognise as a 4-1-4-1. Obviously, the positions morph and move throughout the 90 minutes of a match, but the solidity and pragmatic style of Quierozs men makes it a relatively homogeneous formation across matches.
When on the ball, Iran rarely take their time. Their build-up play is much more akin to the likes of Liverpool, not Napoli or Manchester City. From the get-go, Irans goalkeeper attempts a lot of long throws and long passes. The defenders opt for a more direct approach as well; the centre-halves will kick the ball long towards the solitary forward or, if the pass is safe, to the near-sided full-back. The full-backs will look to send a ball over the top for a winger. Rarely will you see Iran enjoy sustained periods of possession, especially against a side like Spain or Portugal.
Defensively, I
