Following the unbelievable qualification and triumphant return from Australia, once again the national team went through changes. In spite of Vieira steering Iran to France, he would be replaced and Tomislav Ivic would take his place. Ivic would make some changes in the team, such as switching from a three-man defense to four. He would produce a mixed bag of results with the lone win coming against Jamaica. Furthermore he clashed with former national team player Jalal Talebi who was the federation’s technical advisor and often accused him of trying to interfere with his tactics or worse, steal his job. With a month left to the World Cup and following a trip to Italy and a subsequent 7-1 loss to club team AC Roma, Ivic would be cast aside and Talebi would take the reins. There were rumors that players had intentionally underperformed in an effort to rid themselves from Ivic, however, players denied the allegations.
Within days Talebi would steer Iran to a 4-1 win against Italian club side Inter Milan and in its final preparation game would lose 2-0 against World Cup debutants Croatia. Prior to Iran’s first game, Abedzadeh would suffer from knee issues and would give his spot to Nakisa for the Yugoslavia game. Khakpour, Mohammadkhani, Pashazadeh and Zarrincheh would form the back four while Mahdavikia, Minavand, Bagheri and Estili would patrol the midfield. Daei and Azizi would be hunting for goals up front.
Both teams would start nervously in a blustery Geoffroy-Cuichard Stadium in south-central France. In soccer terms, they were coming in from the cold; Iran returning after a 20-year absence from the World Cup finals, and Yugoslavia emerging from an eight-year absence marked by a two-year international ban imposed because of the Bosnian war. Only a series of squandered chances by the Iranians, who played with verve and growing self-belief as they dominated the first half, allowed the favored Yugoslav team to get to halftime still tied. Iran would opt for a counterattacking game and would create some dangerous chances with Mahdavikia’s shot being saved by the keeper and Minavand shooting just wide. In the second half with Bagheri’s foul Yugoslavia earned a freekick just outside the box. Yugoslavia would slip the ensuing kick under Nakisa to take the lead while Nakisa would be blamed for his positioning.
In the remaining 17 minutes Iran tried to raise its game, but only once did they worry the Yugoslavs with a sharp header from Daei that was saved by the keeper.
Iran would ultimately succumb to a 1-0 defeat. "We didn't lose a game, we lost a [free] kick," said Iran's coach, Jalal Talebi, who the day before the game had tried to keep expectations low. "We know we are going to have very hard games. But if we are going to die, we are going to die standing up. We know we are going to have very hard games."
Iran would approach their second game against the United States with only one change and that being Abedzadeh returning to the starting lineup. During a delicately choreographed pregame ceremony at Lyon’s Stade Gerland, the Iranian players gifted white roses to their opponents as a symbol of peace and both teams posed for a joint photo together..
The strong display against Yugoslavia had Iran mentally pumped up and it was evident in their play. In the 20th minute Azizi had a breakaway against the keeper and was brought down inside the box but in spite of the protests for a penalty kick, the referee waved it off.
While the US would hit the crossbar once and the goalpost on a couple of occasions, however in the 40th minute it would be Iran scoring. Zarrincheh would streak down the right flank before lofting a ball in the box. Estili would connect perfectly with it to head it in the far corner and give Iran the lead.
In the second half Iran would rely on counterattacks and in spite of the US coming close, they would find Abedzadeh impenetrable. Late in the game Iran would break up a US attack and quickly launch a counterattack, sending Mahdavikia solo on goal. Mahdavikia would run the entire US half before slotting his shot home and doubling Iran’s lead.
With the US now pushing forward Iran once again countered with numbers and while the keeper would save Daei’s initial shot, a defender would clear the rebound shot off of the line. A late US corner kick would cut the deficit in half but ultimately Iran would emerge as 2-1 winners and keep its hopes alive for advancing to the knockout stage.
At the end, Iranian players mobbed each other on the field, then ran to a section of the stands filled with their countrymen.
Iran would face the reigning European champion Germany in its final group match.
Iran
would keep its starting lineup from the previous match although the intensity
and motivation displayed against the United States was missing. The game pitted
Germany's methodical precision against Iran's swift counterattacks. Iran came
out with a defensive strategy, choking the German offense and countering
whenever possible. Abedzadeh wouldn't have a difficult save in the first half
although counterpart Andreas Koepke had to dive to his right to stop Karim
Bagheri's 35-yard drive. In spite of German pressure, Iran managed to end the first
half scoreless. Shortly into the second half German attacks finally yielded
results when a cross from the right, after Khakpour and Pashazdeh bumped into
each other, was headed past Abedzadeh into the net.
Only seven minutes later a shot from inside the box rattled Iran’s goalpost and the rebound was put in the net with an acrobatic, diving header for Germany’s second goal.
Iran would make a substitution following the goal, hoping to get the game back, but the German defense would stand strong. Iran stepped up the attack after falling behind, but Germany had the better scoring chances and Iran would end up losing 2-0. With one win, two losses and three points, Iran finished 3rd in the group and was eliminated in the group stage.
Iran roster: Abedzadeh, Nakisa, Boroumand, Saadavi, Khakpour, Peyrovani, Mohammadkhani, Ostad Asadi, Shahroudi, Zarrincheh, Pashazadeh, Mahdavikia, Bagheri, Mansourian, Dinmohammadi, Estili, Hamedani, Minavand, Latifi, Seraj, Daei, Azizi. Coach: Talebi
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