This is the fourth time that Iran makes the World Cup groups but unfortunately for them it is most unlikely to make it to the next stage. Argentina is the top favorite to win Group F with Nigeria and Bosnia and Herzegovina coming in next, as both teams have formidable strikers. Iran has a simple mission in Brazil, to defend against these opponents and collect as many points as possible.
Group stage and event prospects
Iran is poised to build a competitive team and four years from now they might have a squad capable of making a deeper run at the World Cup. One of the arguments in favor of this team that they now rely on coach Carlos Queiroz to prepare the team and the Portuguese did a fine job so far. He has plenty of experience to build on and even though Iran lacks top class players, he knows how to extract the most of what he's got.
The qualifying campaign went according to the plan and Iran was never in danger of missing out on playoffs, despite some difficult games. Now that they are here, they will need to contend with odds of 6.00 to make it out of Group F, that Argentina is expected to dominate from start to end. They are tied to Algeria for the second worst chance to lift the trophy and those who are wondering how high the odds get, should know that Bet365 is generous enough to offer 1501 to 1.
Key players for Iran at the World Cup
The fact that they start as huge underdogs in Brazil has one advantage, as Iran will have the same approach for all games, regardless of opponent. Carlos Queiroz is going to focus on the defense and will rely on a prudent 5-4-1 starting formation that will feature a single striker. Ghoochannejhad is going to play upfront in all three games and not surprising he is the Iranian credited with the first chance to become the top scorer in Brazil.
Odds of 500 to 1 with Bet365 clearly reflect his chances of actually becoming the most successful striker, but in the absence of a better striker, Queiroz will use him. He exceeded expectations during the qualifying campaign and scored most of the goals for his team, so Ghoochannejhad fully deserves to represent his country at the World Cup 2014. The team is not concerned about scoring a lot and even if the aforesaid striker finds the back of the net once, his effort will be much appreciated.
Iran doesn't have a great array of players to choose from, but they play very well together and are highly motivated by this event. Very few of the players in their starting formation got the chance to compete for a major European club, so this championship is their best chance to shine on the international stage. Nekounam is the most experienced player and his time with Osasuna made him an invaluable addition to Carlos Queiroz's team.
The bottom line
Iran is unlikely to finish second in Group F, so despite the juicy odds offered by Bet365 and other bookmakers for this outcome, the risk is not worth taking. A better approach would be to back them on individual games, hoping that they will defend successfully for 90 min. and cause an upset.
