Team Melli must return to ‘Queiroz philosophy’ against Belgium: Nosrati
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
Former Iran international center-back Mohammad Nosrati believes Team Melli should revert to the defensive blueprint established by former head coach Carlos Queiroz when it faces Belgium in a crucial FIFA World Cup group-stage clash.
Having played to a frustrating 2-2 draw in its Group G opener, Iran will take on Belgium, which also shared the spoils with Egypt in a 1-1 stalemate, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Speaking to Iran Daily, Nosrati said the defensive structure built during Queiroz’s long tenure remains deeply embedded in Iranian football and could prove vital against the European powerhouse.
“One encouraging aspect is that the influence of Carlos Queiroz is still visible in Iranian football,” Nosrati said. “The impact he had was so significant that you can still see traces of it in the way our players perform. In many ways, this Iranian team resembles the Queiroz era, both in terms of personnel and tactical structure.”
According to Nosrati, the Portuguese tactician, who was in charge of the Iranian national team at the previous three World Cups, established a defensive organization that has become ingrained in Iranian football and remains one of the national team’s greatest strengths.
“That defensive structure can help us in difficult matches, especially against Belgium,” he said. “I expect Iran to adopt a more defensive approach, close down the opponent’s routes to goal, and look to hurt them through counterattacks, pacey players, and set pieces.
“Every player must maintain maximum focus, mark intelligently, and fulfill their defensive responsibilities throughout the game.”
The former defender acknowledged that Iran’s task has become more complicated following the draw against New Zealand, a result he described as a missed opportunity.
“We dropped two very valuable points against New Zealand, points that could have taken us much closer to qualification,” Nosrati said. “Belgium has also dropped points, which makes this match even more important and difficult.
“Belgium will dominate possession and control much of the game,” he said. “Their style is completely different from New Zealand’s.”
Reflecting on Iran’s opening match, Nosrati felt the team struggled from the outset, possibly due to inadequate preparation or distractions surrounding the squad.
“We started nervously and did not play well early on,” he said. “Ironically, after conceding the first goal, the pressure seemed to come off the players. We gained control, found an equalizer, and could even have scored a second goal with better decision-making in attack.”
“Our defensive organization was not at its best,” he said. “The center-backs and, to some extent, the left-back shared responsibility for the first goal. For the second goal, both the central defenders and goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand could have reacted better.”
He added that Beiranvand may have committed himself too early.
“I think he went to ground too quickly. Had he stayed on his feet longer, he might have been able to save the shot.
“New Zealand was relatively unfamiliar to us, but from a technical standpoint, the gap between the two teams was significant enough for Iran to win the match,” he said.
Praise for Rezaeian
Nosrati singled out veteran full-back Ramin Rezaeian for special praise after his standout performance, which included a goal and an assist for Mohammad Mohebbi for Iran’s second equalizer.
“In my opinion, Ramin Rezaeian should be a role model for other players, especially younger footballers,” he said. “Everyone saw how much effort he put in to secure his place at the World Cup.”
Nosrati highlighted Rezaeian’s determination after losing his place at Esteghlal, his move to Foolad Khuzestan midway through the Iranian top-flight season, and his strong performances that earned him a national-team recall.
“He worked tirelessly to keep his World Cup dream alive. He excelled at Foolad, returned to the national team, performed well in the friendlies, scored against Gambia, and was outstanding in Iran’s opening World Cup match, where he deservedly earned Man of the Match honors.”
By contrast, Nosrati felt several attacking players failed to meet expectations.
“Mehdi Taremi and Saman Qoddous did not produce the level of performance many expected from them,” he said. “Some people point to the difficult circumstances back home as a factor, but if that were the case, why was Rezaeian able to perform so well?”
Nosrati also questioned the limited playing time given to Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, who impressed after coming off the bench.
“Considering the excellent two seasons he has had in the Iranian league and the AFC Champions League, I expected him to get more minutes,” he said. “Even in a short appearance, he performed well.”
While Mohebbi scored, Nosrati felt the winger was below his usual standards, particularly in the first half, while Mehdi Qayedi also failed to make the expected impact after entering the game as a substitute.
Despite the setback against New Zealand, Nosrati has not given up hope of seeing Iran progress from the group.
“Losing those two points has made our path much more difficult because we now face two strong teams in Belgium and Egypt,” he said.
“If we had won the opening match, I would have been confident of qualification, especially with eight third-placed teams also advancing. But football is unpredictable. We have seen teams produce surprises against stronger opponents in this tournament.
“With hard work, concentration, and discipline, Iran can still earn points and even victories against Belgium and Egypt.”