Mirzapur: The national team has become more beautiful and vulnerable

According to “Varesh Se” Ebrahim Mirzapour, the former national team goalkeeper, has competed in Nations Cups in the past, winning the tournament’s third title (2004). At the beginning of the interview, he analyzed Iran’s three preliminary round games and said to our reporter: “Our team scored early in the first game against Palestine; A point that helped us a lot and led to our victory. Maybe things would have been more difficult for us if we hadn’t scored early in this game. Although we did not underestimate this team in the game against Hong Kong, they had analyzed our national team very carefully and developed a plan for the spaces behind our full-backs, and in the meantime they had mainly targeted our left wing. Meanwhile, we could have taken advantage of Hong Kong’s flawed right defense and performed better, but we couldn’t. Nevertheless, we won and got three important points in the second game. However, in some games the process works like this and you can’t do anything about it.

Mirzapour says about criticism of the national team’s defensive line: “When an attacking team plays, there is always the possibility that the defense will sometimes have problems on the counterattack. The national team is playing better and more aggressively than in the past, but the individual mistakes of our defenders should be reduced as there is no margin for error in the elimination phase. During Keiro’s time we had a good team defense, but now we have a more attacking team. “In my opinion, our team’s midfielders should help the defensive line more so that our defensive line works better and more cohesively.”

He also praises his compatriot, who has now replaced him in the national team: “Birranund has conceded two goals in the three games we played, but still I think Birranund has performed the best among the current goalkeepers so far and we can say that he is the best goalkeeper in Asia.”

Mirzapour, who believes that the main work of the national team will begin after the game against Syria, says about the game against this opponent: “Omar Kharibin is the most prominent Syrian player in this team’s attack line. Syria is a hard-working team that works cohesively in defense. Everything is for Iran, but we should definitely not underestimate the Syrian national team and we must play with all our might so that, God forbid, our work against Syria does not become a problem. Nevertheless, I believe that we will defeat Syria, but our main task will be from the second round of the knockout cup. It will probably be Japan and we will have a difficult game against this team, although the goalkeeper and his defense are struggling with serious problems, while they have a good offensive line.

But Mirzapour’s prediction for the game against Syria: “It’s hard to predict, but I think we will beat Syria by a goal or two.” “Syria will definitely try to block the way of our two strikers with a closed defense, but we can do it with shots, passes and the good strikers we have.”

The former national team goalkeeper also says that we have to win this season: “If we don’t win the championship this time, it will be more difficult for us, because with a good and harmonious team and a good generation at our disposal, the prerequisites for our success and the championship are in place. It is possible that if we do not succeed, many of our national team players will not be at the next Nations Cup, but I really hope that our spell of victory at the Nations Cup will be broken this time.”