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Back Mexico @
40/1 to win the
World Cup.....11/8
to win
Group D......
bet with
BLUESQUARE
Back Iran @
400/1 to win the
World Cup.....10/1
to win
Group D......
bet with
BLUESQUARE
Seasoned World Cup
campaigners, 13th including this, Mexico impressed after finished fourth
at last year's FIFA Confederations Cup and will look to continue their
upward spiral. Coach Ricardo La Volpe has chosen an exciting blend of
youth and experience, keeping faith in the bulk of the side that sprung
a surprise at last year's FIFA Confederations Cup. New sensation Andres
Guardado and Villarreal forward Guillermo Franco have added strength in
depth to an already balanced mix. Goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez has
returned to Mexico following the death of his father.
Iran coach Branco Ivankovic, heads to Germany with the majority of
players who served him so well in qualifying with skillful Ali Karimi,
veteran striker Ali Daei and midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia among them.
Injured idfielder Mojtaba Jabari is the only major absentee. Iran booked
their ticket to their third FIFA World Cup by finishing second in Group
B of the Asian Zone behind Japan. Mehdi Mahdavikia is recovering from a
back problem while fellow midfielder Ali Karimi, who picked up an ankle
injury in March, has been resting. Another midfield man Ferydoon Zandi
has been ruled out.
The Mexicans are too strong for Iran.
Mexico :
coach Ricardo Antonio La Volpe (Argentinian)
Goalkeepers:
1 SANCHEZ Oswaldo(Guadalajara, MEX), 12 CORONA Jose(Tecos UAG, MEX), 13 OCHOA Guillermo(America,
MEX)
Defenders: 2 SUAREZ Claudio(Chivas, USA), 3 SALCIDO Carlos(Guadalajara,
MEX), 4 MARQUEZ Rafael(Barcelona, ESP),
5 OSORIO Ricardo(Cruz Azul, MEX), 14 PINEDA Gonzalo(Guadalajara, MEX), 15 CASTRO Jose Antonio(America,
MEX), 16 MENDEZ
Mario(Monterrey, MEX), 18 GUARDADO Andre(Atlas, MEX)s, 22 RODRIGUEZ Francisco(Guadalajara,
MEX)
Midfielders: 6 TORRADO Gerardo(Cruz Azul, MEX), 7 ZINHA(Toluca,
MEX), 8 PARDO Pavel(America, MEX), 20 GARCIA
Rafael(Atlas, MEX), 23 PEREZ Luis(Monterrey, MEX)
Forwards: 9 BORGETTI Jared(Bolton Wanderers, ENG), 10 FRANCO Guillermo(Villarreal,
ESP), 11 MORALES Ramon(Guadalajara, MEX),
17 FONSECA Jose(Cruz Azul, MEX), 19 BRAVO Omar(Guadalajara, MEX), 21 ARELLANO Jesus(Monterrey,
MEX)
Iran :
coach Branko Ivankovic (Croatian)
Goalkeepers : 1 MIRZAPOUR Ebrahim(Foolad Ahvaz, IRN), 12 ROUDBARIAN Hassan(Pas
Tehran, IRN), 22
TALEBLOO Vahid(Esteghlal Tehran, IRN)
Defenders: 3 BAKHTIARIZADEH Sohrab(Saba Battery Tehran, IRN), 4 GOLMOHAMMADI Yahya(Saba
Battery Tehran, IRN), 5
REZAEI Rahman(Messina, ITA), 13 KAABI Hossein(Foolad Ahvaz, IRN), 18 ZARE Sattar(Bargh
Shiraz, IRN), 19 SADEQI Amir Hossein(Esteghlal Ahvaz, IRN),
20 NOSRATI Mohammad(Pas Tehran, IRN)
Midfielders: 2 MAHDAVIKIA Mehdi(Hamburger SV, GER), 6 NEKOUNAM Javad(Al
Sharjah, UAE), 7 ZANDI
Ferydoon(Kaiserslautern, GER), 8 KARIMI Ali(Bayern Munich, GER), 14 TEYMOURIAN Anderanik(AbooMoslem,
IRN), 21 MADANCHI Mehrzad(Pirouzi, IRN), 23
SHOJAEI Masoud(Saipa Karadj, IRN)
Forwards: 9 HASHEMIAN Vahid(Hanover 96, GER), 10 DAEI Ali(Saba
Battery Tehran, IRN), 11 KHATIBI Rasoul(Pas Tehran, IRN), 15
BORHANI Arash(Pas Tehran, IRN), 16 ENAYATI Reza(Esteghlal Tehran, IRN), 17 KAZEMEIAN Javad(Pirouzi,
IRN)
Probable lineups:
Mexico (5-3-2)
1-Oswaldo Sanchez; 3-Carlos Salcido, 14-Gonzalo Pineda, 4-Rafael
Marquez, 5-Ricardo Osorio, 15-Jose Antonio Castro; 6-Gerardo Torrado,
7-Antonio Naelson, 8-Pavel Pardo; 9-Jared Borgetti, 10-Guillermo Franco.
Iran: (4-2-3-1)
1-Ebrahim Mirzapour; 13-Hossein Kaebi, 5-Rahman Rezaei, 4-Yahya
Golmohammadi, 20-Mohammad Nosrati; 2-Mehdi Mahdavikia, 6-Javad Nekounam;
14-Andranik Teymoorian, 9-Vahid Hashemian, 8-Ali Karimi; 10-Ali Daei
Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)
Linesmen: Cristiano Copelli (Italy), Alessandro Stagmoli (Italy)
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