Will it be easy for Iran to Qualify for Another World Cup?

Iran is continuing their long campaign towards securing its place at next year's FIFA World Cup. Already coming through an arduous qualifying group to decide who would get through to the next stages, there is now a break for the national team until September when they will face Syria. Despite having a large population, Iran has not produced too many footballing superstars over the years and the standard in the domestic league remains low.

Yet hopes of qualification are high, as they aim to continue their rich vein of form. Battling against Iraq and Bahrain to eventually finish top of their group, they were rewarded with what some may view as an easier route to the finals. On paper, of the two qualifying groups Iran's section does look less difficult to navigate but as any punter who likes to play on a site like live casino knows, nothing is ever straightforward with football.

Don't Take Group Rivals Lightly

There are two final groups of six teams for the Asian region. The top two teams in each group will qualify automatically with the third-placed teams playing off against each other for the final available place. Long-standing regional rivals Iraq could be a thorn in Iran's side here. They know it will be a tough game against South Korea who seem to have become a late addition to becoming a traditional rival having played Iran quite a lot in recent years. These two teams could prove to be the biggest obstacles standing in Iran's way.

The rest of the group sees Lebanon, Syria and the United Arab Emirates providing the opposition. While not big names these teams should not be taken lightly as to reach this far has taken a big effort already. These teams have great hearts and spirits and Iran will not want to fall victim to a shock loss. As well as being possibly highly embarrassing for such a big nation, it could prove to be quite costly in their quest to reach the World Cup.

Did They Get Lucky?

As you can see from the opposition above, Iran has a relatively decent chance of qualifying. While the other group contains the likes of Oman and the ever-improving Vietnam, it also contains teams of a high pedigree with a history of qualifying and performing well at these events. The nations of Australia and Japan would certainly pose a big threat to Iran, so they can be pleased they managed to avoid them. China makes up the group and is a big unknown as they aim to put themselves on the football map as they excel in so many other areas. Certainly, Iran's group sounds less tricky.

Keep the Momentum Going

Qualifying for this World Cup would be a third consecutive appearance for the Iranian team. Considering they have only managed to reach the finals five times in their history, it is a sign of the ever-improving skills and determination of their football squad. Even though they have never made it past the group stages, it is a source of huge pride to Iran or indeed any nation to make these finals.

Broadcast all over the world, the World Cup will be the biggest event of the year. If you are watching and fancy Iran to do well, any online casino will have a huge variety of markets for you to choose from. This will instantly make the competition more exciting and give you something to shout about when Iran is playing. Having only tasted victory in two games, this could be the year Iran makes their mark.

Feeling the Pressure

It's very upsetting for nations that don't qualify for the World Cup. Only coming around every four years, fans pray their team will be involved so they can enjoy the carnival atmosphere if only even for a little while. Players get older and every tournament could be their last. It's such a shame as many great players have missed out on the biggest stage due to playing in a poor team. Next time around, the World Cup will be held in Qatar in the mid-Asian region for the first time.

There has been plenty of controversy about this choice, not least with the extreme heat forcing a change in an event traditionally hosted in the summer being scheduled to take place in winter. This is highly unusual and will certainly play havoc with a lot of the domestic league seasons. Yet this is another reason why Iran will be doing their best to qualify. Wanting to be seen as a powerhouse of the region, it won't look good if they don't qualify. With such a huge tournament taking place in their backyard, missing out could cause a backlash from the public.

An Interesting Mix of Players

While the current squad still boasts quite a few players plying their trade at the top clubs in Iran, some have been quietly making a name for themselves abroad putting in some steady performances. Alireza Jahanbakhsh turns out for Premier League outfit Brighton and Saman Ghoddos plays for newly promoted Brentford. Both provide a solid base in midfield. For striker Karim Ansarifard, at 31 this could be his last chance at a World Cup.

Forward pairing Mehdi Taremi of Porto and Sardar Azmoun of Zenit St. Petersburg both have fine goal scoring records and are young enough to get another try at glory. However, in their prime now, this may be their best chance and they will need to be on top form. If Iran could score more goals on the big stage, they might do a bit better, they are generally seen as being quite boring to watch.

Summary

Certainly, the consensus is that Iran is in a great position to appear at the next World Cup. Things could have been a lot more difficult and it's no surprise to see betting sites like live casino are expecting Iran as one of the stronger footballing nations of the region to qualify easily. While there are some stern tests ahead Iran should have the experience and guile to ensure they are not left on the outside looking enviously at the teams heading to Qatar next year.