Ali Daei (c) preparing his team for Saudi Arabia match

After Iran’s last training session in Kish Olympic stadium in Iran, Daei told the reporters that he has focused all his thoughts on defeating Saudi Arabia and qualifying to the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in September 6.
“Although there has been a lot of side issues and controversy around the national team recently, I don’t pay any attention to these marginal things. I am entirely concentrated on my team’s preparation and urge the media to help us in this way,“ Ali Daei told Mehr News Agency.
“National team is in a very delicate situation and we all have to cooperate to pave the way for the qualification,“ he added.
“The current squad is the best in Iranian football, they are highly motivated, ambitious and their only aim is the success of the national team.
“Fortunately, we’ve had very regular training session over the last couple of days and the warm-humid weather of the Kish Island has helped players to acclimatize themselves to Riyadh conditions. I hope that we will reach our top form in the next few days.“
Daei, who had earlier expressed his happiness with his team’s recent performances, continued: “The young players have shown great ambition and spirit and there is a very close competition among these players to get into the line-up.
“Undoubtedly, the fittest players will play against Saudi Arabia and no player will be guaranteed from now. To defeat Saudi Arabia, I will need a competitive and energetic team, therefore the best and the fittest players will form the main squad.“
The national team boss announced that five Europe-based players will join the team in Tehran and ultimately 27 players will fly to Saudi Arabia.
“Vahid Hashemian, Ferydoon Zandi, Masoud Shojaei, Javad Nekounam and Andranik Teymourian will join us in Tehran. Taking into consideration the preparation of the team, I am very hopeful to obtain a positive result in this match.“
“Currently we have two to three top players in each position and no one will benefit from a fixed position in my team. As I earlier mentioned, the fittest players will play and this rule applies to legionnaires as well. “
“We are going to analyze Saudi Arabia’s recent friendlies and identify their weaknesses and strengths. Saudi Arabia is our traditional opponent with good players and team composition, but we have prepared ourselves with tactical trainings for this encounter,“ Daei pointed out.

Javad Nekounam

Javad Nekounam and Masoud Shojaei are two Iranian players playing for Osasuna. These two had good performance in their team.
In the first round of the La liga, Masoud shojaei earned a penalty and thank to Javad’s unstoppable penalty kick Osasuna reached a 1-1 draw against Villareal.
Javad who holds Iran’s armband in an interview with ISNA said that he is fit enough to play for Osasuna.
He said, “I am so glad to represent Iran’s football in this part of the world. My penalty kick gave our team a draw in the first round of the Spanish league. I want to start a good season here in Pamplona and I’m sure I can do that.“
Nekounam who spent a good year in the club hopes in his second year in Osasuna, he will be able to show a better performance.
He added, “In the last season I showed a good performance and I could join the lineup very soon, which is also very hard. Here we have lots of good players. Although I was injured but the clubs heads wanted to keep me and they renewed my contract. This is very important for me.“
Referring to Iran’s away match against Saudi Arabia in the Group-B of the Asian World Cup qualifier Iran’s captain said, “I played against them before and I know how they play. We have to expect a tough match against them. I am sure if we play with our brains and not with our hearts, we’ll be able to defeat them.“
Asked about his prediction about the result of the game he added, “As you know predicting a result is not possible in football. I think a draw would be a good result.“
About his compatriot, Shojaei, Nekounam said, “I am glad that he had a good performance in La liga. He is one of the most talented Iranian player. I am sure his brilliant show will bring lots of top Iranian players to Spain.

Rajko Toroman

Rajko Toroman is one of the best coaches in the history of Iran’s basketball. The Serb clinched the championship of the FIBA Asia championship in 2007 in Japan and by that championship Iran took the berth of the 2008 Olympic Games. During his reign Iran’s basketball flourished rapidly.
His contract with Iran’s Basketball Federation is going to reach an end, and it is not clear whether he stays with the team or not.
In an interview with ISNA he said, “Nothing is clear and I don’t know whether I take the helm again or not.“
“By participating in the Beijing Games, our players got a good experience which I’m sure will help them a lot. As you know, the Olympic event is the toughest one which only good teams take part in.“
“Prior to this match we participated in the Diamond Ball in China event and before that we played in the Rocky Mountain Revue in Utah, USA. These two competitions helped us a lot. Mehdi Kamrani was not 100% fit and he didn’t show a god performance in Beijing.“
Asked a bout Hamed Haddadi and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami he said, “These two players are fantastic. They play very well and I am glad that they will play abroad.“
Haddadi signed with NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and Samad joined the French team Cholet.
“By playing in the Olympics, Iran’s basketball enters a new phase in its history. By these joining we will have a good performance in Asian and also international events.“
Asked about his contract he added, “Nothing is clear. I talked to the head of Iran Basketball Federation (IBF) and asked him to give me 3 months off then I’ll return to Tehran and talk for the new contract. When I return, I will ask him for my requirements. Let’s see what happens. Anyhow, I will fully support Iran’s basketball. There is no problem whatsoever with me and IBF chief. Before I took the helm of the team, Iran’s basketball stood at the 50th stand in the world. But now thanks to our participation in the Olympics we have reached the 23rd stand. This is a great step forward. The main problem is just I am tired, that’s all.
Previously Iran’s wishes in basketball were clinching Asia championship and taking the berth of Olympics. With Toroman, Iran finally reached its wishes.
Toroman said, “For achieving something, you’ve got to have motivation. We have one of the youngest teams and Samad and Hamed are two experienced top players in the team. My main goal is to have a good show in the 2012 London Games. And I think this would be the last objective for the current generation of players.“

Roger Federer came through a desperately tense five-set encounter with Igor Andreev to keep his bid for a fifth straight US Open title alive.
The champion showed the frailty that has dogged him all year as he was taken to a fifth set but raised his game to win 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 3-6 6-3, BBC reported.
Andreev took the first set and had seven break points at the start of the second but Federer managed to hang on.
He will face Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the quarterfinals.
Muller, a qualifier, stunned Russian fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 4-6 6-3 7-6 (12-10) in a dramatic match.
Federer had looked superb in his third-round win over Radek Stepanek, but his recent frailties were in evidence throughout against Andreev on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He made 60 unforced errors and faced 15 break points, and his survival was largely due to the fact that Andreev converted just two of them.
The Russian broke at the first attempt and should have taken the set from there, but he allowed Federer back in at 5-5 before edging the tie-break.
A nervous Federer then framed a smash to slip 15-40 down early in the second but Andreev failed to capitalize on five break points, and a further two in the next game.
Still the world number two struggled with his form, missing two set points in the second set tie-break before Andreev handed him the set with a wayward forehand.
That gave Federer a temporary boost and when he cracked away a cross-court forehand to break for 3-1 in the third, the game appeared up for Andreev.
But at the same stage in the fourth set Andreev benefited from a hugely fortuitous net cord and confidently served out to take it to a decider.
At last, Federer reminded everyone of why he has won 12 Grand Slams as he stepped up a gear, moving 3-0 clear after winning an epic rally to break.
It was hardly downhill all the way after that as the Swiss fought off four break-back points at 4-2, but his fighting spirit saw him through to a meeting with Muller, the world number 130.
“He was playing well,“ Federer said of Andreev. “He broke me so easily at the beginning and I was struggling to get in a groove from the baseline.
“The second set was key for me to get back in the match. I served well but it was a tough match.“
Davydenko could not cope with Muller’s serve-volleying and a barrage of 20 aces on Louis Armstrong Stadium.