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Iran squabbling over coach
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Brazilian manager Valeir Vierra revived Iran's World Cup chances at the last moment and barely qualified the country as the last of 32 teams.Now he may not be good enough to take the squad to France.
With $3 million US guaranteed from FIFA for qualifying, some Iranian soccer officials think they need a big-name manager.
Media reports have mentioned Dutchman Johann Cruyff, Argentine Carlos Bilardo and Italy's Arrigo Sacchi as candidates.
It's a position not shared by everybody and the daily Akhbar has criticized the squabbling.
"Ever since we made it into the World Cup we have been acting as if our work has been finished, as if our ambitions were limited to making the World Cup alone," the newspaper said.
Vierra appears to have the backing of the players, or at least that of team captain and goalkeeper Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh.
"With his experience against the Americans Mr. Vierra can be better than other coaches who don't have that experience," he said.
The Iranians have said they are interested in travelling to Canada in May for a World Cup warmup tournament. Iran beat the Canadian team, which didn't qualify, 1-0 in an exhibition match in Toronto in August.
Iran has a high mountain to climb at the World Cup, being drawn with three-time champion and reigning European titlist Germany, 1990 World Cup quarter-finalist Yugoslavia and the United States.
"The game with the United States is very important because of the political implications, and what our government and our people want is for us to dominate that game," Abedzadeh said.
Iran and the United States have been foes since Islamic militants ousted the U.S.-backed shah and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days nearly two decades ago.
Abedzadeh said that instead of wasting time the team should be practising for the crucial games.
"We have a big event ahead of us, which we have achieved after 20 years," said Abedzadeh, noting that the last time Iran made the World Cup was 1978.
For his part, Vierra said that when he was picked by the Iranians to get the team to the World Cup, he was promised stewardship to the games themselves.
Additionally, having coached against the United States twice, as manager of Costa Rica in 1996 in the semifinal phase of CONCACAF qualifying, he feels his knowledge of the American team is his biggest advantage.
"I know the American team better than I know Iran's," Vierra said. "I know every player, I've studied their tactics, I know what they like and don't like."
"For us, the U.S. is the team that is beatable," Vierra said.
Vierra took over the national team from Iranian Mohammad Mayely-Kohan on Nov. 8, a day after Iran lost 2-0 to Qatar in Doha.
Iran got into the tournament in a last-chance, two-leg playoff with Australia. Iran drew 1-1 in Tehran and came back from a 2-0 deficit in Melbourne to earn another draw and qualification to the World Cup on away goals.
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan