Iran coach Carlos Queiroz talks World Cup group vs. USMNT and England in Qatar

ESPN: Iran has been written off as the no-hoper in the group, despite being 20th in the FIFA world rankings, just below Wales (19) and the U.S. (16), so does that give you extra motivation?

Queiroz: Never. I never think that way because I don't care about what other people think about us. We think about us. We have our strengths and qualities, and we have of course some weaknesses as all teams do. Nobody is perfect and in the right moment, it's time to speak inside the pitch.

Those feelings or those comments, they don't count. But at the end of the day, in the match, what will be important is to make a great performance, play good football and leave the result in the hands of God. That's what we can do.

ESPN: Iran has never made it out of the group stage at a World Cup, so what are the expectations in Qatar?

Queiroz: For me, it's not bad to feel that we feel that pressure to raise our responsibilities, our motivation and our duties. But inside the group, our expectations to do well are exactly in the same level as everyone else.

We want to move forward, be better, and for sure we have our expectations to reach the second stage of the World Cup. Nothing has changed. We go for our third World Cup together with the same belief and the same ambition to be there.

ESPN: The opening game is against England, one of the World Cup favourites. How strong are they?

Queiroz: I'm glad to play England, as we are glad in Iranian football to play Portugal or Spain. We are happy to play the best teams in the world because this is our life. We work to be among the best teams in the world, among the best players.

So to be there for us, it's a moment of happiness. We work all our lives to be in the World Cup. And when we reach World Cup, we go there as minor players, but we are among the best 32 national teams in the world in this moment, so let's enjoy it.

ESPN: Having worked in England with Manchester United, you know the country and the desperation of the team to do well, but you have seen them fail many times before.

Queiroz: England are a top team. There is no doubt that in the last few years, in international football, that England is growing up with better preparation and a clear vision. It is clear with the results on the pitch.

But I'm not saying that this team is better, or they are better players, from those days of David Beckham and Paul Scholes. They are not at that point, but the difference now is that England is showing a clear direction and vision to where all the players and all the team must go. So this creates a team that is much more consistent and able to compete.

But this World Cup is something different because we are going to face a completely new build-up -- short periods of rest between the games, a competition played in November, which is completely different comparing with other World Cups, so we have players in Europe that will arrive in Qatar with 15-20 games in their legs.

In the other World Cups, they have 65-70 games in their legs, so let's see what happens.

ESPN: The game against the U.S. is the final group fixture and could decide the qualification hopes of both teams. You coached in MLS with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in the 1990s. How do you see the U.S. team and the progress made by the nation in football?

This happens with all countries as well, including the U.S. But year after year, they are taking off and comparing well with other continents. Now they have connections with players in big countries and competitions. The USA football players are growing up fast and comparing with other countries and other continents in the world.

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