2015 AFC Asian Cup Australia -- Iran vs. Iraq QF Discussion

i predict that Iran will win 1-0 against TBD.

 

Iran parks the bus for 80 mins, presses last 10 mins and scores a goal in the 95th minute of injury time to win 1-0.

 

Sounds more like the semi final outcome to me

 

after watching iran's performance in group stage, i think it's better that we face them, not uae....but iran is still a difficult opponent. 50/50 imo.

 

Iraq will need something special to be able to score tbh. Bahrain, qatar, and uae all had better attackers and could barely create anything. If queiroz doesnt go super conservative should be an easy win.

 

we have some offensive issues. i've lost faith in younis. he should be benched.

 

Why would you even say that? At least Iraq would of had a chance to score against UAE, but it's way too hard for them to score a goal against Iran when they couldn't even score a goal when they were playing against their reserve team. If it was so hard for Argentina to score against Iran, it'll be hard for Iraq or any other team to score. It's just a fact. Only problems with Iran is that they are not sharp enough and are just lacking in passing accuracy.

 

Damn... Robbie Kruse looks like a legit psychopath.

 

I think most people expect the title to be revised to say Iran v Iraq QF Discussion, although nothing in Group D is settled for a few more hours and theoretically Iran could face any of Palestine, Japan, Jordan or Iraq in our quarterfinal match up. Nonetheless, for now, I will assume our quarterfinal opponent will be Iraq. I have a few comments to make regarding that match up.

First, while there are a lot of hopeful signs if we face Iraq which I will point to momentarily, there are also a few more ominous signs that worry me too, as follows:

• In the 2011 Asian Cup, Iran similarly won its group winning all 3 of its group matches under Afshin Ghotbi, beating the UAE 3:0 in our last group match. We then had to face South Korea in the quarterfinals, South Korea being a team Iran had defeated 1:0 right before the Asian Cup in a friendly (in S. Korea to boot) similar to the fact that we defeated Iraq 1:0 in a friendly before this Asian Cup. Unfortunately, we lost that quarterfinal match to S.Korea in overtime. (Ironically, Ghotbi got crucified for playing a conservative style that basically denied S.Korea any good chances to score until their goal in overtime, but which also kept us from threatening the Korean goal. But that is for another discussion).
• Querioz has proven masterful in reducing pressure on himself and the players and, at the same time, pushing the players to give their +100%, by basically underestimating our team and overestimating our opponents. He has often talked about the superior facilities and resources spent by these opponents and pointed to their superior preparations. That line of argument might have worked when comparing our situation with Qatar FC et al (not that Qatar FC benefited much from all the money they spent), but it will not resonate in a match against a war torn country like Iraq. (As someone I know quipped after visiting Iraq: "one of the good things about visiting Iraq is that you appreciate living in Iran!")
  
• From 1968-1976, Iran won the Asian Cup three times consecutively. From 1980-1988, Iran made the semifinals of the Asian Cup 3 times consecutively. In 1992, we bombed and were eliminated at the group stage with a 1-1-1 record. The next 3 Asian Cups, between 1996-2004, we made the semifinal of the Asian Cup two of 3 times (made the semis in 1996 after beating S.Korea 6:2 in the QF, exited at the quarterfinal stage in 2000 after losing 2:1 a.e.t. to S.Korea, made the semis in 2004 after beating S.Korea 4:3 in the QF). Since the Asian Cup changed to being held in odds years in 2007, we have twice in a row failed to get passed the quarterfinals, losing our quarterfinal match on penalties to S.Korea in 2007 and in overtime in 2011. In the Asian Cup tournaments held in odds years, Iran which basically used to regularly make the semis and find itself disappointed at that stage ever since 1976, has not reached the semis again.

The above to me are the ominous or worrying aspects when I think of our likely match up against Iraq (or whoever else we face). On the more positive side of the equation, are the following:

• We have an excellent record against Iraq, which has failed to beat us in almost two decades since 1996 despite many encounters against us. We have won our last 4 games against the Iraqis, beating them either 2:1 or 1:0, including beating them in 2011 Asian Cup and in a friendly right before this Asian Cup.
• Iran are, despite everything that has been said, just a better team with better players compared to Iraq. Even if Iraq in some ways share somewhat similar attributes as Iran. Moreover, we have looked better and stronger than Iraq in this tournament so far.
• After the hosts, we have the most number of supporters and will enjoy something akin to home-field advantage in our matches.
  
• While I am no fan of Carlos Queiroz, there is no denying that he is a much more experienced coach then anyone we have ever had or the fellow who will be sitting on Iraq's bench. And experience does count.

Anyway, good luck to Iran. Despite some of the ominous signs I mentioned, I am hopeful and look forward to seeing Iran make the final after so many years.

 

Either Iraq or Jordan are more or less as good as Bahrain. So I think it'll be another 1-0 or 2-0.
Iraq hasn't won against us in 2 decades now, and I certainly can't see it change in this competition. UAE with arguably one of the best offensive lines of this cup, failed to even have 1 shot on target against Iran, leaving our goalkeeper Haghighi to sleep during 95 minutes. I don't see how Iraq will trouble Iran even the slightest.

 

well, CQ knows that this game has extra time. so we will start to press in the 110th minute if we did not win the game in regulation time.

 

We beat Iraq with a team that had Karim Ansarifard as its captain! I think we should not have any problems against them with our first team

 

I know Jordan is no Argentina but I have a bad feeling about them. I prefer Iraq over Jordan

 

well you gotta give it up to the iraqis who say they prefer Iran over uae...... they are very ambitious. just as ambitious as this australian rapper in his dream of getting signed by a major record label:

 

I suggest Iraqis to think about our last match. It hasn't been 10 days since we last beat them with our 2nd team)
I mean I have seen people with memory shortages but some people have memory of a gold fish:-D

 

@Mussab86 is a nice guy but i remember previously he was also claiming that iraq would beat Iran and how overall Iran and iraq are roughly equal in football history. makes me scratch my head.

 

surprise surprise... the khaleeji arabs have paid up en route to banning "persian gulf" from going into stadiums. how pathetic... they cant beat us on the pitch so they have to resort to such tactics.

 

Heating up the thread already ?
Are you bringing up something I said few years ago when our football was at it best or did I mention something similar lately? Because I do have a gold fish memory.

Unless you mean when i said i preferred to avoid playing against UAE because they spanked us 3-1 couple a weeks ago while Our match against Iran it is just a friendly and doesn't prove anything.

I did mentioned earlier few days ago that Iraq is not in their best days, didn't I ? But who knows we may win.

 

They are pathetic. Iranian fans tore the flag that had Arabic gulf on it. Good work.
Long live Persian gulf

 

Memory of a fish gold is my word you gotta pay the copy right :-D

 

Maybe thats the reason why Australia dont want any other similar incidents to be repeated on it soil ?

 

it was years ago... maybe asian cup 2011 or before lol. i am not 100% sure if it was you though... was there another frequently posting iraqi member at that time? it might have been him. but im 80% sure it was you.

 

Well arabs are the reason for that. They are the ones using a fake name for our gulf

 

Dude i dont even remember the 2011 Asian Cup at all. Its my amnesia gap memory between 2007 and 2014. XD
I think i had a coma or something lol