I figured this needed it's own thread. American Afshin Ghotbi is the head coach for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan's J-League. They are currently in 8th place. Ghotbi played for UCLA in the early 80s. He would later coach UCLA's women's team in the late 80s. He was on the USMNT staff under Sampson and again under him at the LA Galaxy. He was also the head coach of Iran from 2009-2011.
I actually mentioned this to Sunil when he was looking at potential candidates for the USMNT gig, and rest assured he is well aware of Afshin.
He's sort of in that category similar to Rossi, due to the Iranian thing, but...... Here's his presser when he was hired. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lIjhmLAKtE"]2011 1/25 ??????????????????????? - YouTube[/ame] Ghotbi's one of two coaches in J-League that I know of that speaks to the press in English Here's his celebration of sorts after his first win at the helm: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qopQoc4EoCA"]??????????????? - YouTube[/ame] Here's the highlights from his squad from Saturday (17SEPT) vs. the evil Urawa Reds [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXAeHsT_qRs&feature=player_embedded#"]??×???????? - YouTube[/ame] So far from the highlights I've seen of Ljungberg, he's been calmer, but some of the physical/facial expressions make him appear to realize that his playing days are slowing ending soon.
Ghotbi's S-Pulse won 2-0. MLS OB Ljungberg ahd an assist. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybza8HscAac&feature=player_embedded"]2011J????28? ???????vs??? ?????? - YouTube[/ame] The win does good for Yokohama Marinos somewhat
Ghotbi's S-Pulse win 3-0 over Ventforet Kofu. MLS OB Ljungberg played a part in the team's FIFA12esque 3rd goal. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyoBzZVrdVc"]2011 10 23 ?????????????????? - YouTube[/ame] And we can't forgot, LOCO [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvMxt57Ti3Q"]2011J????30? ???????vs?? ???? - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pysQFikfufk"]???????????????????????? - YouTube[/ame] Ghotbi returns for his second season coaching Shimizu. First game today at Nagoya Grampus Eight
He's an average coach at best, nothing to be excited about if you're looking for a future USMNT head coach candidate. When Carlos Queiroz replaced Ghotbi as Iran's manager we improved dramatically overnight.
Shimizu won their derby over Jubilo Iwata 3-2. Couldn't find match highlights, but as custom, Ghotbi and his boys doing the victory 'Loco' [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boAZ0tZe6dg"]2012.04.14 ??????????? - YouTube[/ame]
Profile: https://www.espn.com/soccer/blog-es...n-ghotbius-soccers-international-globetrotter Winning helped, too. It had been six seasons since Persepolis won the league, and Ghotbi promised fans that the streak would end. Persepolis started the campaign with a 16-game unbeaten streak, and fans took to calling Ghotbi "Afshin the Emperor." The nickname made him uneasy, however, given his U.S. upbringing and the fact that Persepolis was run by the government's Physical Education Organization (now the Ministry of Sport and Youth). As the season wound down, Ghotbi repeated his pledge to win the title, and it took a Hollywood ending. Trailing first-place Sepahan by two points with one game to play, Persepolis hosted the league leaders on the final matchday. The game was tied 1-1, in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, when Sepehr Heidari's header saw Persepolis grab the title. "That was a goal from above, a miracle," said Ghotbi.