That said those two are still great scorers and they share the playing time . Plus they have Nunez to do all the running and creating space
Paulo Bento managed to get a yellow also...Finally, nil nil draw. Both teams share a point in a group of almost death
I had Swiss winning that by 2 or fewer goals and Cameroon not scoring. Won the under on Cam total goals (.5 or less), and Swiss ML. Funny, I had Uruguay to win, but before I went to bed I logged on, and bet U2 goals for that game. Just smelled like Uruguay 1-0 or 0-0 to me. So got 1 of 2 right, but correct in taking the unders. Uruguay pretty unlucky hitting the post twice, but S. Korea had a couple of clear cut chances too. They have to be happy at getting 1 point there. Should think they can get 3 off of Ghana, and then it's up to GD, and/or who has a better game vs Portugal between the two sides (I had Uruguay winning the group, but w/the dropped points here, I think Portugal is more likely to do so).
South America could use an immigrant underclass to produce kids for whom excelling at football is the only thing that can put food on the table.
you wrote "2014 was the generation where so many of their guys were in their peak years." You know how players evolve in a curve? 2014 was not their peak. 2018 was. In 2014, they lacked experience. In 2022, they are old. 2014 and 2022 are comparable.
I'd like to think with Japan and South Korea's performance today, we can finally put to rest the arguments some have that Iran is anywhere near them tier wise. They just aren't. Japan's got 2002, 2010 and 2018 to point to, South Korea's got 2002, 2010 to point to, and both have consistently showed up and not looked out of their depth for 20 years running and given the big dogs a legit fight just about every cycle. Iran did that in 2014, and 2018, but never advanced, and have never equaled any of their ceiling performances once. Japan's got 2-1 over Germany, 2-0 lead on Belgium in the R16's in a game they lost 3-2 last cycle and a win over a good Colombia team. They've got 2010's run to the R16's where they only lost on penalties. South Korea's got '02, in '06 they grabbed 4 points and drew France (w/some helps from blind refs), in '10 they made the knockouts losing to semifinalist Uruguay 2-1, and last cycle they were the group that decisively sent Germany home w/a 2-0 victory on matchday 3. I actually like Iran, and think they can beat Wales tomorrow, and think they've played well the past two cycles, but man, Japan and South Korea are just better, period and its been so going into a third consecutive decade. It's inarguable. I do think Iran has huge potential, especially if they can punt the theocrats out, and build themselves a democracy, get that economy running, build out everything, but for now, they've got an artificial ceiling.
Iran is a team that imploded due to politics. The version we're seeing in Qatar is a pale reflection.
Beyond the top 2-3 players, Portugal had a lot of players that wouldn't have looked out of place with the US that year. And the US had a much more favorable schedule in the group. Much different in 2022 than then for Portugal. As somebody who always believed the US could always get out of the group, but at the same time was negative on Klinsmann (and then started despising him after Donovan), 2014 was one of my great successes.
You are so stubborn and annoying. You can imagine whatever you wish, but the Uruguay team S. Korea drew lost to Iran. S. Korea has finished behind Iran in 3 consecutive WCQs, finished behind Iran in points and standings in WC18 and AC19, and has defeated Iran only once in numerous games between the two since 2011. There is no immutable law that Iran will always in every circumstance outperform S. Korea, or that it will always rank above S .Korea, but until S. Korea actually outperform Iran, give your stubborn nonsense a rest.