1 long range shot and a defensive error..Syria did nothing until the 80th minute.. Japan and KSA here we come
Mr.Ghotbi's team makes no such distinction as first and second string. Everyone is always mentally and physically ready and willing to jump in to do the job. Besides, there isn't a big gap in talent either. This is a very good suggestion.
Touching in the Syria - Kuwait game, i understand Kuwait played a young squad, but they did play a Syrian team that seems to be in turmoil at the moment. Syria can't buy a win, is it a surprise that they got caught out by a young Kuwaiti side? Syria probably had memories of the friendly loss only recently as 3rd September, yes it might be a different team, but when a side has no confidence, believe me, they do struggle no matter who your up against
Yemen 3:1 Palestine Yemen come out on top in the first ever game between the two. Ali Al Nono bagged two games to take high top of the goal scorers list so far in the competition with 3 goals
Good result considering that Iran fielded a reserve team today (resting 7 starters from the previous match against Bahrain), and played one man down the entire second half. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJqErroMrzM"]YouTube - Iran vs Oman Goals - 2010 WAFF Championship - September 28, 2010[/ame]
Jordan 2:2 Kuwait Jordan are out with two draws, as Kuwait come from behind to score twice late to equalize and win the group. It looks like that the semi-final match-ups will be Iran-Iraq and Yemen-Kuwait, unless Iraq somehow loses to Palestine.
at this point there isnt much of a difference between our starters and reserves.... disappointing result. did anyone watch the match and if so how did we play?
shittiest game ever. Iranian players were disoriented, unmotivated and clueless! Yes we were playing with 6-7 changes from the Bahrain game but come on! That was horrendous. I've never seen a team make so many bad passes in one game. MIRZAPOUR HAS TO GO! he sucks balls. Made a few mistakes. The goal wasn't his fault but Rahmati would have stopped it. He's just not a good keeper. Oladi was good. Ansarifar was disappointing. Also Aghili got injured (on second thought)
I didn't get to watch Iran v. Oman, but all the assessments I have read agreed that Iran looked bad. Although the result was enough to see Iran clinch top position in its group, I am disappointed that our winning streak came to an end. Especially that it came to an end against a side like Oman. Obviously, Iran's coach saw this game as an opportunity to test some of his bench. Most people who saw the game felt that our bench players (despite on paper and in pedigree being virtually indistinguishable from the current starters) were not able to acquit themselves well. The main concern, however, I have from this match is Aghili's injury. Although Aghili gets a lot of flack from Iranian fans, I have seen Iran's defense without him. It has been a very sorry picture indeed. In the Qatar tournament last year, for instance, Ghotbi was testing different faces on defense. Without Aghili in the lineup, our defense was simply AWOL and utterly horrid. When Aghili was brought in, things looked better. I understand that the same was true in reverse against Oman: once Aghili got injured in minute 26 or thereabouts, Oman suddenly became dangerous while our defense looked far less capable than before his injury. Sometimes you have to accept the facts as they are. Whether you like Aghili or not, none of the players who have been used in his place in the recent past have been able to help our defense but instead have weakened us. That was true when Sheys Rezaie was used in place of Aghili in the Qatar tournament, and seems to have been shown true against Oman when Omranzadeh came in for an injured Aghili. Incidentally, I have long wanted to see Beikzadeh tested and be groomed for our left fullback position. It seems he too wasn't able to pass that test and I find that regrettable, since on paper, he has pretty much all the attributes I like to see from a player in that position. He does have good offensive skills, can cross and ride tackles and has the requisite speed; at the same time, his height and physique are notable for an outside back and theoretically he should be able to boost the defense as well with his defensive skills. But all those indication on paper don't mean much when a player in unable to prove himself on the field.
Didn't watch the game but I am also disappointed in this team and its lack of passion, partly due to complacancy, under-estimating the opponent, and looking ahead too far before finishing the job at hand. The issue with the central defenders, Aghili in particular, is similar to the issue we had when Daie was playing. For much too long Daie played in his position and none of the other forwards got any chance, and on rare occasions when they did, their first-time performance was immediately compared to Daie's and thereby lacking any justification for any future playing time. When new players are introduced to the starting eleven, it's natural to run into problems, especially when the new players have hardly any experience. Coaches must accept this fact and the possible short-term failures that may come with it, hoping that the opportunity provides the players with some experience, and for him (the coach) to have a better assessment of his players. I think this draw and lack of passion was a good wake-up call for the team and his coach that we have a long way to go before getting too comfortable.
Aghili is out for 2 weeks, due to injury. This is terrible news for Iran. Omranzadeh replaced Aghili in the Oman match and it was an absolute disaster, to say the least. Miscommunication in defense was at fault for both goals. We take for granted the fact that Hosseini and Aghili have developed chemistry with each other, despite the fact that they're not world-class defenders. Omranzadeh was totally lost alongside Hosseini. We need to start Nosrati at CB alongside Hosseini. As for Beikzadeh- he's a better LB than Hajsafi. Period.
Although he gets a lot of undeserved flack, Aghili is actually a very good defender in my estimation. His absence will hurt Iran, particularly since I don't think any of his replacements are nearly as reliable. Nosrati does have experience, but I have seen him make too many blunders to trust him against a side like Brazil. Omranzadeh apparently did not pan out when he was tested against Oman, so I don't think the match against Brazil is the one to test him again! Although even Sheis Rezaie did not seem all that reliable when he was tested last year, if we don't have Aghili, he would be the player I would call up for the Brazil match. But Sheis does have disciplinary issues with Ghotbi and that makes it uncertain that Ghotbi would look to him to replace Aghili, if indeed Aghili is out for 3 weeks. That is what I had always thought. I did not see the Oman game, but I read comments suggesting Beikzadeh was not very good in that match. My own view, however, is that we should find ways to groom Beikzadeh as our left fullback.
Thanks. Best of luck to Iraq. I don't know why Iraqis keep saying they played terribly. You really didn't... Iran dominated possession, and with the short possession you had you made a mess of our defense and created a number of great scoring chances. Your coach clearly had a defensive approach to the game, so there wasn't much more you could ask for. Very exciting game, anyways. I look forward to our next meeting.
I wonder how our frontline would be if we played a 4-3-3 formation against Kuwait with Rexai, Gholami, and Oladi upfront. All three are energetic and hustle non-stop with good stamina for 3 forward formation. If we get those three working together well, we could have a scoring machine that just needs some polishing.
Another good match is to be played tonight: YEM vs. KUW. Kuwait has the upper hand over the Yemeni national team here, and they are favorites at least theoretically, but we must realize that The Yemeni players are entering the game with a great deal of ambitions to progress to the final. My predictions: YEM 45%. KUW 55%.
Nah, no one can say Iraq played terribly today, in fact they did better than expected. The problem is just that our game plan was destroyed by some really stupid mistakes, just like the fact that three players couldn't stop Mobali without the foul that resulted to your first goal, the stupid red card, or the terrible defending during your second goal. No to mention the wasted chances. Anyway, the game in three months will be the real deal. I'm really looking forward to it now.
Game Highlights [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbMpMKm3p78"]YouTube - Iran vs Iraq Highlights - 2010 WAFF Championship Semi Final - October 1, 2010[/ame]
Yemen played really well this evening, and the match was balanced to some extent. Although, if the goal keeper SALEM SAEED has pulled himself together, the Kuwaiti goal might have been avoided and the game could end in the first 90 minutes. However, if the goal was inevitable, they could be 11 vs. 10 player on field for 20 minutes before extra time and maybe the 30 minutes played in extra time, which could put them as favorites. Anyway, I am proud of our performance tonight, and looking forward to the Gulf cup of nations by the end of this year.
why do we suck so badly? I remember we dominated all the other WAFFs but now we are winning narrowly against 2nd tier asian teams. brazil game will be just like our c team 4-0 loss to mexico.... we will have 2/3 good chances and fail to score, and brazil will score at least 3 due to the friendly nature of the match (we all know that in competitive games against a world power, Iran always goes 0-0 in first half and then concedes 2 stupid goals in the second. this is also because we ARE like a c team now... we have no more a team... its just a random bunch of young ipl players. such a squad is only good enough to beat 2nd tier asian teams and teams such as south korea in their own backyard.