I understand the huge enthusiasm about what looks like a good Iran team, but that it clouding some of your logic. You all reference all of Iran's results...and their best WC achievement, beating US in 98, which isn't a huge accomplishment actually...but you reduce Mexico's record to one game? Mexico has hosted two WCs and has 35 years or so of playing at a pretty high level and TONS and TONS and TONS of results to support where they are in this hierarchy... ...so don't be ridiculous.
yes Mexico has the luck to have a good Federation and no wars..but did you know Iran supposed to host the '80 olympics ? but then the evolution came and sports in Iran stoped for more than 10 years..
So according to you Greece is better than Holland, France, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England and all other European countries.
Hmm, didnt know Greece did better than these teams in qualifying like Japan did over Iran. Note in the bold sentence the use of and, meaning both A and B have to be true and in your comparison A is not true. Nice try though
Agree in part, disagree in part. You have talented players BUT a lot of them are incomplete, i.e., good attackers and terrible defenders, so in some games you look brilliant and in others you look terrible. Iran can beat anyone, but they can lose to anyone also with that kind of play. Daei was great, over 100 goals is no joke, but you're right, he's too old to play full 90 minutes. He should be coming off the bench as sub to provide some offensive pop if Iran is down a goal or 2.
There is no way anyone here can say (with certainty) that Iran will not perform well against the top seeds in the group (Mexico, Portugal). The reason for that is simple, there is very little evidence to go with. In case of Iran-Portugal, if we were to make any comparison we would have to look at Iran's results against Euro sides. Here are games Iran has played against Euro sides in the last 10 years: (earliest on top) Iran 0-2 Hungary - in Iran Iran 0-2 Croatia - in Croatia Iran 0-1 Yugoslavia - France '98 Iran 0-2 Germany - France '98 Iran 0-0 Denmark - in Denmark Iran 3-1 Macedonia - in Iran Iran 2-1 Georgia - in Iran Iran 2-2 Bosnia - in Bosnia Iran 4-0 Bosnia - in Iran Iran 4-3 Slovakia - in Slovakia Iran 0-2 Ireland - in Ireland Iran 1-0 Ireland - in Iran Iran 2-3 Slovakia - in Iran Iran 1-0 Ukraine - in Ukraine Iran 1-0 Denmark - in Hongkong Iran 1-2 Belarus - in Iran Iran 0-2 Germany - in Iran Iran 2-1 Bosnia - in Iran Overall: 8W-2D-8L (goals for: 23, against: 24) And in case of Mexico, here are the games Iran has played against American sides (North and South Americas) in the last 10 years: Iran 1-0 Canada - in Canada Iran 1-0 Jamaica - in Iran Iran 2-1 USA - France '98 Iran 1-1 Ecuador - in Canada Iran 1-0 Canada - in Canada Iran 2-2 Guatemala - in Canada Iran 1-2 Mexico - in USA Iran 2-1 Ecuador - in USA Iran 1-1 USA - in USA Iran 0-1 Canada - in Egypt Iran 1-0 Venezuela - in Venezuela Iran 1-1 Paraguay - in Iran Iran 1-1 Uruguay - in Hongkong Overall: 6W-5D-2L (goals for:15, against:11) Overall, Iran vs. Europe/Americas: 14W-7D-10L (overall goals for: 38, aginst: 35) Most of these games (Europe and Americas) have been friendles. In official/tournament games Iran has a record of 2W-3L against Europe, and 3W-4D-1L against Americas. (Overall: 5W-4D-4L) With such inconsistant play against European and American sides, it's hard to say who owns who. I believe the reason why Mexicans and Portuguese sides feel that they are superior to Iran is that they play in more prestigious confederations (especially in the case of Portugal) and that competition in their respective confederations are tougher than in Asia. No argument there. But Mexico and Portugal seem to be resting on historical prestige and consider themselves in the round of 16 before they enter the field. My suggestion is for you folks to consider the matchups, not just prestige and historical data.
Historical stats mean nothing to me and Im sure that the coaching staffs of every team in Group D agree. Anyone that does not pay due respect to their apponents will get spanked. Period. As simple as that. To say that Portugal will underestimate any apponent means that they have not learned thier lessons from past upsets. I would like to think that they are going into this with the eyes wide open. Any of these teams can win or loose any game. In one game anything can happen. Disregard any of the chearleader posts. They mean nothing. Do I think Portugal has a good chance of coming out in first place ? Yes I do. Do I think it will happen for sure ? No, not at all. Anyone who types that his team is going to come out in first fore sure, really knows nothing about soccer or refuses to recognize reality and thus should be ignored. I do not know alot about Iran but I do not for a second disrespect them at all. Quite the contrary. Same goes for the other teams in our group.
Eurodad, I think that's right. I think Portugal learned its lesson of underestimating good, though not great, teams from WC 02, which is why I think Portugal will win this group. If Portugal had been mentally prepared in WC 02, it would have won the group because on talent alone Portugal was best. Fact is though that Portugal, Mexico and Iran are all good teams. On any given day, one can beat the other. Let's just hope that there are good clean games and that the winners win with class and losers congratulate winners for good effort.
Classy post !!!!! I would rep you if I could. I know that really good soccer will be played in this group. I cant wait.
Again the WCQ group doesn't mean anything because Iran and Japan had both secured a world cup place and their B teams played in Tokyo. Iran beat Japan 2-1 in Tehran and lost 2-1 in Tokyo. The only think embarassing about Iran's WC campaign is that they tied with Bahrain on their first match. Japan was terrible in their 2 matches vs. N. Korea and could have lost. You have to watch the games, not just look at the points posted on FIFA. And again Iran has won Busan (second to Asian Cup) a few times, was in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup a few times (in these 30 yrs.) and lost to China last time (b-cuz of cheating I might add) and became third (b-cuz of one missed penalty and some red cards in the tournament and the China game!!!!), so in my mind that hardly counts (which you fail to mention again) Iran has also won WAFF a couple of times even though they always use their U-23 or B teams. The fact of the matter is that Iran has done a lot and winning is certainly not everything, but we've done that too and this team is definetely better than the one in '78 as u will see in this WC. My advice to u is to watch Iran play before you come up with another hate thread like this. Thanks!
Hate thread? Demonstrate this "hate" that i have shown? I am not the one personally insulting people. I started a thread with facts and interpreted those facts. Now if making you realize that Mexico and Portugal have accomplished more, won more and perform better in international competition, against world class competition than Iran (another fact) is hate, then a hater I am.
OK I admit to being wrong on that... ur arguments r weak and that is why I suspected u started this thread for the sake of bashing Iran or Iranians, I could be wrong. Yes, on paper Mexico and Portugal ae better than Iran, but I don't think Iran is a mediocre team, I just don't see what ur trying to prove here.
The Iran national team IS mediocre AT THE MOST. What have they accomplished to make them good? Notice that i am not saying their players, coaches, people, fans or Iran itself is mediocre. I said their team has not done anything of importance in the international stage or even in their own conference (one of the weakest conferences in the world). In the international community's eyes the two top teams in Asia are Japan and Korea. They have accomplished more in recent years in international football. If you are not in the top two in a weak conference like Asia, then you should be at the most mediocre. In the Concacaf, Costa Rica is a mediocre team, and they have accomplished a lot more than Iran.
Why don't we all wait till 11 june, maybe then you can start a new thread and brag about your loss or victory.
Costa Rica haven't accomplished more! the only thing they've done better is they made it to the WC more often, because CONCACAF is even more weak..and yes to International eyes japan and Korea are the best in Asia but after 2002 Korea have done nothing! they lost to Saudi Arabia 2 times in the WCQ and tied against the Maldives!!! and Lebanon! + they lost to Iran in the Asian Cup 2004! at this moment the top 2 is definately Iran and Japan, in the past 4 years Iran have been much better and constinent that Korea or KSA.. You seem to be a shallow watcher of football and I think you never saw an Asian football game that was not played in the WC.
Costa Rica reached the second round in 90, beating Sweden and...I forget on the way, so it is you who are (also) wrong ShaRule.
ofcourse if you make it to the WC that many times some wc you just have to make it to the next round like KSA did..
Nice backtracking Sha. Your claim was about Iran. I hear Iran are pretty good so they have a shot at the same this time. Yeah, that was a special KSA team, nice style.
iran one of the best team in the grupp and i do not be CRAZY if they wins against pourtgal and mexcio? iran go go go go I heard many people in china and the arab-state is the fans of iran if iran wins the grupp