They won't move the games. No need to do so. I think DPRK would be forced by FIFA to issue visas for American fans. Out of the 3 largest sports stadiums in the world, North Korea has 2 and Iran 1, at least that was the case the last time I looked. So they have the stadiums. Iran would be forced to admit US women fans to Azadi Stadium. Iran let a couple of Irish women in for the qualifier 4 years ago. Women are normally banned from Azadi. My wife and I visited Iran alone in 1997 as soon as Iran started issuing transit visas to Americans. I have come damn close to getting a North Korean visa but no cigar. Both countries would be safe for Americans to visit unless the US attacks them. For our part, United Airlines almost did not let us on the plane at O'Hare and the President of Emirates Airlines had to approve our tickets, but we got in. For its part, Iran stopped issuing US citizens visas in 1998 but recently started again. My wife and I would love to go there again and bring our babies. The people were wonderful. I could go on and on. I turrned on the TV one afternoon in Tehran and there was a World Cup Qualifier on TV. I watched Iran lose at Quatar. We went outside and there was gloom in the city. You could feel it. We got back to our cheap hotel and I told the guy at the front desk I was sorry about the loss. He shrugged and said: "Back in Chicago you have problems too. It looks like Pippen's knee is not going to heal." He was a huge Chicago Bulls fan. Huge.
Final Draw for AFC World Cup Qualifying: Group A 1- South Korea 2- Saudi Arabia 3- Uzbekistan 4- Kuwait Group B 1- Japan 2- Iran 3- Bahrain 4- North Korea
Ok you bring up some good points and I did not take this into a factor. I do not know that much about the extremeist situation. I know my Irish friend watched a game in Azadi stadium, and he had no problem, but once again he is not an American and Iran V USA would be a highly publicised game. Now I travel to many places in the world and could tell you that Iran, in my honest opinion, is in the top 10 most interesting countries to visit. There If you ever get the chance, do not miss your opportunity. I was shocked at the variety of things you can do there. They have everything from Skiing, going to a lake in a cave, a forest area, a fancy bazar, visiting ancient places, or swmming with dolphins. You will not get boared but I have one tip for you. Persian women love forengners.
I'm confused as to why China are already out? According to FIFA, both China and Kuwait are 5-0-1 with a +13 differential. Both teams have beaten the other 1-0 at home. Do they have differing results against a common opponent? I guess I missed something. Please explain. IMHO, the five to come out of the AFC will be Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Uzbekistan, and Saudi Arabia. I think that ultimately we'll see Guatamala having to make a nightmare trip to Tashkent and vice versa with the Uzbeks traveling around 30 hours to Guatamala City.
Just a hunch, but with these groups I'd expect Saudi Arabia to finish 5th in Asia after topping Bahrain in the playoff. Predicted order of finish: Group A 1 - S. Korea 2 - Uzbekistan 3 - S. Arabia 4 - Kuwait Group B 1 - Iran 2 - Japan 3 - Bahrain 4 - N. Korea
if saudi arabia becomes the asian 5th place finisher, I'd select them over the concacaf 4th, assuming it's guatemala or t&t or panama.... they play a finnesse, speed game and I'd think they'd win by 2 at home and lose by 1 on the road..
We were in Iran on Death to America Day, a national holiday. There are huge demonstrations with many students and burning of US flags. I wanted to go to it but the guy at the hotel in Shiraz was not sure about it. I had a small US flag with me to display. I read an article in the Financial Times written by an English guy who did go and he said the people were nice, even though they were burning UK flags right in front of him. It is just a big party and an excuse not to go to work. I was taking a picture of my wife at the Hotel Homa in Shiraz underneath the big sign at the entrance; DEATH TO AMERICA. The hotel workers looked so ashamed that the sign was being displayed. Most Iranians do not hate the US at all. When the US wrestling team went to the world championships in Iran the place erupted when the US team came out waving the US flag. The only nation that got a bigger ovation was Iran. In Isfahan, my chador-clad wife was shopping inside a store while waited outside. Word spread than there was an American in the area and I was surrounded by a crowd. One guy stepped up and said: "Why don't Americans like Iranians? We sure like Americans here." If we played the Islamic Republic of Uzbekistan that would be a real treat. I have been there 3 times and would love to go back. Tashkent is the most underrated city in the world. I have been in Saudi Arabia too. I think it is safe for American fans to go there but I am not as enthusiastic about that prospect. Iran, Libya, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, UAE and othe Muslim states we have visited recently are very safe for American tourists. Saudi Arabia is not as safe as it used to be. I would be very careful there.
My picks: Group A: 1) South Korea 2) Saudi Arabia 3) Uzbekistan 4) Kuwait Group B: 1) Japan 2) Iran 3) North Korea 4) Bahrain Playoff - North Korea over Uzbekistan. I also expect North Korea to defeat Panama (my pick for 4th in CONCACAF) to get the final WC spot for Germany.
now of course, given galaxyfan03 selection of north korea, we can expect north korea and usa to be drawn into tje same group in germany!! de ja vu....iran-usa 1998!! I do wonder if the political affect on the north koreans would be similar to the inspired affect it had on the iranians.... given the run of play, it felt to them, god was on their side that day.... now god and north korea...??
IMHO there was MUCH MORE "tension" with the Iran match than there would be with a USA-North Korea WC '06 match. And let's not forget that Iran & Saudi Arabia are also possible group opponents for the USMNT in Germany and I'm NOT sure if there would be less tension in those games than the North Korea game. But I do agree that it would be VERY interesting if these match-ups were to happen in Germany, though I do believe the security would have to be MASSIVE for these games. But I do agree that it would be VERY interesting if we were to get drawn
I recall usa playing north korea in rfk in about 10 years ago....I recall the drpk being very robotic.... interestingly my iranian friend reports panama and iran will be playing a friendly next week, so we should get a feel for concacf versus asia sooner than anticipated... and in other news related to germany and iran: Zandi chooses Iran over Germany Kaiserslatuern and former German youth national team midfielder, Fereydoun Zandi, has opted to play for Iran instead of Germany. This according to the Iranian Football Federation. Earlier, FIFA had cleared Zandi to play for Iran, given the fact that Zandi's father is an Iranian, making Zandi technically an Iranian citizen under Iranian law. (Zandi has dual nationality, given that his mother is German and he was born in Germany). as to heated match-ups in germany....i'd think a saudi match would be relatively mild compared to either iran or north korea.... the really interesting one would have had iraq advancing.... still, china NOT advancing to the final asian round is a stunner to me.
If we played North Korea or Iran I wonder if they'd let tv in. Or more likely ESPN or any other channel would decide it was way to risky and expensive. Could this also turn into a positive? A ton of media attention could result if the US played in North Korea. One last note, I belive the wmnt played N. Korea in Columbus in the last world cup, I recall us winning 3-0 or somthing around that. I'm sure they feed they're athletes.
actually, the women have played Korea DPR in the last two world cups. This time, the koreans looked like a decent team. in 99, when they played each other, the koreans didnt even have a uniform sponsor.
from my iranian friend: Iran v. Panama Result Below. /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// /// Iran v. Panama 1:0 (1:0) Iran's goal came fron a penalty that was clear and not disputed, although I hate the fact that the referee was Iranian. That actually emboldened Panama to play somewhat "dirty", occasionally throwing punches and elbows, knowing that they couldn't be punished properly as it wouldn't "look right". Otherwise, it actually a largely even -- and at times very lackluster -- match played in front of a small crowd by Iranian standards (7,000). Iran enjoyed the better chances; in fact, Panama's had only once real chance in the game. In this regard, the stats told the story well: Iran enjoyed 10 corners to Panama's 3; 3 shots on goals to Panama's 2; 7 dangerous chances to Panama's 3. Iran had a couple of one-on-one type situations that might have found the net in the middle of the second half. The best "play" in the game, IMO, was a fantastic save by Panama's young goalie from a close range; that was a superbly taken header to the ground, but the reaction of Panama's goalie was even better! Iran's goalie, Mirzapour, also had a nice flying save from a shot taken by Panama's #10 (I think he was Medina, the "pseudo-blonde" guy). My evaluation of Panama would be as follows: Panama's players play rough and tough, which is actually a good quality -- as long as they don't engage in the unnecessary, "nasty things", that occasionally crept into their play. Overall, I thought Panama's team work is fine, with fine build ups and some decent players. Tactically, Panama's style might be called "naive" however, since they press too up away from your box, giving a lot of space to an opponent to punish you. Iran wasn't able to take advantage of that in this game, but it can cost them in a serious match. As for Iran, it was a mediocre performance. I thought our players did pretty much their best, and exhibited fine team work and individual skill most of the match. However, they weren't fully comfortable being under constant physical challenge from a physically tough Panama team. Occasionally, on the physical challenges, they would come up short. Down the road, specially looking to opponents from outside Asia, that is something they need to work on more.
Of course Iran would let TV in. Sports events in Iran are regularly broadcast in the Middle East and all over the world if the event is big enough. When the US played Iran in France and in California, there was absolutely no trouble. Instead, there was a lot of good sportsmanship shown on both sides. Iran was planning a friendly against another team in the US and wanted to play the US, all of this two years ago. The US would not given them visas. But that is us being antagonistic, not the other way around. The US would have to give the Iranian delegation visas or we would forfeit the game and a shot at the World Cup. This might suit the US government because it would kill two birds with one stone: Continue an absolute boycott against Iran and prevent the US from doing well in the World Cup, which the State Department is totally against. It is not at all risky to visit Iran. Otherwise I would not have have gone there. North Korea is a little different. I am not sure if there are any live TV feeds from North Korea for anything. But I am pretty sure ESPN would be allowed in and, of course, treated well. North Korea is such a reclusive, quirky nation it is hard to be 100 per cent sure but they are the biggest capitalists going and would do almost anything for foreign currency, even the collapsing US dollar. Our national team played North Korea at RFK in a friendly in 1991. I believe we lost 1-0, but there was no trouble, and a lot of ceremony and friendship from both sides before the game. The only controversy that emanated from this event was the audience, which was 80 per cent Korean-American and cheered for North Korea and against the US. I was in a Japanese class in Tokyo at the time. All of my fellow students were South Koreans who spoke little or no English, and we discussed this. One was a little ashamed that his brethren would do that because the US had saved Korea from Japanese occupation. Another said he was glad, anything to humiliate the US, because we deserved to burn in hell. Relations between the US and North Korea were improving nicely until the big break in 2001. But the hookup in the Seoul-Pyongyang railway is on schedule and that border should open in the summer of 2005. DPRK has already opened a road between Sorak-San and Kungnam-kan, the first opening of the land border since 1953. Tour buses ARE plying this route. It seems incredible but the Hermit Nation is opening up at long last.
The Islamic Republic of Uzbekistan?? That is most certainly not the official name of the country! It would be quite an ironic name give the Uzbek government's policies of closing mosques and throwing Mulsims in jail by the thousands and executing countless others. Anyway, a match against Uzbekistan would be an even bigger treat for me! Hell I'm going there tomorrow. Well, that's by far the most complimentary thing I've ever heard said about Tashkent. Boring, characterless, and lifeless are what I'm used to hearing!
According to the CIA's Factbook, the country's name is just the "Republic of Uzbekistan". On the other hand, the vast majority of the nation--88%--is Muslim.
It is a grat city, like an Islamic Chicago. The subway and tram system is excellent. There is weird little zoo (where the last chaper of The Cancer Ward takes place) and an old town that was not destroyed by the 1964 earthquake. After the quake crews came from all over the USSR to rebuild, so you have a neighborhood in Ukrainian style, Byelorussian style, and so on. There is a substantial Jewish commuinity and many Koreans. The opera house is glorious. Fox Sports World had a game on 2 weeks ago, Pathankot against a Korean club team in the AFC Champions League. The footage of the city brought back a lot of memories. Tashkent is the best, but not as pretty as Ala-Ata. Where in Tajikstan are you? I have never been. When we were in Samrakand I almost hired a taxi to take is to Pendizhent, which is just south of the border down Dushanbe way. Dushanbe is supposed to be a dump, but the Pamirs...superb!