The likely scenario for Iran in the Asian Cup 2007

[Ali Chicago]

For some reason, I think KSA football is going downward and it is not what it used to be. Dont' have much data to back it up, but even in the latest so called gulf cup they didn't win it. I think they used to own that.

We played on par against S.Korea for most part in Seoul and Tehran (at least if not dominated them). So I dont' worry about S. Korea as much.

Australia is a different story. They play a tough, fast pace football and that is something our team traditionally can't handle well. Our team can play well, against slow building, slower teams (most Arab countries for example).

[Doctor DOOM]

1- yashar jan, conditions in indinesia is far worse than malaysia.
malaysia is hot & humid, but with far better facilities, and a far more receptive attitude towards Iranians ( this is first hand knowledge ).
especially in K.L. ( lovely city , btw )

indonesia is a collection of small islands and trust me humidity if not worse than malaysia is definitely not better.

=================

ali jan, I accept the "size" argument. but not the fitness one.
yes, we are better than MOST asian teams. but we are not better than the TOP teams like korea, Japan, ksa, and now, aussies.

as u know any team will have difficulty playing in humid environments, even if fit enough.
us? I'm afraid all GN can do and shd do is work on player's fitness and physical training.

that is far far more crucial and vital than supposedly laying down plans and plots !

[yashar_fasihnia]

hmm..thanx for the info.

well, i know countries like UAE(where i live in) and im guessing the surrounding countries like saudi arabia are highly hot and humid, and i think saudi arabia will naturally be able to play under these conditions better than us...

but anywayz, thanx for the info on indonesia,i guess it doesnt matter much after all then.

[The-Red]

1- yashar jan, it is usually very risky for any team to adjust things to come second. especially with only 3 games to play and at least 3 teams in contention.
if there were more number of games, it wld have been less risky & one can "manage" to adjust results and goals.
or the group shd have only two very good teams and 2 very weak teams.
--------------------------
2- korea is not easy.
just becoz we beat them last time.
in fact if tradition continues it is their turn to beat us.
96 us
2000 them
2004 us
2007 ?
--------------------
is there some kind of jinx on Iran & semifinals?
it used to be whether clubs or nat'l teams, we used to come undone at semis !!
maybe if we somehow get past the semis, final game could be easier !!!!
anyone knows how many finals we have lost , nat'l team or clubs?
I know TM came second to india about 40-50 yrs back
and ss lost at ACL in tehran in 90's.
anymore?

ya Perspolis lost in final of jamdarjam in 92 to japanies club, but at national team level we don't usually never lose in the final, except that one ocassion you mentioned which goes back to 40 years ago, which I don't remember

[perspolees]

I think we are in a tough group. Coming up from that group is not gonna be an easy task. Provided the fact that we need to come up first in the group for two reasons:
1. We will then play the second in group D and that would hopefully mean Saudi Arabia, which I would take anytime ove S. Korea ( which is favored to win the group) plus I am thinking we should be more fit in that weather against the grass rolling arabs...

2. We will continue our course on the same field and stay in Malaysia and the same stadium which would be a huge favor for the team that would adapt to weather and the pitch. Potentially if we could win that match in Malaysia then we would be set to yet again stay on the same pitch for the semifinal.
plus our opponent has to come into sort of our home by the next game where we have essentially played all of our games in malaysia.

please also remember that in tourneys like this they try to set up the home team for a run and I bet you that malaysia is eyeing that first spot in that group to have a run all the way to semis... with that at hand if we could just steal the first spot on even goal average we would have a good shot at semis..


As such I predict that if we come up first we have a shot at semifinal, and if we come up second we will be eliminated in the next immediate round. That said all of these speculations is just a small percentage of what really will happen...

GO IRAN, Sheere Jiyan

office, surgeries, patients and hospital visits are all cancelled ahead of time
OC members are welcome to watch games at my house

[Ali Chicago]

=================

ali jan, I accept the "size" argument. but not the fitness one.
yes, we are better than MOST asian teams. but we are not better than the TOP teams like korea, Japan, ksa, and now, aussies.

as u know any team will have difficulty playing in humid environments, even if fit enough.
us? I'm afraid all GN can do and shd do is work on player's fitness and physical training.

that is far far more crucial and vital than supposedly laying down plans and plots !

If you read the papers, you see the TM started with the physical conditioning tests under Koomasi. Ando and Kaabi did best supposedly. Koomsi said, his goal is to make the team ready for 120 minutes games. They used machines and stuff to measure, blood flow, lung capacity, etc. etc. Which I was amazed to the fairly complex methods they used.

Koomasi maybe isn't at the bleeding edge of physical conditioning latest development, but the guy knows how to prepare a tough team in top conditioning form. This is not just my opinion, look at how he prepared PP in the past couple of years (whenever Parvin was in charge), to play a strong physical game. PP under Parvin, mostly was playing a physical game, basically based on running the opposition down.

Another positive surprise was that TM announced the scheudle for the TM training camp from now to the AFC tounrament. They have two practice sessions every day. In the afternoon from 16:15 to 16:45 (two to three players each day) will meet the press and answer questions and at 5:00 pm the practice sessions start. See the sport papers yesterday, I saw the scheudle in Iran-varzeshi.

These guys are learning, not fast enough, but they are trying at least.

[Ali Chicago]

OC members are welcome to watch games at my house

What is OC? If you are in SJ area, I may sarat kharb sham. Specially if you throw in Haleem and Kaleh Pacheh. Not sure what times are the game. Assume, it is late nite early mornings.

[zzgloo]

I would like to be optemistic here,and wish for the best.....BUT !!!

the good news are :

1- Malaisia is among the weakests of all hosts.
2-Malaisia has better facilities,and better weather.
3-Our group is among the weakests.
4-We have individualy more experinced players,and more legioners with better class football.
5-There is less distraction,compaire to branko's time.
.......................................

the bad news are :

1-players have less chamistry.
2-Ghalenoee is less of a coach,less preparation,less surprises,less management,less player's respect.
3-There is less entangebles !,that is to say, there is less enthusiasem,no WC to look up to, no high fifa rank,no forign coach, not as much attention.
.........................................

Bottom line :

China and uzbakistan,ordinarly,should not cause any problem,although,TM is less dominating,slower,and less imaginative,and more predictable.
We should reach the next stage,although not easily !
The next stage is where we will have tough time, and can only advance,if ghalenoee show some surprize off his sleeves !!

.........................................
My prediction,is ,we will have secound round exit, and more respect for Branko !

[Paradigm]

The link http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/Socceroo.html gives the international results for Australia since 1922. Last year they beat the current European Champs Greece 1-0, and tied Holland 1-1.

If we want the Asian Cup we have to overcome these guys and it just won't be easy. Other info can be found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austral..._football_team , the more I read the more I am afraid we will have trouble vs the Socceroos.

[perspolees]

What is OC? If you are in SJ area, I may sarat kharb sham. Specially if you throw in Haleem and Kaleh Pacheh. Not sure what times are the game. Assume, it is late nite early mornings.

orange county.
games are early mornings but no haleem or kale pache as I cant stand the smell of either sorry...
werent you in Chicago? did u move to bay area?

[Doctor DOOM]

persi mentions a good point on "staying put in malaysia" as far as we can.
the more we play in one place, the more support we gain from that city.
plus the less travel and adjustment for the players.


ali jan, komaasi may "say" such things. but I dont think he is able or our players would get there in time !
yes, the intent is very correct.
but I think the phys-trainer we had under MK ( forgot his name. mehdi-nia ? something-nia ) was far better than komaasi.
komaasi is only more well known becoz of his association with pp and parvin.
and those games are at IPL level.
we all know IPL physical levels are nowhere near the top asian teams' !
we need to step UP not maintain IPL's levels.


zz jan, malaysia is NOT the weakest, I assure you.
also our group is pretty tough compared to some others.

[yashar_fasihnia]

in jan when i asked nosrati about the phsyical trainer of the team, he shook his head and said, "khob komasi ham bad nist, ba tajrobast".
i think he meant we could have had better physical trainers.

[Ali Chicago]

orange county.
games are early mornings but no haleem or kale pache as I cant stand the smell of either sorry...
werent you in Chicago? did u move to bay area?

Thanks for the explanation. I live in Chicago but due to my work (software consultancy), I travel a lot to Bay area. I have an apt there (no funny ideas bro!!!!! LOL). But dont' have the Iranian sateltie dish in Santa Clara (where my apt is). Guess back to square one, looking for the next victim.

Man you don't like the smell of Haleem and Kaleh Pacheh!!!! Guess we have to send you for a Genology (to test your Genes) or whatever the right name for it is.
Don't tell me you are Sushi and super Organic type of guy are you?
Just teasing you dada.

[Ali Chicago]

ali jan, komaasi may "say" such things. but I dont think he is able or our players would get there in time !
yes, the intent is very correct.
but I think the phys-trainer we had under MK ( forgot his name. mehdi-nia ? something-nia ) was far better than komaasi.
komaasi is only more well known becoz of his association with pp and parvin.
and those games are at IPL level.
we all know IPL physical levels are nowhere near the top asian teams' !
we need to step UP not maintain IPL's levels.

IPL games aren't that high pace and all, but there are certian teams the play strenght based, physical tight games. PP under Parvin, didnt' have much but grinde and high pressure football. I think there was even stats about goals PP scroed which was in 60th minutes and afterward. That in large part was due to Koomasi and running these PP players in the hills around Northern Tehran. Beleive me that running in the hills maybe isn't the most sceientific way to do fitness work, but does majic to players legs. They can run like a horse the whole god damn game.

[perspolees]

persi mentions a good point on "staying put in malaysia" as far as we can.
the more we play in one place, the more support we gain from that city.
plus the less travel and adjustment for the players.


ali jan, komaasi may "say" such things. but I dont think he is able or our players would get there in time !
yes, the intent is very correct.
but I think the phys-trainer we had under MK ( forgot his name. mehdi-nia ? something-nia ) was far better than komaasi.
komaasi is only more well known becoz of his association with pp and parvin.
and those games are at IPL level.
we all know IPL physical levels are nowhere near the top asian teams' !
we need to step UP not maintain IPL's levels.


zz jan, malaysia is NOT the weakest, I assure you.
also our group is pretty tough compared to some others.

DDjan
Komasi is a rock solid trainer dont doubt it.
He has the degree, the experience and physically fit more than most of our players!! and to me thats really important, at this age and for all of these years he had to have abided by the rules that he preeches and you have to have an awfull lot of disciplin to have aerobi and anaerobic scores as he had...