I just watched the game and I must say the game didnt satisfy me at all, except the score-line.
1- sepahan played good football only for the first 30 minutes and then dissolved into a team too cautious and defensive , thus mistake prone!
the mistakes became even more detrimental in the second half !
they may have won the game, but they did not play it to make fans rest easy ! and had it been a 2-1 , things would have been very VERY difficult for them in the return leg, if they planned to play like THIS !
==========
2- I dont know who is at fault, but someone decided 1-0 was enough after the first 30 minutes !
the players totally lost their teeth and hunger!
if they had kept up the intensity, they'd have steamrolled the wahda , especially the wahda that was so error-prone in their passing in 2nd half!
is it a croatian thing to be satisfied with the absolute MINIMUM advantage?
I dont know.
or was it the lack of experience among the players that suddenly saw them potentially reaching a stage that they hadnt even imagined ( final of AFC ) ?
this lack of "championship character" is VERY disturbing. and will decide their fate if they advance to the final.
the team lost its focus and started to play an all too cautious game that allowed the weaker wahda team to get back into the game.
bonacic and his staff MUST work on the character of their players if they want to achieve anything.
==============
3- once again, there was not enough width in the team !
why does he ignore this vital point?
it was better than their game in japan, but not enough.
bonacic's team insisted on attacking from the middle and frankly, we must admit, they scored their goals MAINLY becoz of wahda's weak & confused defense and mistake-prone keeper, than doing something on their own.
first goal and second goals were both due to confusion and mistakes of the defenders. if they'd cleared the ball well, sepahan would have been in trouble.
no coach shd rely on the mistakes of the opponents.
( this wahda , with such mistakes , would have been torn to pieces by the japanese kawasaki team )
==============
4- the penalty was more correct than incorrect.
on replays we saw the defender did extend his arm and blocked karimi's twist and in fact hit him in the face, before retracting his arm.
===============
5- the ref was just too in-experineced for this level of football.
in the first half he reduced wahda to 10 men. I say it was a fair decision.
but no ref shd try to "make up" or try to "restore a balance" for such things! this ref DID that.
he did not allow the correct foul done on navidkia and denied sepahan of a penalty, in the first half.
I just knew he was too zealous to "balance things out" as he handed a couple of bad yellows to sepahan, trying to look "fair & just" !!
but it took guts to call the second penalty.
the assistant ref also was too hasty in calling a couple of offsides that were clearly NOT. who knows what karimi would have done had he been allowed to advance, late in 2nd half.
===================
6- weakest players for sepahan: haj sayfi and lovinian ( to some extent ).
I dont know why bonacic kept the more energetic and specialist akbari on the bench so hajsayfi ( his mistake in clearing led to whada's goal later ) remain on the pitch !
then again I can never figure out what goes on bonacic's mind ! he does take strange decisions often times.
whereas navidkia showed signs of coming back to his old form, which is good.
Mohamadi also saved our arses again and with these 2 games' displays I say he deserves a call up to TM camp.
====================
7- shots!
what is wrong with our players, in general?
a team that has kazemi, navidkia, akbari, ... shd be taking more long range shots.
look how whada almost scored against us. long ranger.
why cant our lads do the same more often?
1- sepahan played good football only for the first 30 minutes and then dissolved into a team too cautious and defensive , thus mistake prone!
the mistakes became even more detrimental in the second half !
they may have won the game, but they did not play it to make fans rest easy ! and had it been a 2-1 , things would have been very VERY difficult for them in the return leg, if they planned to play like THIS !
==========
2- I dont know who is at fault, but someone decided 1-0 was enough after the first 30 minutes !
the players totally lost their teeth and hunger!
if they had kept up the intensity, they'd have steamrolled the wahda , especially the wahda that was so error-prone in their passing in 2nd half!
is it a croatian thing to be satisfied with the absolute MINIMUM advantage?
I dont know.
or was it the lack of experience among the players that suddenly saw them potentially reaching a stage that they hadnt even imagined ( final of AFC ) ?
this lack of "championship character" is VERY disturbing. and will decide their fate if they advance to the final.
the team lost its focus and started to play an all too cautious game that allowed the weaker wahda team to get back into the game.
bonacic and his staff MUST work on the character of their players if they want to achieve anything.
==============
3- once again, there was not enough width in the team !
why does he ignore this vital point?
it was better than their game in japan, but not enough.
bonacic's team insisted on attacking from the middle and frankly, we must admit, they scored their goals MAINLY becoz of wahda's weak & confused defense and mistake-prone keeper, than doing something on their own.
first goal and second goals were both due to confusion and mistakes of the defenders. if they'd cleared the ball well, sepahan would have been in trouble.
no coach shd rely on the mistakes of the opponents.
( this wahda , with such mistakes , would have been torn to pieces by the japanese kawasaki team )
==============
4- the penalty was more correct than incorrect.
on replays we saw the defender did extend his arm and blocked karimi's twist and in fact hit him in the face, before retracting his arm.
===============
5- the ref was just too in-experineced for this level of football.
in the first half he reduced wahda to 10 men. I say it was a fair decision.
but no ref shd try to "make up" or try to "restore a balance" for such things! this ref DID that.
he did not allow the correct foul done on navidkia and denied sepahan of a penalty, in the first half.
I just knew he was too zealous to "balance things out" as he handed a couple of bad yellows to sepahan, trying to look "fair & just" !!
but it took guts to call the second penalty.
the assistant ref also was too hasty in calling a couple of offsides that were clearly NOT. who knows what karimi would have done had he been allowed to advance, late in 2nd half.
===================
6- weakest players for sepahan: haj sayfi and lovinian ( to some extent ).
I dont know why bonacic kept the more energetic and specialist akbari on the bench so hajsayfi ( his mistake in clearing led to whada's goal later ) remain on the pitch !
then again I can never figure out what goes on bonacic's mind ! he does take strange decisions often times.
whereas navidkia showed signs of coming back to his old form, which is good.
Mohamadi also saved our arses again and with these 2 games' displays I say he deserves a call up to TM camp.
====================
7- shots!
what is wrong with our players, in general?
a team that has kazemi, navidkia, akbari, ... shd be taking more long range shots.
look how whada almost scored against us. long ranger.
why cant our lads do the same more often?
) and horny ppl will try to "man-handle" and do "laas baazi" !!
Comment