The difference between us and a good team

[Martin-Reza]

Of course it is only one of many differences.

I am watching Wolfsburg-Bayern.

Wolfsburg had taken then lead but conceded an equalizer only moments later.

They again took the lead in second half and moments later Bayern had a corner. Wolfsburg's keeper picked up the ball, pushed several Bayern players aside, ran forward and quickly played the ball forward to launch a counter attack. The counter was finished off and the 3-1 decided the game.

Meanwhile it is 5-1 shortly before the end.

And now remember what we did after taking the lead. Timewasting at home like real losers instead of showing strength and pushing for a second.

No need to take major risks, Wolfsburg also didn't run forward with 6 or 7 players, but they never wanted to rely on timewasting or getting the one-goal-lead over the time against a strong team at home.

[Adesor Vafaseya]

That is indeed very true.... sadly, Ali Daei himself played and sat on benches in bundesliga, he should have known better.

We are not Italy, and will never will be Italy to play like this. Playing Defensive and cattenaccio type of football is not easy, you must really have world class players to implement that, which Iran certainly doesn't have.

indeed the example of Wolfsburg vs Bayern is a good one. There are no Big and Small in football... its all the attitude that counts.

[ardi11]

it took them exactly 11:25 sec.

[Hadi]

the only game where we played with an international attitude was the 4-3 with korea.

[Adesor Vafaseya]

the only game where we played with an international attitude was the 4-3 with korea.

or 2:1 versus Japan.

actually we can.... but we have to get it right in our brains, not just for a game but forever... and thats something Europeans learn at U-14, U-15, U-16... a proper programme at youth stages, which we don't have!

[Martin-Reza]

^ for sure. Of course, as Human said, it is a matter of experience. But not only. As you point out, players need to understand that from young age.

Of course the opponent will be pressing forward and there is no need to take too much risk, but there is no need to play as passively as we do.

[Doctor DOOM]

the only game where we played with an international attitude was the 4-3 with korea.

I disagree.

you are looking at the "numbers" again. what Martin is talking about is a team sustaining its pressure even after scoring a lead goal.

we did NOT do that. as soon as we scored, we retracted and allowed a lot of space to the koreans to come at us, put pressure on our defense and exploit this pressure by scoring a goal.

we just had enough talent in the team that after drawing level, they step up a level and surge forward in search of a goal. But we did NOT sustain our pressure.


the closest I can think of going by the purpose of this thread is the 3-0 or 6-2 of AC-96 games, when we were relentless (the key word here). same thing happened in china , when we won 4-2 after falling behind in front of the chinese.
and then, we repeated this feat by another 4-1 goal thumping of the chinese in Azadi with our consistent & relentless pressure.
we were relentless by not allowing the opponents breathing space or time to compose themselves... by keeping up the pressure and not retreating back.

after france 98, I have hardly come across such philosophy being followed .. even in those games where we've won with more than 2-3 goals difference. we were hardly relentless in our approach ever since!! coz many of those goals were scored off COUNTERS. and that does not mean sustaining the pressure on the opponent.
that's a totally different strategy.