Asian Cup - Group Preview - Friendlies, Information and more..

[hzv]

i watched second half of Korea vs. Saudi.
The Sauds have very big problems to play just football from the behind to the front, under pressure, very shaky defence in total. they seems to do their best and they will surely progress with the games. i rated them higher and predict to win their game, because the Saudis progress in a tournament normally. And their group is very balanced.
But their performance today did not impressed me, only one time at the corner of the box with a good shoot from a difficult position, but i do not want to underestimate them. with this preperation vs. korea they have it easier vs. china and north korea. we will see.
Probably no wonder that Bahrain beat Saudis 4:1 and today also 1:0 vs. Jordan. Bahrain is in form, and just want to inform you they won their group in front of Qatar, and collect 4 points from Qatar and did not lose a single game. Will not be the easiest opponent people think about our group.

i agree, it seems like bahrain is no pushover with their recent results and possibility of them finishing ahead of u.a.e is very high.lets hope we get our 3 points in what is to be probably our toughest match in the group for obvious history and it being our first game. it is hard to pick any of these arab teams over the other they are pretty much at the same level.

[Kiarash]

We are aspiring to become at least 3rd in this tournament, why do we even worry about Bahrain? Forget about Asian minnows, start thinking about Japan, Australia and Korea (the three biggest treats to Iran in my eyes).

We topped the group in 2011 with the likes of P.Nouri, M.Nouri, Gholami, Arash Afshin...with all due respect, our current team would eat these players alive.

[saeed_noro]

We are aspiring to become at least 3rd in this tournament, why do we even worry about Bahrain? Forget about Asian minnows, start thinking about Japan, Australia and Korea (the three biggest treats to Iran in my eyes).

We topped the group in 2011 with the likes of P.Nouri, M.Nouri, Gholami, Arash Afshin...with all due respect, our current team would eat these players alive.

The next game is the most hardest game. Step by Step my friend.

[Kiarash]

The next game is the most hardest game. Step by Step my friend.

I firmly believe we will win all three games by minimal difference. 3x 1-0 is a likely scenario.

[babak_australia]

Mamad Booghi picture the headline for this article.....What a classic.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/socce...04-12hkfo.html

[Taz]

That's probably the most in-depth team-by-team preview of the tournament I've seen and they're fairly well clued up, too.

[Bi-honar]

And Iranians still think we'll beat them with ease.

As they say Martin jaan, the ball is round and anything can happen, but generally speaking I don't think a team that has only made it out of the group stage of the Asian Cup once and just finished at the bottom of their Gulf Cup group, is an opponent we should be too worried about. Competition jitters for weaker teams are a factor we can never dismiss.

Our Asian Cup group is actually very similar to what Bahrain's Gulf Cup group was, substituting Iran for Saudi Arabia and UAE for Yemen, both of which substitutions are MUCH stronger teams IMHO. Bahrain only managed 2 points in that group and I unless there's some sort of miracle, I don't think they'll even get that many points in this group.

[babak_australia]

Call me crazy but I am a little worried. I did not know UAE and Qatar were so well respected in football.

I know a lot of neutrals are saying Iran is a tournament favorite which in my heart and mind I also agree with, but there is also a lot of people saying beware the UAE and Qatar.

Did I miss something in the last few years?

[saeed_noro]

Call me crazy but I am a little worried. I did not know UAE and Qatar were so well respected in football.

I know a lot of neutrals are saying Iran is a tournament favorite which in my heart and mind I also agree with, but there is also a lot of people saying beware the UAE and Qatar.

Did I miss something in the last few years?

yes you missed how Iran lose vs. Lebanon 0:1 and only draw Qatar 0:0 at home in the last WCQ2014.

The hardest match is always the next match. So easy.
There is no guarantee for first spot in our group or to beat all teams with ease. I think we will win the group too, but with 7 or 9 points and 1:0 victories. My feeling right now.

[O-ZoNe]

Did anyone notice Japan had a friendly against Auckland FC which is not even in the A League. ( before you let me know A league is Australian League, Wellington Phoenix from NZ plays in A League). Guess it is not only TM.

They also played Uruguay, Venezuela, Jamaica, Brazil, Honduras, and Australia since September 2014! I think they are now just putting the polishing touches on a run for the AC Cannot compare their preparation in any way to ours.

[babak_australia]

yes you missed how Iran lose vs. Lebanon 0:1 and only draw Qatar 0:0 at home in the last WCQ2014.
The hardest match is always the next match. So easy.
There is no guarantee for first spot in our group or to beat all teams with ease. I think we will win the group too, but with 7 or 9 points and 1:0 victories. My feeling right now.

Everyone loses unexpectedly, that is nothing new (See Holland v Spain and Germany v Brazil for two types of wins we never saw coming) and my point was not Iran at all.

My point was in reference to the two Arab countries and how they have all of a sudden become teams to take notice of. I did not see it coming and just wondered, have I been sleeping for the last few years or is this just all talk?

[aenima_8]

http://www.gulf-times.com/mobile//sp...final-friendly

[EKBATAN]

we played like crap against iraq

[Taz]

Everyone loses unexpectedly, that is nothing new (See Holland v Spain and Germany v Brazil for two types of wins we never saw coming) and my point was not Iran at all.

My point was in reference to the two Arab countries and how they have all of a sudden become teams to take notice of. I did not see it coming and just wondered, have I been sleeping for the last few years or is this just all talk?

Both teams have definitely proven themselves as very serious opponents in this last year.

Qatar are on an 11-game unbeaten streak including their Gulf Cup victory as well as victories over Uzbekistan and Australia and have some real talent in the likes of Qasem Burhan, Abdelkarim Hassan and Ibrahim Khalfan.

UAE similarly have looked good against the likes of Paraguay and Australia and with talents like Omar Abdulrahman, Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout, they're formidable.

Neither side are going to provide easy victories and even Bahrain, as the group's weakest side, now look to be operating at a higher level than the likes of Kuwait and Jordan.

[Kavian]

we played like crap against iraq

That is my thoughts as well ... we couldn't put together more than 3 healthy passes. I don't like this style of play... it is below our capabilities.