PRE-MATCH DISCUSSION | vs. UAE - Asian Cup 2015

[Kiarash]

VS.

[ParthianDE]

The most important issue for this game: Queiroz needs to come up with a plan to neutralize Omar who is an incredibly dangerous playmaker.

[Kiarash]

The most important issue for this game: Queiroz needs to come up with a plan to neutralize Omar who is an incredibly dangerous playmaker.

I heard he had an offer from Manchester City on a 3 year contract...but I haven't seen him playing against decent and solid defensive Asian teams like Iran yet, so it remains to be seen how good he actually is.

He is the kind of a player who needs space like Masoud, if you cut him he won't be able to do well. That's why Abdulrahman Omar will have a much harder time against packed defensive teams like Iran.

[babak_iran]

is the game at the same time? 4AM eastern?

[Tehranto]

This is essentially the same UAE team that has been built, designed and developed together.

Omar Abdul-Rahman shines vs a stacked Uruguay team. He's probably the best Arab player (in Asia) of the last decade. No joke.

[Abtin]

is the game at the same time? 4AM eastern?

It's the same time as our first two matches, if thats 4AM eastern for you, then yes

[AminGP]

Omar Abdul-Rahman shines vs a stacked Uruguay team. He's probably the best Arab player (in Asia) of the last decade. No joke.

He's a great player but our boys have faced much better players in the world cup against Argentina. If they managed to slow Messi down for 89 minutes I don't think Abdulrahman is going to be an issue for us. We have Ando & Neku in the middle and they're going to give him any room to move.

[AminGP]

I heard he had an offer from Manchester City on a 3 year contract

Adel was saying that Dortmund sent their scout to watch Abdulrahman's game in Australia so apparently he has an interest from them as well.

[littlepersia17]

Pre-match discussion: 19/01/2015 Iran - United Arab Emirates

Watching some of UAE games. Omar isn't the only stand out in this team. Ali Mabkhout has a very good touch on him and an eye for the goal. He could very well be the one to watch in attack.


I just don't know how UAE have created him. Apparently Ali Mabkhout was born in Abu Dhabi so he is officially one of them. Maybe this team could qualify for 2018 WC.

[GolfePersique]

You've got to respect this UAE team. A small country with limited manpower, but investing in their youth which is now paying off.
Imagine if they had our pool of raw talent which gets 99.99% wasted.

[Bi-honar]

Regardless of their 2 or 3 quasi-star players, UAE has always been an easier opponent for us than Bahrain and Qatar.

For one they play less anti-football and two they are more of a finesse team rather than a physical one. Overall their style is very similar to the old TM - not the new physically strong one - but with less skillful players.

For that reason, they have never beaten us in a competitive match (!!!) and in fact the only time we ever lost a game to them was in a friendly in Abu Dhabi more than 17 years ago.

Other than that game, they've scored only one goal against us in 14 matches!!!!

Statistically, this is the most lop-sided match of the group in favor of TM.


Head-to-head Record

First game: August 1980, Iran 2 - UAE 0

Total Played: 15
Iran Win: 11
Tie: 3
UAE Win: 1
Goals for (Iran): 23
Goals against (Iran): 4

Last game: 2011 Asian Cup, Iran 3 - UAE 0

Record in competitive games: Iran 7W - 3D - 0L, 14 GF, 1 GA

[GolfePersique]

That's a stunning record. hopefully we'll extend it.

[babak_australia]

Anyone here going to the Brisbane game?

My friend and I were so upset we didnt go last night that we booked our flights to Brisbane for Monday.

We will be in the city for literally 14 hours. LOL. It will be worth it though if we win and qualify in first place.

[Bi-honar]

Just to add to that, we had HUGE gaps in our midfield today, between our back 6 (excl. Haghighi) and front 3, with Hajsafi being mostly nokhodi today , essentially bypassing Qatar's midfield, with longer balls through that gap and to our front men.

Although this took a lot of potency away from our attack today (i.e the lack of an option to play the ball back in most instances), I actually think it will be an advantage against UAE because their midfield is their strongest line and the possibility of dangerous turn-overs is next to nil (as it was against Qatar).

[babak_australia]

Just to add to that, we had HUGE gaps in our midfield today, between our back 6 (excl. Haghighi) and front 3, with Hajsafi being mostly nokhodi today , essentially bypassing Qatar's midfield, with longer balls through that gap and to our front men.

Although this took a lot of potency away from our attack today (i.e the lack of an option to play the ball back in most instances), I actually think it will be an advantage against UAE because their midfield is their strongest line and the possibility of dangerous turn-overs is next to nil (as it was against Qatar).

I think we need an old fashioned CM to replace Massoud. Someone who will work box to box. Do we have a player like that in the team.

The gap between forward and midfield was too much and we need an extra player to cover that area. The two wingers and striker we play will be good enough to cover that from an attacking point of view.

Abdulrahman needs to have a player glued to him for 90 minutes.

I love Massoud while attacking but he does not defend well enough and being the CM he does not work enough defensively in my opinion.