With 2 games played, how do you rank the teams so far?!

[Bi-honar]

You can use any type of order or ranking you like... Personally, I would group them as follows:

1st Tier: Australia, Japan, Iran (favorites to win)

2nd Tier: S. Korea, China, UAE (semi-final appearance at most)

3rd Tier: Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq (no further than quarter-finals)

4th Tier: Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan (as good as 3rd tier, but unable to assert themselves in this tournament)

5th Tier: Oman, Kuwait, North Korea (just happy to be in the tournament with nothing to show)

6th Tier: Palestine (way too weak to be in this tournament).

[Kiarash]

I think Australia and Iran have the best chance to win the tournament. They have shown the best football so far, and Japan is in turmoil since their coach will get fired because he is involved with match fixing in Spain! Japan's performances will get affected by this for sure.

I think China is going to top their group and will pull a major upset by eliminating South Korea in the Quarter Finals.

[Z Joon]

Qatar should be 3rd instead of Iraq, except that I agree with all of it

[elnino99]

It's just like the pre-Bosnia game here.

If you genuinely think our "Performances" so far has been better than Japan's....then perhaps we are watching different games. We've had two very good results, but performance wise, there is a lot to be desired. We've been more like Korea, than Japan.

I'd go (Purely based on those 2 games)

Tier 1: Straya, Japan
Tier 2: Iran, China, South Korea, UAE
Tier 3: Saudi, Uzbekistan, Iraq
Tier 4: Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait
Tier 5: North Korea, Palestine (Not surprisingly, as they got in due to winning the challenge cup)

[Persian-Pride87]

I think we are somewhere between 1st tier and 2nd tier. We are very cohesive defensively which means we can stay in the match against ALL the Asian sides. But offensively there is still a lot to be desired. We definitely need more cohesion on the offensive side of the game.

[elnino99]

It's possible to admit our performances can massively improve without getting all offended and defensive against those who criticize.

Same people who are rightly condemning intolerance in the Charlie Hebdo thread, have proven to be extremely intolerant when our TM is criticized.

If you see end of the game vs. Qatar for example, the tactic of hoofing it to Dejagah and expecting him to bulldoze through 5 Qatari players with zero support was pathetic. It just invites pressure on the other end to which we nearly conceded (the header that hit the post). More quality teams will punish it. And before anyone brings up the Argentina games, we never played hoof it to Dejagah that game. We had great interchanges and passing down the flank on the counter. It's still very early in the tournament, and we can and we will improve in that regard. Just like Italy, who always start tournaments slow (Which has proven to screw them over in the last 2 WCs), but once KO stages are there, they are a different animal. Thankfully, our slow start in terms of performances didn't affect our group stage progress, so that's a big relief.

[Z Joon]

It's just like the pre-Bosnia game here.

If you genuinely think our "Performances" so far has been better than Japan's....then perhaps we are watching different games. We've had two very good results, but performance wise, there is a lot to be desired. We've been more like Korea, than Japan.

I'd go (Purely based on those 2 games)

Tier 1: Straya, Japan
Tier 2: Iran, China, South Korea, UAE
Tier 3: Saudi, Uzbekistan, Iraq
Tier 4: Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait
Tier 5: North Korea, Palestine (Not surprisingly, as they got in due to winning the challenge cup)

Qatar, Bahrain and UAE are better than all the teams in Japan's group. Japan would have struggled a lot in our group imo. I think we've been as convincing if not more than Japan against harder opponents

[Bi-honar]

...Japan is in turmoil since their coach will get fired because he is involved with match fixing in Spain!

I saw a couple of people mention this Kiarash jaan, did I miss some news in the past 24 hours or this is just based on what broke out before the tournament started?

[Kiarash]

I saw a couple of people mention this Kiarash jaan, did I miss some news in the past 24 hours or this is just based on what broke out before the tournament started?

http://sports.news.naver.com/sports/..._id=0002378379
It's true, it's all over Japanese news..Javier Aguirre is guilty and will most likely get jailed for few years when he returns from Asian Cup.

[Bi-honar]

http://sports.news.naver.com/sports/..._id=0002378379
It's true, it's all over Japanese news..Javier Aguirre is guilty and will most likely get jailed for few years when he returns from Asian Cup.

Wow, you decide to catch up with your sleep and miss two games and all hell has broken loose when you wake up!

[Kiarash]

Wow, you decide to catch up with your sleep and miss two games and all hell has broken loose when you wake up!

The allegations have been going on since last month, but now it's getting more evident he is guilty and JFA is now firing him because they no longer want a coach who is suspicious. A very bad timing, but good for us.

[elnino99]

Qatar, Bahrain and UAE are better than all the teams in Japan's group. Japan would have struggled a lot in our group imo. I think we've been as convincing if not more than Japan against harder opponents

I disagree. I think both groups are as awful as each other. Overall, the quality of Arab teams are in an all-time low, and no wonder the two groups with the most Arab teams are the ones with least quality. Qatar especially, are even worse than Bahrain.

Maybe it's just me. But I have high standards for our TM. We looked like world beaters in the group stage in 2011, but absolutely stank the place out in the QF.
On the other hand, in 2004, we were very lucky to qualify from our group, but completely took our game up a notch in the knock-out round.

Right now, I think our performances are somewhere in between 2004 and 2011 group stage. As long as we can elevate our game against tougher opponents we'll be fine. I think our style suits tougher opponents actually. I was worried about the group stage due to our lack of preparations and rustiness, but thankfully we've managed to get through. I'm cautiously confident.

I am still adamant that we MUST rest a few of our key players vs. UAE. Let's use the whole squad and keep the team fresh. Like of Ando and Dejagah especially need rest. I'd love to rest Nekounam too, but that'd be too much changes in midfield. Let's learn from the Bosnia debacle, it's a long tournament, and if we want to win it, we'll have to beat Japan/Australia at one point. Be it QF or Final.

Frankly for me, Asian Cup is either winning or not winning. That's why I don't get this whole "WE MUST AVOID JAPAN AT ALL COST" mentality. It's an Asian Cup ffs. Reaching semi-final is no achievement.

Even with a few rotated players, fresh and wanting to show their worth to CQ, we should be able to beat UAE. They are piss poor defensively, and ours is the best in the tournament. I hope CQ rotates Ashkan and Ando especially. Because those 2's game absolutely relies on stamina, handwork and energy. We need them fresh for the all important KO games.

[MR.ESTESNAII]

1-Japan 2- Australia 3-Iran

[euphory]

i feel that our boys were tired in the legs. or maybe i watched another game.

[Z Joon]

I disagree. I think both groups are as awful as each other. Overall, the quality of Arab teams are in an all-time low, and no wonder the two groups with the most Arab teams are the ones with least quality. Qatar especially, are even worse than Bahrain.

Maybe it's just me. But I have high standards for our TM. We looked like world beaters in the group stage in 2011, but absolutely stank the place out in the QF.
On the other hand, in 2004, we were very lucky to qualify from our group, but completely took our game up a notch in the knock-out round.

Right now, I think our performances are somewhere in between 2004 and 2011 group stage. As long as we can elevate our game against tougher opponents we'll be fine. I think our style suits tougher opponents actually. I was worried about the group stage due to our lack of preparations and rustiness, but thankfully we've managed to get through. I'm cautiously confident.

I am still adamant that we MUST rest a few of our key players vs. UAE. Let's use the whole squad and keep the team fresh. Like of Ando and Dejagah especially need rest. I'd love to rest Nekounam too, but that'd be too much changes in midfield. Let's learn from the Bosnia debacle, it's a long tournament, and if we want to win it, we'll have to beat Japan/Australia at one point. Be it QF or Final.

Frankly for me, Asian Cup is either winning or not winning. That's why I don't get this whole "WE MUST AVOID JAPAN AT ALL COST" mentality. It's an Asian Cup ffs. Reaching semi-final is no achievement.

Even with a few rotated players, fresh and wanting to show their worth to CQ, we should be able to beat UAE. They are piss poor defensively, and ours is the best in the tournament. I hope CQ rotates Ashkan and Ando especially. Because those 2's game absolutely relies on stamina, handwork and energy. We need them fresh for the all important KO games.

Even the weakest team in our group, Bahrain could beat all arab teams in Japan's group. If you don't agree with that then let's agree to disagree. Iraq, Jordan or Palestine would all lose convincingly vs UAE and Qatar.

But I agree that we should rest our players vs UAE.