World Cup Qualifier: South Korea - Iran; Info, Updates and Live Reports (31.08.2017)

[Lorestani]

Park Ji-sung on Team Melli:

""Iran is in Asia, but the players' physiques are more like Europeans," he said. "They play rough and powerful football, so that's why opponents have a hard time.""

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news...007800315.html

Well, I think that's a bit over the top. We are certainly more physical than most of Asia, but the difference to Europe is palpable in games like the one against Sweden in 2015.

[Nokhodi]

Well, I think that's a bit over the top. We are certainly more physical than most of Asia, but the difference to Europe is palpable in games like the one against Sweden in 2015.

Physically he's right. Tactically not so much.
Besides in the Sweden game if the ref had actually given Zlatan a card for his over the top violent behavior (including grabbing the throat of one of our players) they wouldn't have scored anything.

[Camran khan]

Well, I think that's a bit over the top. We are certainly more physical than most of Asia, but the difference to Europe is palpable in games like the one against Sweden in 2015.

Sweden's national team is probably the tallest in the world though.

[sarbaz]

Karbala is much safer now days comparing to 2-3 years ago and iran has the sepah pasdaran as well as the Qods force
All over that place , so with said that I believe it will be safe for TM to play over there and not to mention their state of the art stadium and field they built in that city.

[Gotham]

Karbala is much safer now days comparing to 2-3 years ago and iran has the sepah pasdaran as well as the Qods force
All over that place , so with said that I believe it will be safe for TM to play over there and not to mention their state of the art stadium and field they built in that city.

Even then why is the 23rd ranked country in the world playing a friendly with a 106th ranked team? It's a stupid friendly, Iraq isn't anywhere even near our level anymore.

[ehsan singapore]

Even then why is the 23rd ranked country in the world playing a friendly with a 106th ranked team? It's a stupid friendly, Iraq isn't anywhere even near our level anymore.

i agree, why cant we play against like greece or turkey for god sake we are neighbours and we have not played like forever

[Afat11]

Although I am a CQ supporter, I feel his policy on friendlies may hold us back. He seems hesitant to play top-quality teams in friendlies, even when he was in charge of Portugal. I guess his rationale is that the top 10 teams like Germany, Italy, etc. are of a different class. We will be unlikely to defeat a true top team in the world cup anyway, and should shoot for beating the two lesser teams to advance out of the group.

It is a weak mentality in my opinion, but I trust CQ. As some have said, if we get a tough draw like Germany, Columbia and Italy in our group, I think our friendlies will change accordingly. If we get Poland, Burkina Faso, and Serbia, I think we can make it out of the group by preparing against weaker teams like Russia, Iraq, etc. Teams that will challenge us to just score. Take our opportunities. Iran won't be exchanging blows with a team like Germany or Brazil. We'll be playing defense most of the time. We should try to get our finishing strong so we can seize our opportunities in Russia. Playing weaker teams gives our players experience in front of goal, so that when they do have a big opportunity in the world cup they won't miss.

[teammelli91]

I don't know about you guys, but I really want to see Uzbekistan in the World Cup this time around. I hope we beat SK again and Uzbekistan wins their match. Let SK fight their way in the play-offs.

[ehsan singapore]

Although I am a CQ supporter, I feel his policy on friendlies may hold us back. He seems hesitant to play top-quality teams in friendlies, even when he was in charge of Portugal. I guess his rationale is that the top 10 teams like Germany, Italy, etc. are of a different class. We will be unlikely to defeat a true top team in the world cup anyway, and should shoot for beating the two lesser teams to advance out of the group.

It is a weak mentality in my opinion, but I trust CQ. As some have said, if we get a tough draw like Germany, Columbia and Italy in our group, I think our friendlies will change accordingly. If we get Poland, Burkina Faso, and Serbia, I think we can make it out of the group by preparing against weaker teams like Russia, Iraq, etc. Teams that will challenge us to just score. Take our opportunities. Iran won't be exchanging blows with a team like Germany or Brazil. We'll be playing defense most of the time. We should try to get our finishing strong so we can seize our opportunities in Russia. Playing weaker teams gives our players experience in front of goal, so that when they do have a big opportunity in the world cup they won't miss.

i agree, i think burkina faaso or algeria is a good friendly, and even serbia or wales, we will get much better friendlies onces we know our group in world cup, i hope we meet a weak european team, and a african team instead south american, and we get russia

[FF187]

We could start scheduling friendlies and make the pending in case we end up in the same group as our opponents. IFF not taking any advantage of the early qualification just shows the lack of professionalism...sad...i guess a number of hamvatans with foreign education and professionalism could turn that federation easily around.

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[inarsenewetrust]

i think CQ may not ask for good quality opponents because he knows that IFF cannot actually schedule those games anyways. It will likely just be a waste of time, energy , and get everybody's hopes up, and mess up CQ's plans. Better that IFF just aim for what they are capable of.

[Nokhodi]

i think CQ may not ask for good quality opponents because he knows that IFF cannot actually schedule those games anyways. It will likely just be a waste of time, energy , and get everybody's hopes up, and mess up CQ's plans. Better that IFF just aim for what they are capable of.

Yes IFF messes up often, but CQ historically, even in Portugal and South Africa shows he likes average opponents for friendlies.

[saeed_noro]

the really disappointing problem is that the next two fifa match days, in october and november, we could play 4 to 6 friendlies. normally 2 friendlies in each phase. we just organized the russia friendly. very sad. we should now play 4 good stronger teams, qualified teams or teams which have no fifa games, and later after 1 december we should organize for march till june, or even january till june for fifa world cup opponents and choose oponents similar to them.


to be honest, if saudi arabia, turkey, uzbekistan, greece and egypt qualify for the world cup, our chances for better friendlies will increase because of similarity to them.

[ehsan singapore]

Guys the only thing i want now is to kick the arrogant koreans out!
Uzbekistan deserved to qualify with us!

i want us to beat korea and watch how korea and uzbekistan kill each other the last game while we are celebrating in azadi

[DireStraits]

I don't think I have good memories of both team from last world cup. Although I prefer to see south korea fights with KSA in final round. We have not had time to prepare only from 23 this month. They have prepared for a long time for this game so don't think it is going to be an easy game. From the interviews with CQ it looks like he will send an ideal lineup to see how things will go. Simply use this game to test our team certain way. I think Azmoun has two yellows and can't play. Otherwise I would rather see Gucci and Azmoun in one game togather