بیستمین سالگشت حماسه ملبورن

[IRANMAN]

درود چند روز دیگر (۸ آذر) بیستمین سالگرد بازی بزرگ و رهیابی کم مانند ایران به جام جهانی است بنام پیکار یا حماسه ملبورن. یکدهه پیش به انگیزه دهمین سالگرد برنامه ویژه ای ساخته شد. امیدست برای بیستمین سالگرد هم چنین گردد. نزدیکی بیستمین سالگشت حماسه ملبورن به برگزاری آیین گروهبندی جام جهانی هم فراخور نگرش است.

[Erfan11]

You meant سالگرد instead of سالگشت right?

[teammelli91]

At first I thought this was an anniversary of someone's death. Then I read "Melbourne".

Yup, it was 20 years ago. Yadesh bekheyr..

[Persian-Pride87]

Legend has it Australian koons are still burning to this day.

[nisfejahan]

An overlooked fact about the Iran-Aus playoff games (both in Tehran and Melbourne) is that Australia was NOT actually that good a side. Yes, they were probably better overall than Iran, but not to the extent that their coaches and players imagined. They had come thru the Oceania group easily, facing such giants as Tahiti and Solomon Islands. Having beat them, they were under the illusion that they should just walk all over Iran.

The game in Tehran should have been a convincing win by Iran, but ended up in a tie. The game in Australia started really bad, partly (or may be mainly) due to the incompetence of the IR FF. The Iranian team was brimming with talent. That team placed Daei, Kia, Azziz, Shahroudi, Minavand, Bagheri at pretty good teams in Europe, some with pretty good success.

Australia on the other hand also had players in Europe. Aside from a couple, the rest were mediocre players at best. The quality of Iran's league at the time was much higher than then Aussie's league NSL. The A-League had not been established yet. For example Abedzadeh who was an Iranian league player could have (should have) played in a decent European team. Other Iranian players were also decently talented, at least compared to the Aussies.

Once Bagheri scored the first goal, the Aussies lost their composure and the game became an emotional test of grit. At that time, the talent of the Iranian players, and their desire trumped any advantage the Aussies had.

GREAT GAME, a roller coaster ride, full of memories. I watched at the Sheraton hotel in Secaucus, NJ.

[elnino99]

Will never forget.

I was in first grade and had just come back from school.

And the scenes after the match....I had never seen Isfahan so happy. I remember cute girls dancing outside from their cars chanting:

میخام برم امام زاده
بشم زن عابدزاده

[IRANMAN]

Greatest Comeback

Probably One of The Greatest Comebacks of All Time:

[AIrani]

It is emotional to watch the videos. The majority of Iranians will not forget those times in our football history.

With the hope, we continue our support of Team-e Melli. People's support has not been enough. We need to stand behind players, good coaches against corrupt administrators.

[IRANMAN]

از شکست تا پیروزی

شاید بزرگترین گردش از شکست به پیروزی

[IRANMAN]

"Melbourne Epic"; 20th Anniversary

The so called "Melbourne Epic" or "The Epic of Melbourne" is a name given to one of the biggest comebacks in football history if not the biggest, most impressive astonishing encounter ever! Beyond the fact that it was a triumph against all odds, the match or rather the battle was broadcast live on the entire planet since it was the playoff for the last remaining spot of the World Cup. Furthermore the decisive clash happened just before the start of the internet age or the era when the world wide web went public. So all the sudden turn around magic and everything happened during the last moments and right at the end watched almost by all on Earth.

[eerooni]

IMO, Australia is still an average team today! They have an ageing team that with every successive qualification gets more mediocre, The only reason they succeeded is that other teams are slightly weaker, They drew most of their games, and Japan beat them and drew them and they barely managed to beat Thailand or Iraq, plus Australians in general dont give a hoot about "soccer" so they really lucked out getting into the WC on 4 occasions, I guarantee you the next time around, with resurgent teams like Iran, UAE, Korea, even Saudi Arabia they will have a very very hard time the next time and might not qualify for Qatar 2022!

[Rooyintan]

That Socceroos generation was one of the best ever Australia had. Some of them never got to experience World Cup because of getting eliminated as result of this match.
The likes of Aurelio Vidmar, Tony Vidmar, Robbie Slater, Ned Zelic and Mark Bosnich.

Although few of them did eventually experience World Cup in 2006 Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Craig Moore and Stan Lazaridis.

Our team was good and the coach was good too. Although I must say only last 20 minutes of the game Team Melli played well. I lost my voice shouting non-stop the whole last 20 minutes of the game. Good memories.

[IRANMAN]

Turbo Tahami

There are many aspect about this game naturally. One remembered by few is the moment when the turbo technical "Tahami" came in as substitute. Iran was still 0-2 behind however as soon as the fast paced Tahami entered the pitch, Iran's performance picked up immense pace. There was a feeling that it's not going to stay this way and somethings are going to happen for sure.

[KC McElroy]

امروزه.

[Rooyintan]

There are many aspect about this game naturally. One remembered by few is the moment when the turbo technical "Tahami" came in as substitute. Iran was still 0-2 behind however as soon as the fast paced Tahami entered the pitch, Iran's performance picked up immense pace. There was a feeling that it's not going to stay this way and somethings are going to happen for sure.

It was so unfair that players such as Tahami, Golmohammadi and Namjou-Motlagh did not go to the 1998 World Cup and instead some bench warmers like Hamedani, Seraj and Latifi went there!