Morroco - Iran POST MATCH DISCUSSION

[KeonKish]

Cheshmi was protected by Ebrahimi's amazing performance.

Yes and no.

There were multiple occasions where cheshmi made sure to stay close to his man, and he basically stopped all efforts from Morocco in trying to just lob the ball over our defense.

After they failed and he easily won the headers a few times, the went back to attempting attacks from the flanks.

He was great today and I think he learned from his mistakes.


Not to take anything away from ebrahimi, I think his performance made the entire defense look good.


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[DR Strangemoosh]

Guys am making my way back from stadium. The first 15 mins were some of the worst I've seen TM play but it was obvious they were nervous especially with this surprise system.

But the system then clicked and everything seemed more solid. Chesmi was fine and he was thankfully protected my Ebrahimi who was pretty good. Rezaeian's intensity was great. Masoud was Masoud - every last person in the stadium was swearing at him again but it was less than in the Brazil games and we still clapped him when he went off because he is a good person.
Hajsafi's set pieces even the ones he missed always looked dangerous. When Ghoddos came on he stamped the Moroccans out of the game which though risky was a great tactic as they got worn out. Amiri probably justified cq selection though I think we will see someone else for next game. Last but not least Beiranvand didn't put a foot wrong.

Stars of the show: TM fans. Really kept going from the beginning to the end. After the pain of Argentina which anyone in the stadium remembers, this was divine justice for fans who kept cheering. Dametoon garm all those who I cheered with.

[KeonKish]

Also, that show must be stupid to say rezaein was bad at RB.

He won the majority of the balls, ground duels, and headers.

Just wish he got some more passes when he made runs on the flanks.


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[maniei]

The only negative today was that horning of Iranian fans.
Moroccan fans supported their team well, but Iranians with their vuvuzelas....
What has to happen for them to disappear?
This was annoying and embarrassing.

[mehdiKia15]

Very lucky for the outcome!!! it was a very sloopy game, good for TM getting the 3pts...My buddy was watching the game with me and he was like you guys play some boring football.lol

[Farhad21]

The Saudis praising our win and congratulate us on social media, i think they hated morocs more

[Babak agha]

The Saudis praising our win and congratulate us on social media, i think they hated morocs more

We should check and see whether pigs are flying over a frozen hell

[Nokhodi]

The Saudis praising our win and congratulate us on social media, i think they hated morocs more

bots mostly.
Moroccans (rightfully) are upset that Saudi lobbied against their World Cup bid, so they let it be known on twitter. Saudi bots mobilized.

[_Navid_]

I would like to say first thank you CQ and the team for proving me and many others wrong. I gladly accept that I was wrong.

What an amazing ending. We were 50 Iranians in a famous London bar and we were all loud and cheering all the way till the last whistle and lost our voice at the end. Then we went chanting in the metro stations and people were looking at us like what the hell is going on.

Finally, for me this was a double win. You know why, BECAUSE MY FOOTBALL WATCHING CURSE WAS BROKEN TODAY.

[Farhad21]

Watchout boooooooi

[Babak agha]

I think one of the reasons or defense did well today and their weakness wasn't exposed (beside the collective effort and midfield/attack coming back to defend and some luck here and there) is because Morocco kind of plays like Iranians.

Their good/attacking players are all players that come or wait to get the ball and then they start walking with the ball first trying to see what they can do themselves before looking who they can pass to. This takes the speed of the ball and surprises away and gives that fraction of time that normal players need to position themselves and defend.

Our defense has more problems with teams that pass the ball with first or second contact and then walk without the ball to create gaps

[arash123]

Not sure if this was touched on, but Iran is the first team since 1966 to not have a shot on goal in the second half and still score.

[milad_b]

Cheshmsi and Ebrhami....man who would have thought that.. they were on fuckng BEAST MODE for 90 minutes

Carlos Queiroz did

[beevee]

why is Shojaei starting?
why is Shojaei the captain?
why is Shojaei playing most of the game?
why is Shojaei invited when we have several talented players for that same position?

If anyone could answer all those question and make me realize his a important player I'll take everything back that I said about him.

For the same reason that Cheshmi is starting instead of J,Hossaini, and Ghafoori isn't in Russia, because the head coach has shown over and over again he knows his job, he knows his players and every player has a specific job to do that is way over your pay level. Btw does it matter if you take it back or not. Not to me, it means zero, zilch nada.

[beevee]

I was going to start writing about our game as if Germany was playing Morocco, but remembered I had already done that before. Which points to a major issue about TM; we’ve become uncharacteristically disciplined under CQ. That itself may be the single most important factor in our success in int’l games for the past few years.

We came into the game as clear underdogs, facing the much more skilled Moroccan team whose players are some of the stars of top European clubs. Enters CQ, the wiley, shrewd old fox that he’s reputed to be. We all knew he’d have major plans for this game from the moment the WC Draw was done many centuries ago. This game was our WC tournament. The entire tournament. The WC final for us. So you bet your ass he’d have plans for this. To surprise & catch the opponents off guard.

But if you thought the Moroccans would be surprised, the released line up & later on, the team formation confused Iranians too! Even after the major shock of leaving Jalal Hosseini back in Iran, which was a shocker to almost all of us.
To me our formation looked like 343, which is something I haven’t seen TM play … like EVER. Then comes his roster where the obvious choice for an experienced CB in absence of Hosseini, Montazeri was also missing. Leaving it all to PAG to marshal the defense. Along with Rezaeian, a RB who now has to perform as a CB! And Cheshmi, a part-time MD, filling in as the 3rd CB! Whoooaa, … hello!!

Seeing Hajsafi on the left DM gave the impression that he’d be running ragged between DN duties as well as part-time LB, part-time LM. Energizer Bunny, … move aside. Here comes Ehsan.

Captain Shojaei, Ebrahimi, JB, Azmoun and Amiri were the staple in TM and brought some familiarity. But what on God’s wide earth was Ansarifard doing in …. somewhere there in the midfield??? More on this later.
I’m sure apart from TM squad & bench, the rest of the world was feeling amused to exacerbated, … but also intrigued. Intrigued just how we’d perform.

We all have seen the game, so I wont go over the events. But the utter supremacy in display of discipline by TM under so much pressure was tremendously satisfying. It was understood that every single player had to take part in defense. And they did. Even JB and Amiri, our wingers, who spent much time in our own half or on the halfline than in opponents’ box.

But while we were in awe of our team cohesion & focus, there was something familiar as the game progressed. We absorbed the pressure. Kept our defensive shape. And started to get comfortable with quick counters. We even created a few dangerous attacks that with a little more focus from our strikers, we could have even taken the lead.

What became clear after the first 30 minutes of intense Moroccan pressure (mixed with a fortunate block by Beiranvand & Cheshmi to block a 100% goal) was that they just didn’t have an idea how to deal with our meshwork of players. Moreover they also had to watch for our quick moves that were starting to trouble Benatia and co. Even after their coach had a chance to reorganize his team and come up with alternatives, we saw the same old pattern of attacks from flanks that made our work easier to deal with. Perhaps it was credit to PAG-Cheshmi-Ebrahimi triangle in the center that formed an unsurpassable wall.
Their only remedy was change of personnel… which did nothing to offer as alternative for their now toothless, predictable attacks. While our lads showed more energy and drive and pushed for the kill near the end.

Yes, the goal was an own goal and lucky. But luck favors the brave. The fact that we went toe to toe with such jam packed team and had the audacity to attack them and pick our moments showed we did deserve to get something out of the game. Full credit to CQ’s masterful tactics and strategy, as well as our lads’ magnificent focused performances.

Now if Spain and Portugal are going to start taking notice of our team’s movements and tactics and especially roster, … heh, well as they say, they’ve got another thing coming. Hang onto your shorts gents, coz you might have a very bumby ride.

At this point, after the events & news of the past month, I don’t dare predict our line up or formation or strategy. However, one thing is ensured. A very disciplined TM display, yet again.

Thanks TM & CQ for letting us hope we may yet advance.

Baba Ayvallah aghayeh Doctor. An excellentl and realistic look at what took place today. Unlike some other members that are picking and rating Shojaee vs. so and so, or this we didn't do or that what we should've done. you looked at the whole game saw the strategy and called it like it was. Tons of thanks and great post.