2022 Qualifiers - Other Games Thread (AFC & beyond)

[PEJ]

Lol at Meram saying he preferred playing for Iraq than US. The dude is Chaldean. Only reason he chose to play for Iraq was to raise his profile. He has nothing in common with all those Iraqi player or fans.

[Omid177]

Here's an interesting Dutch article regarding the situation at Iraq NT. No wonder why they have been doing so bad lately. Justin Meram, their star player and one of the few legionnaires they have quitted their NT because he thinks Advocaat is not putting enough effort to coach the team. He also says that Advocaat isn't watching their domestic players because he's not going to Iraq and he lets his assistants go instead. Just another example of washed up Western-European managers who come to the Middle-East just for their pay check, with zero knowledge about the players and football culture. They also have no motivation to help the team. That's why I think we should never go for another Wilmots or Advocaat. Full article below:
Monday, October 18, 2021 at 12:05 PM • Dominic Mostert • Last update: 13:15 PM
Justin Meram has announced his retirement from Iraq international. The 32-year-old attacker of Real Salt Lake became unhappy with the national team, partly due to the collaboration with the new national coach Dick Advocaat. In an interview with the Hat-trick program of the Iraqi UTV, Meram tells his story. He speaks of discrimination within the national team and accuses Advocaat of a lack of both communication skills and passion for the team.
Meram says that he discussed his role in the team with previous national coaches such as Hakeem Shaker, Radhi Shenaishil and Srecko Katanec. He calls those trainers 'ten times better' than Advocaat, who did not talk to him. "He didn't do a good job as a national coach. He exchanged one word with me, 'hello', and then there was never any direct contact. Lawyer is a bad trainer who is not fit to lead the national team," he said. he out. "I have never experienced such a trainer. To be honest, this trainer does not deserve to be the national coach of Iraq."
"He is not willing to give himself completely for Iraq, as the players do. Previous national coaches had an enormous passion for the team. Lawyer is not ready to give everything for the team," the winger repeats. "This national coach himself is never in Iraq to watch players. Instead, he sends his assistants. Wasn't he chosen just because of his name?" Meram has had little contact with representatives of the union in recent months. When he joined nine days in early September for the World Cup qualifiers against South Korea (0-0) and Iran (0-3 defeat), he had no idea what his role and responsibilities were.
"And during halftime of a match, the assistant yelled at me to do one thing, but the head coach yelled at me to do another. What is that?" he wonders. Meram does not think that the cultural difference is the reason for the poor communication. He points to his past with Frank de Boer, Bob de Klerk and Orlando Trustfull at Atlanta United in 2019. "Lawyer also speaks normal English, so there are no excuses. The unacceptable level of the team in the last four games is due to the technical staff," says Meram, who asks the people in Iraq not to turn against the players, although he himself therefore stops as an international.
"I say this with a heavy heart: I have decided to stop as an international," says Meram. "Yes, my decision is final. I thank the people in Iraq for their support and I thank all the trainers who helped me in the training. I have proudly represented Iraq for seven years. I preferred an international career with Iraq to an international career with the United States. Maybe the situation will change in the future, you never know, but for now my story with the Iraq national team is over." Meram played a total of 35 international matches for Iraq since 2014, in which he scored 4 times.
Meram participated in the World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and Iran at the beginning of September. It was his first international match since October 2019. Meram was born in the United States, but has two Iraqi parents. His entry into the national team is precisely the result of a more active search by the national association for people with Iraqi roots who live abroad. Over the past ten years, that quest has also brought players such as Ahmed Yasin, Yaser Kasim, Brwa Nouri, Rebin Sulaka, Frans Putros, Amir Al-Ammari and the Dutch Iraqi Osama Rashid to the national team in recent years.
https://www.voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=395182

It was really strange that they didn't invite a few expat players who are better than their local ones. For example, Jiloan Hamad is a real quality player who plays in Sweden. He is better than someone like Nourollahi and Sarlak. TM would definitely invite him if he was Iranian. But the corruption in their federation is too much and now they fired one of the staffs who was involved with the player selection. I think they are slowly beginning to fight the corruption in their federation, so they can invite the best players available. Nevertheless, even if they invite all of the expats they won't qualify for the WC. Their league needs to be at least average by Asian standards. Their best team Al Shorta got destroyed in the ACL. There are levels for this.

[Iran_19]

Old coaches don't give a damn about teams and specially if it is some asian countries such as Iraq, they are there to collect pay checks.
They barely run the training themselves either, so not watching Iraqi league is not a surprise to me lol

Sent from my MAR-LX3A using Tapatalk

[eerooni]

If we are an ‘Underdog’ Team as many call us here we need underdog coaches like Skocic, who aspire for greatness, are willing to go the extra mile and would kill for the job. Tm is doing well Post CQ, because we got rid of fluff ( AKA wilmots) much like what Iraq needs to do with Advocaat ( AKA the thieving LAWYER) , With Hashemian and Bagheri as Skocics wingmen, we will get to World Cup and he should stay beyond as well….

[Omid177]

FIFA lifted the ban on Iraq hosting games at home. From now on they will play their home matches against Syria, Korea and UAE in Basra.

Iraq will play their next two home matches in Doha. Their federation is even worse than ours. Don't be surprised if they announce the opposite in a few days lol

https://twitter.com/hassaninmubarak/...51778754867209

[Keshwardoost]

It was really strange that they didn't invite a few expat players who are better than their local ones. For example, Jiloan Hamad is a real quality player who plays in Sweden. He is better than someone like Nourollahi and Sarlak. TM would definitely invite him if he was Iranian. But the corruption in their federation is too much and now they fired one of the staffs who was involved with the player selection. I think they are slowly beginning to fight the corruption in their federation, so they can invite the best players available. Nevertheless, even if they invite all of the expats they won't qualify for the WC. Their league needs to be at least average by Asian standards. Their best team Al Shorta got destroyed in the ACL. There are levels for this.

hamad isnt better than them, he maybe was at their level for 5-6 years ago or at his best a litle bit better than them, that was in his Malmo days or when in bundesliga if i remember correctly, he is good but isnt the same player anymore he has gotten older and plays in a shit team now in the weak series of the suedis.. he wouldnt take place at our reserves today.. but he was waay beter than the nazari brothers we invited back in the dayz, for sure

[diz]

Justin Meram retires from Iraq NT and leaves some scorched earth about Advocat:

[Iran_19]

In today football, it is stupid to hire coaches over 65. Most of them they don't even run the show, and the training. At best they have their cup of coffee outside the pitch with nice pant and shirt and assistants running everything.
Of course occasionally you get exception like CQ, Ranieri, etc but generally speaking the motivation and the energy is not there anymore.
Iraq was never fav of this group but the current results are disaster and they are much better than this.

Sent from my MAR-LX3A using Tapatalk

[Doctor DOOM]

Justin Meram retires from Iraq NT and leaves some scorched earth about Advocat:

LOL
maybe they shd have gone for CQ, afterall

[Ab-Gosht]

anyone know why iraq wont play at home after all? I though they said they can play at home for the rest of the wcq?

[Nokhodi]

anyone know why iraq wont play at home after all? I though they said they can play at home for the rest of the wcq?

Their media is unreliable. Their country is considered unsafe still by FIFA.

[Damavand]

Australia - KSA 0-0 min 16

[peiman92]

Australia - KSA 0-0 min 16

Enjoyable game so far. Salem Al-Dawsari is a great player.

[Damavand]

Enjoyable game so far. Salem Al-Dawsari is a great player.

Renard has done great job with them so far. To think he wanted Iran but the scumbags in charge went with Vilmots instead.

[Damavand]

Raining Like crazy.