The Asian Football Thread

[nisfejahan]

I do not see anybody catching them in the long-term. They will only continue to improve at a crazy rate.

Our best hope is that their people will get tired of a high GDP, and progress in football and other areas to foment a fundamentalist Shinto revolution, where religious Monks will come into power, set the country back 200 years, and require an ideological purity test before anyone can football or do anything else.

Hey....it could happen!

Until then.... I think they will kick everybody's ass. What a display!

[PSGman#19]

You are overrating Japan. They are excellent but it's not a surprise they can't reach one QF while doing everything right.
They will lack the physical part of the game.
Also they beat Germany that is losing left and right against everybody. I think TM could also doing well against them

[perspolis#1]

You are overrating Japan. They are excellent but it's not a surprise they can't reach one QF while doing everything right.
They will lack the physical part of the game.
Also they beat Germany that is losing left and right against everybody. I think TM could also doing well against them

In last 12 years they had 3 R16 visits one against a stacked Belgium, and lost in penalties to Croatia and Paraguay in penalties...has nothing to do with physicality.

Lets be real maybe a totally optimized TM gives them a fight.. but Hajsafi at LB, our CBs, and a slow midfield we are getting destroyed like the England game.

[Iranianarsenal11]

You are overrating Japan. They are excellent but it's not a surprise they can't reach one QF while doing everything right.
They will lack the physical part of the game.
Also they beat Germany that is losing left and right against everybody. I think TM could also doing well against them

Overrating and Japan should never be used in the same sentence.. lol

[diz]

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu watched his side achieve a stunning 4-1 win over Germany on Saturday and then said they "still need to improve" before the Asian Cup next year.

This is why they are ahead of the rest of Asia.

[oracle]

You are overrating Japan. They are excellent but it's not a surprise they can't reach one QF while doing everything right.
They will lack the physical part of the game.
Also they beat Germany that is losing left and right against everybody. I think TM could also doing well against them

Exactly
Yes team melli if get physically with them,and go
For their legs couple of times early in the match ,no red but couple of hard yc foul it will give tm good chance....japan fears tm more than they fear European teams...that 3-0 was fluke, no mehdi,
sardar missing great scoring chance and kanani melt down...we always play good against japan.

[PSGman#19]

In last 12 years they had 3 R16 visits one against a stacked Belgium, and lost in penalties to Croatia and Paraguay in penalties...has nothing to do with physicality.

Lets be real maybe a totally optimized TM gives them a fight.. but Hajsafi at LB, our CBs, and a slow midfield we are getting destroyed like the England game.

Why don't they do better than 3 R16, don't reach level of the top NT like current France or England then?
All these with their 2 or 3 physical players?

[perspolis#1]

Why don't they do better than 3 R16, don't reach level of the top NT like current France or England then?
All these with their 2 or 3 physical players?

Their league is not at the level of poduction of France and England (yet althought they are improving). I used to watch J League highlights as a kid and ever since they started it its been constantly improving and always superior to PGL and other Asian leagues. Look at their squad now about 50% of their team is age 22-26. Constantly refreshing their squad list they will eventually push to QF if not more. They are much closer to making a Morocco semi run than we ever will be at this rate.

Also, Japan's imperial history doesn't include the invasion of countries that they get excellent players from like France and England does.

[DR Strangemoosh]

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu watched his side achieve a stunning 4-1 win over Germany on Saturday and then said they "still need to improve" before the Asian Cup next year.

This is why they are ahead of the rest of Asia.

It's just a mentality thing with them

Mitoma came back from Union in Belgium to Brighton and just dominated - he just improved and improved and got into many pundit's EPL team of the season. He was my favourite player to watch last season

It's these extra mental an psychological elements which we have for 1-2 of our players but they have for 30-40 of theirs

[TM4LIFE]

Obviously football is football so a match against Japan is not settled until the final whistle. Even in the match at last AC, the incredible save against Azmoun in the first half imo was the difference between 1-0 scrappy win for Iran vs the 3-0 loss. On the other hand, the second half of that game showed their team completely outclass ours in virtually every department: player movement, chemistry, close control, passing precision, final third decision making, effective pressing. We have failed to improve in every single one of those categories, any anyone who has watched our world cup performance or the recent friendlies would have a tough time arguing otherwise. I would say the only advantage we might have is a more mature attacking line between Azmoun, Taremi, ARJ all of them have become more measured and intelligent players compared to a couple of years ago. Our midfield since then has become a wasteland and our defense is a coin flip on whether they look like toddlers or the Avengers.

Watching these teams, it makes you think, when was the last time Team Melli seriously made you all happy? Not just proud, but I mean happy? A couple friendly wins against Uruguay and Chile? A 1-1 draw against Portugal where we got eliminated anyway? Maybe the Morocco win and Gucci's goal against South Korea are the only two instances in the past 10 years where there was any lasting joy that wasn't mixed in with 'what if' or 'if only' or anything that gave the impression that our football as a system was improving. We watch because its the team we feel most connected to, for some of us more than our favorite club. But lets be honest, a team like Japan is a completely different caliber and its roots go way deeper than football, which from a political sense should be a no-brainer.

[Hosseini]

2-0 Wales was the happiest I've ever been after a TM game. The whole match was beautiful from our players, beating a European team with a star like Bales 2-0 in a World Cup is unforgettable

[Team Melli Fan]

Tuesday's matches:
Philippines vs Afghanistan
Singapore vs Taiwan
China vs Syria
Japan vs Turkey
Bahrain vs Turkmenistan
Iran vs Angola
Azerbaijan vs Jordan
Costa Rica vs UAE
South Korea vs Saudi Arabia
USA vs Oman
Mexico vs Uzbekistan

Monday's results:
Myanmar 1 - 0 Nepal
Cambodia 4 - 0 Macau
Hong Kong 10 - 0 Brunei
Vietnam 2 - 0 Palestine
Kyrgyzstan 3 - 1 Kuwait

Sunday's results:
Thailand 2 - 2 Iraq* (Iraq win on PKs)
Lebanon 1 - 0 India

Saturday's results:
Germany 1 - 4 Japan
China 1 - 1 Malaysia
USA 3 - 0 Uzbekistan
Mexico 2 - 2 Australia

Friday's results:
Saudi Arabia 1 - 3 Costa Rica
Singapore 0 - 2 Tajikistan
Indonesia 2 - 0 Turkmenistan
Myanmar 0 - 0 Nepal
Taiwan 1 - 1 Philippines

Thursday's results:
Wales 0 - 0 South Korea
Qatar 1 - 2 Kenya
Thailand 2 - 1 Lebanon
Iraq 2* - 2 India (Iraq win on PKs)
Cambodia 1 - 1 Hong Kong
Norway 6 - 0 Jordan
Bangladesh 1 - 1 Afghanistan
Bahrain 1 - 3 Kuwait

[oracle]

Mancini don't know what he got himself into
yeah ksa money is great BUT THEY CHANGE HIS a%$ at ht of their ac qf match if they are behind 2-0 to australia they most likely team they will play.

If ksa and Australia top their ac group and win their r16 then they play each other in qf.
Both ksa and Australia have a killer road.
The winner of ksa and Australia plays japan in semi...and in final ksa,Australia, japan play either
s.k,Iran or qatar...

Iran road is hard to final too but not as hard as ksa or Australia
Iran Most probably s.k qf. Qatar semi, japan ksa or Australia final.

Tm record against other 5 contenders

Iran 13 win vs Korea 11w
Iran 6 w vs jpan 6w
Iran 3 w vs Australia 1
Iran 6 w vs ksa 6w(2 of ksa win ok pks)
Iran 16 w vs qatar 3 win

[perspolis#1]

2-0 Wales was the happiest I've ever been after a TM game. The whole match was beautiful from our players, beating a European team with a star like Bales 2-0 in a World Cup is unforgettable

I was on night call, and watching at 5am in the call room and after the goal screamed woke up all the residents there... had to run outta there soon after

[taremiscores]

Japan is amazing.

Japan 4 - Turkey 2