Iran vs Portugal - Post Match Discussion/Player Ratings

[YeCheesi Tala]

IF we make it. 3.5 spot left because of Qatar's automatic qualification.
If King Q leaves we can kiss our chances goodbye!

We have 4.5 spots, host nations don't count.

[Doctor DOOM]

As Team Melli bids adieu to the World Cup, I am filed with great pride and joy, as I’m sure are all of you, readers, at their bravery & sacrifice, their warrior-like tenacity & spirit, … against some of the biggest names of world football, who in turn, left the field visibly shaken by Iran.

Even the usual dose of injustice and partisanship by Fifa and refereeing could not dampen the sense of achievement and pride in me. We held the reigning European champions by the scruff of their neck and squeezed and pressed. So much that they nearly surrendered & almost tasted scandalous defeat. Saved only by Fifa’s unspoken rules of protecting the assets and marketing potentials/profits at any cost.

Justice you may say? Aye, justice. Afterall, the technology VAR is brought to serve justice. Or at least that was the official slogan!
But in FIFA, Justice is brought only if you’re famous or big. It’s just that one team’s justice is proven to be MORE than another team’s justice.

Enough instances were there to highlight this. From Ronaldo’s yellow which would have been PAG’s or Amiri’s straight red card had they committed it. Even the TV commentators were saying this. Then there was the push on Azmoun in the Porteguese box. Enough justification for a penalty call on Azmoun. No different from the one called on Ronaldo’s. But the marketing potential of Ronaldo & Euro champions just tipped the balance. Not even a rudimentary VAR request!

Yes, we benefitted from the VAR in the end. But for a hand-ball that many refs would hesitate to give. While the penalty on Azmoun would have far more weight & credibility. Ref making amends for a wrong call, by making a second bad call?




But enough about those negative, bitter events. What Team Melli did today was to showcase to the world what we are capable of, despite a long list of shortcomings, lacks and unkind events.

From Beiranvand’s heroic saves, especially denying the prissy narcissist, Ronaldo of his 5th goal, to the defensive wall our 4 defenders plus two DM’s built in front of him.



In days to come we will see and examine the magnificent display of controlled defense shown by Ezzatollahi-Ebrahimi pair, who formed the impenetrable wall. The tireless sacrifice of Azmoun. Every single player was in service of the new team strategy.

The strategy that demanded double amount of energy from everyone, as now, we discarded the ultra defensive tactics and opted to have a go at the illustrious opponents. They just happened to be the Euro champions. Did I mention that? That meant now the team would spread wider, farther up, hold a higher line, use more of the flanks for attacks, more players join in the attack …. On top of the usual tight meshwork of team that formed our team in the past 2 games.

Given this being the third game after 2 energy-sapping games, we are forced to admire the commitment of the lads even further. Even when many of the lads showed the empty tanks near the end, they still never gave up. They dug deep and somehow found reserves of energy to run hard to push the Porteguese into their box. No mean feat, by any means….. by ANY top international team, lt alone an Asian one.

And we showed we had the teeth to hurt them too. This dispelled a lot of pundits who figured Iran to be a one-dimensional “park-the-bus” team. Now they had to sit up & admire & praise our attacking prowess, Now they saw new dimensions to our players. New capabilities and sides that forced them to hail our challenge.

We not only put up a fight. We nearly brought Portugal to their knees, had Taromi’s shot been a yard or less to the right. We clearly rattled them greatly. So much that the world saw the reigning European champions resorting to time wasting, to relieve from our pressure.

The new Iran was exciting, adventurous, while keeping their now well-known discipline. Now truly worthy of the world’s respect.

[milad_b]

Last time I checked, they don't teach Portuguese at Sharif.

and last time i checked "fozolo bordan jehanam goft hizomesh tare"

A true Sharif uni students knows every single thing in this planet !

[mahestan]

Did you really go to sharif uni ? Its how they write iran in Portuguese : Irão

Last time I checked, they don't teach Portuguese at Sharif.

[scuderia]

Also another note:

A lot of people called us the best supporters of this world cup, if they think we had amazing support in this world cup wait till َQatar 2022, it will virtually be a home tournament for us, it will be absolutely incredible.

IF we make it. 3.5 spot left because of Qatar's automatic qualification. If King Q leaves we can kiss our chances goodbye!

[milad_b]

Anyone got the video?

https://hw18.cdn.asset.aparat.com/aparat-video/c2d52e922d2c30de5cd240d581756c3610995893-480p__52959.apt

here bro. watch it. CQ saw that and immediately sub hajsai after that Honestly its a red card for that. but ref was nice enough with just a yellow.

[milad_b]

Did anyone else notice that on Portugal's jersey under their badge it said "Portugal vs Iraq"?

Did you really go to sharif uni ? Its how they write iran in Portuguese : Irão

[Karimi 8]

All of my friends that watched the game (non-Iranian) have praised our national team, and wished they had a national team that could play like ours, against such strong opponents. I really hope at least from all this, our players get offered good European contracts, so we can start building (and soon Azmoun, Jahanbaksh, Hajisafi, Ansarifard, Pouraliganji) will be the leaders of our team, with young talents like Torabi, Gholizadeh, M. Hosseini, following in their footsteps, and we'll have a very young, and strong national team, who has many players developed in Europe, and under the instructions of Quieroz.

[irani8perspolis]

Also another note:

A lot of people called us the best supporters of this world cup, if they think we had amazing support in this world cup wait till َQatar 2022, it will virtually be a home tournament for us, it will be absolutely incredible.

[ferdyf]

what a match our team was awesome

[irani8perspolis]

Great game, every one gets a 10/10.

However I do agree with the OP, too many games now we have been labeled heroic and amazing and respectable.. etc etc. (Argentina, Spain, Portugal, and even Iraq in AC). But one of these times we need to reward ourselves and be more than heroic and brave, we actually need to get the job done. We were a few inches away from a historical victory, just like we were inches away from a historic result against Spain, the next challenge for us as a team is to now start to win these difficult games in which we do so well in.

I look forward to another 10 years with CQ and many many more memorable games!!

[puddha]

What they all need is is European contracts. Every single of them.
Bacheha mochakereem!!!

[Mr Pouya]

Did anyone else notice that on Portugal's jersey under their badge it said "Portugal vs Iraq"?

It' said IRÃO, which is Iran in Portuguese.

[KC McElroy]

Did anyone else notice that on Portugal's jersey under their badge it said "Portugal vs Iraq"?

[AIrani]

Yes, proud of our players. They need more international playing time.