Dr. Phil saying that we are the weakest team of the group sounds harsh, and I hope our boys will kick dirt into his face and compel him to go get counselling from the reall Dr. Phil. Fat pig should watch out!
If our boys work together as a team and display confidence, there is no reason why they cannot beat either Mexico or Protugal. Our team has to play strategically. Yes, on paper we have several weaknesses, but as TM has shown in the past, they can rise up to the ocassion in important games. Prior to WC 1998, our defence was a soorakh as it could have been, after all we lost 8-0 to AS Roma B team. Yet, somehow, Peyrovani, Zariench, M.Khani, and Pashazadeh rose up to the occasion in the WC. If those guys could do it, so could our boys today.
In anycase, Mexico and Protugal have a history of underachievement in the WC and one should not underestimate the psychological pressure this will put on them when faced with a determined Iranian side. Historically, rising to the occasion has been a positive trait of TM and we should have faith in the current generation's ability to do so. I doubt there will be a lack of determination on our part, especially with the awareness of our boys of how much national pride is at stake with various foreign politicians trying to ban our team from the WC. Furthermore, at the hight of his success, Branko's TM became a master of set pieces and we scored many important goals in Asia Cup and WCQ from set pieces. Now, it was the utilization of team play and the effective use of set pieces that made Greece successful in Euro2002 (especially against Progutal), therefore while Dr. Phil can underestimate us, we shouldn't underestimate ourselves.
If our boys work together as a team and display confidence, there is no reason why they cannot beat either Mexico or Protugal. Our team has to play strategically. Yes, on paper we have several weaknesses, but as TM has shown in the past, they can rise up to the ocassion in important games. Prior to WC 1998, our defence was a soorakh as it could have been, after all we lost 8-0 to AS Roma B team. Yet, somehow, Peyrovani, Zariench, M.Khani, and Pashazadeh rose up to the occasion in the WC. If those guys could do it, so could our boys today.
In anycase, Mexico and Protugal have a history of underachievement in the WC and one should not underestimate the psychological pressure this will put on them when faced with a determined Iranian side. Historically, rising to the occasion has been a positive trait of TM and we should have faith in the current generation's ability to do so. I doubt there will be a lack of determination on our part, especially with the awareness of our boys of how much national pride is at stake with various foreign politicians trying to ban our team from the WC. Furthermore, at the hight of his success, Branko's TM became a master of set pieces and we scored many important goals in Asia Cup and WCQ from set pieces. Now, it was the utilization of team play and the effective use of set pieces that made Greece successful in Euro2002 (especially against Progutal), therefore while Dr. Phil can underestimate us, we shouldn't underestimate ourselves.
