Iran will need to park the bus against Spain and hope they can hit them on the counter attack. It's the only way they'll get anything out of this evening's match.

And so far Iran doing exactly that, and to good effect as well! It's gonna be hard for them to keep this up for the rest of the match though.

Good chance for Spain there! Any other day that would have gone in.

Indeed, expected this a game where Iran had 8 at the back. Can't see them holding on.

 

 

Oh, thought Iran had scored just then with the overreaction of Clive Tyldesley.

Wow!, equaliser for Iran.

 

EDIT: Disallowed thanks to VAR

Disallowed. Such a shame :(

:lol: at what just happened

Disallowed. Such a shame :(

 

Yeah it was a shame :( At least Iran have a small chance of qualifying, but they will have to beat Portugal!

Yeah it was a shame :( At least Iran have a small chance of qualifying, but they will have to beat Portugal!

I mean all they really have to do is break Ronaldo's leg :kink:

A deserved win for Spain, they dominated the match although Iran had some close chances as well and of course there was the disallowed goal for them also. Costa's goal was fluky though. Funniest moment of the tournament so far has got to be the front flip throw in attempt from one of Iran's players :lol:

 

 

Group B couldn't be much closer at the moment!

Edited June 20, 20187 yr by Evil Houdini

A deserved win for Spain, they dominated the match although Iran had some close chances as well and of course there was the disallowed goal for them also. Costa's goal was fluky though. Funniest moment of the tournament so far has got to be the front flip throw in attempt from one of Iran's players :lol:

Group B couldn't be much closer at the moment!

But what a stupid thing to do when there's less than a minute left. He wasted far too much time over that throw-in.

Second round group game syndrome in full swing now with a full house of crappy 1-0 wins.

Group B couldn't be much closer at the moment!

 

Technically all to play for, for the three teams left in it.

 

Whoever wins out of Iran and Portugal will be through. Spain could yet be out if they lose 2-0 to Morocco and the other game is a draw.

 

But Spain and Portugal clearly have the advantage now, I don't think Iran's playstyle is going to be enough to stop Portugal, who will be more together than Iran, and in solid taking it slow against solid taking it slow will probably get Ronaldo to win it out eventually. Morocco have nothing to play for so it could be interesting but them doing anything to affect Spain's chances is a real long shot.

I like to think I was right about Portugal, they really are terrible to watch, a poor team carried by a superstar, I just want someone, anyone, to knock them out, though if they play Uruguay in the second round.. :| Morocco the opposite, have really enjoyed watching them but just weren't able to create enough decent chances, and the better ones they did fell to the wrong players.

Hmmm not sure a team can win the euros by being rubbish. Think Santos has created a good team spirit etc and the others in the squad maybe deserve more respect - Calvalho is a great defensive midfielder imo!

Well they certainly weren't anything close to being a good team. Drew 5 games against teams ranked lower than them, would've been out in the group in any other tournament in the previous 25 years. Maybe not poor, as they are organised with good spirit as you say, but certainly lucky and I'd say they were the worst winner of an international tournament that I've ever watched.

 

Have seen both their games so far and more of the same, completely outplayed in both dragged to 4 points by Ronaldo. Some right dross in their side, Mario, Fernandes, the past it centre-halves, Guerrero clearly not fit and run ragged, Guedes has looked woeful.

Well they certainly weren't anything close to being a good team. Drew 5 games against teams ranked lower than them, would've been out in the group in any other tournament in the previous 25 years. Maybe not poor, as they are organised with good spirit as you say, but certainly lucky and I'd say they were the worst winner of an international tournament that I've ever watched.

 

Have seen both their games so far and more of the same, completely outplayed in both dragged to 4 points by Ronaldo. Some right dross in their side, Mario, Fernandes, the past it centre-halves, Guerrero clearly not fit and run ragged, Guedes has looked woeful.

 

To be fair they have a lot of dross, but some good young players coming through. That said they're not good enough right now (2020/2022 might be a good shout) and there is some absolute crap in that Portugal team. Ronaldo isn't as good as he was a few years ago, but he knows this and adapts his game. He can be terrible all game, but come up with something from nothing.

 

They got completely lucky in the Euros. France bottled the pressure in the final.

When you look at Portugal's squad they've got a similar problem to what England had, with a lack of suitable players at key ages. They're a bit behind England (whose drought was more 1983-1989) but players in their squad born from 1987 to 1993 (so pretty much a current players 'peak' years) are 2 keepers, the 2 right backs, Guerro, William Carvalho, Joao Mario, Marco Rui (4 caps) and Adrian Silva. 9/23 is not a good ratio and only three of those (Guerro, Patricio and Cavalho) are really good players, though never seen Pereira. I think you're right that they will get better again in 4-8 years time.

 

Just done a comparison with other squads for players at 'peak' age. Of the bigger sides, Spain have 13, Brazil 15, Argentina 14. Costa Rica, who have the oldest squad, have 15, but 7 of the other 8 are older, so one player under 24. England, Nigeria and France have the youngest squads, and they have 14, 15 & 11. So Portugal certainly an outlier with so few.

 

Probably should've taken keepers out of this but oh well.

Edited June 22, 20187 yr by RabbitFurCoat

To be fair they have a lot of dross, but some good young players coming through. That said they're not good enough right now (2020/2022 might be a good shout) and there is some absolute crap in that Portugal team. Ronaldo isn't as good as he was a few years ago, but he knows this and adapts his game. He can be terrible all game, but come up with something from nothing.

 

They got completely lucky in the Euros. France bottled the pressure in the final.

 

France deservedly got beat in the final - look at the talent they have compared to Portugal, but they still lost - hence Portugal are a much better TEAM.

Hmmm not sure a team can win the euros by being rubbish. Think Santos has created a good team spirit etc and the others in the squad maybe deserve more respect - Calvalho is a great defensive midfielder imo!

 

Greece in 2004? Quite a few similarities between that and 2016 really.. and Portugal were the losers in the final 12 years earlier.