World Cup Feast
As the World Cup kicks off, there has been a tidal wave of contributors, including Blue Cannonball, who have been working tirelessly to discuss this sporting event with fans all over the world. For this year's World Cup, I still intend to continue the same perspective and positioning as I did in the European Cup, focusing on the lesser-known corners of the world, so that fans can gain a deeper insight into the unique charm of the World Cup.
Observing the lack of awareness and general pessimism towards Asian teams, I think it is necessary to take the opportunity of the high participation of Asian countries in this World Cup to have an in-depth discussion with you. In order to let you watch the Asian team game more resonance, let us next to find out, these six Asian teams actually have what to look forward to the highlights.
After the Gulf states of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which were featured in the previous article, this article will focus on another West Asian powerhouse, Iran, as well as Australia, which has joined the AFC family. Why are they discussed together? First of all, both Iran and Australia have the impression of being "tough", whether it is the Aryans who migrated from India to the east or the Anglo-Celts who crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the Australian continent, both of them have the impression of being tall, strong and disciplined. Secondly, the teams in both countries are dominated by expatriate players, which contrasts with the over-confidence of the West Asian teams in their home leagues, as mentioned in the previous article, and the tendency of players in these countries to develop outside their home countries, especially those who are gifted and talented.
Next, let me unravel the mystery of the spirit of soccer in Iran and Australia!
Figure/Website: Iran and Australia (reproduced from the web)
In the twelve rounds of the World Preliminary League, Iran locked a ticket to qualification in advance with an excellent record of eight wins, one and one loss, even if the face of the same group of West Asian rivals and South Korea, but also did not take advantage of. The confidence and impetus of Iranian soccer is not empty. As early as the 70s, Iranian soccer in Asia, the 1978 is the only ticket to the World Cup with the Asian region to qualify for the main round. However, due to the impact of the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, Iranian soccer was in turmoil in the 80s and early 90s and failed to make significant progress. It was not until 1998 that Iran once again qualified for the World Cup, returning to the World Cup stage after a 20-year absence.
According to numerous sources and news reports, Iranian soccer players do not earn a lot of money, but they still have a heart for their country and are proud to represent it. The Iranian public is also full of admiration for the national team players. Why is Iran so fanatical? The reason is that after the Iranian revolution, the country was ruled by a core of Shiites, who were governed more strictly than in other moderate Islamic countries, and almost all leisure and recreational activities were banned. It is in this repressive environment that sports have become the only way for the people to vent their emotions, which is one of the reasons why Iranian soccer and basketball are so fervently followed in the country.
However, this frenzy did not lead to the professionalization of the local Iranian league, so many Iranian players chose to leave the country after gaining enough experience. Because of their Persian heritage, the Iranians are often referred to in the media as the "Persian Horsemen". However, the Iranian team, which was almost invincible in the World Cup, is more like a pack of desert wolves that work together to hunt down their prey.
Photo/website: 2018 World Cup gives Portugal a hard time
In the last World Cup in Russia, Iran was not at a disadvantage in the face of Spain and Portugal. The first game against Spain, Iran shot 18 times, only let the bullfighters get a goal small victory; face Crow led Portugal, Iran also held off 14 shots, and ultimately to a 1-1 draw, sorry to miss the opportunity to advance in the group. As for the World Cup 12 qualifiers, Iran only lost 4 goals, which also proves that Iran's defense is enough to reassure people, like a pack of wolves will be surrounded by prey, making it difficult to escape.
In addition to a strong backline, Iran has 16 foreign players, including many of the top four Golden Boot scorers in Europe, such as the Portuguese Liga's Golden Boot Taremi, former Russian Premier League Golden Boot Azmoun, former Dutch Liga's Golden Boot Jahanbakhsh, and former IFL's Golden Boot Ansarifard, among other key attackers. Together they contributed 30 goals in the WC, with Azmoun scoring 10 goals individually to become the team's top scorer. With such a complete lineup, Iran is expected to emerge from the group stage in a bid to reach the knockout stage for the first time.
Photo/Website: Iran's Four Greatest Strikers (reprinted from the web)
