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International Friendly Preview: China - Iran
Asian heavyweights Iran take on a resurgent Chinese outfit.
03-Sep-2010 2:45:00 PM
By Chris Paraskevas
China On The Rise
For so long touted as inevitable super-powers of the world game by virtue of their population size, China have never lived up to the potential that their status as a global economic and political heavyweight suggests.
Yet the appointment of youthful manager Gao Hongbo has seen a great deal of improvement made over the past year, with the Chinese national team impressing in a series of high profile friendly matches, notably against the likes of Germany and Iran.
Having secured qualification for the 2011 Asian Cup, the 44 year-old former international has set himself the task of winning the tournament but the Chinese FA have indicated that they don't expect anything from the side, a sharp contrast to the sort of intense scrutiny and high standards that have followed this national team before.
A victory against a strong Irancould yet see Hongbo's star rise, along with the hopes of fans and media ahead of Asian football's showpiece event in January. It would serve to confirm that recent impressive results are not flashes in the pan but part of a long-term process of improvement that could see the Chinese be considered dark horses by the time Qatar 2011 rolls around.
It's been over 30 years since Iran last tasted international success, winning the last of what was three consecutive Asian Cup titles with victory at home in 1976.
Since then though there have been countless disappointments and this football-mad country hasn't quite hit the heights in the international arena that its talent pool arguably demands. Given the natural talent the country consistently produces and the pedigree it commands within the continent, it's little wonder any fixture involving Iran is such a hotly anticipated fixture within Asia.
Under western-educated Afshin Ghotbi they might just have found the necessary direction and leadership with which to end what has been a long trophy drought; don't be fooled though by his rather confident pre-tournament predictions, as he'll no doubt be feeling the weight of the entire nation on his shoulders heading into Qatar.
Ghotbi insists preparation is nowhere near complete for the tournament and it'll be interesting to see what line-up he fields against the Chinese as he searches for his prefered starting XI.
For so long touted as inevitable super-powers of the world game by virtue of their population size, China have never lived up to the potential that their status as a global economic and political heavyweight suggests.
Yet the appointment of youthful manager Gao Hongbo has seen a great deal of improvement made over the past year, with the Chinese national team impressing in a series of high profile friendly matches, notably against the likes of Germany and Iran.
Having secured qualification for the 2011 Asian Cup, the 44 year-old former international has set himself the task of winning the tournament but the Chinese FA have indicated that they don't expect anything from the side, a sharp contrast to the sort of intense scrutiny and high standards that have followed this national team before.
A victory against a strong Irancould yet see Hongbo's star rise, along with the hopes of fans and media ahead of Asian football's showpiece event in January. It would serve to confirm that recent impressive results are not flashes in the pan but part of a long-term process of improvement that could see the Chinese be considered dark horses by the time Qatar 2011 rolls around.
It's been over 30 years since Iran last tasted international success, winning the last of what was three consecutive Asian Cup titles with victory at home in 1976.
Since then though there have been countless disappointments and this football-mad country hasn't quite hit the heights in the international arena that its talent pool arguably demands. Given the natural talent the country consistently produces and the pedigree it commands within the continent, it's little wonder any fixture involving Iran is such a hotly anticipated fixture within Asia.
Under western-educated Afshin Ghotbi they might just have found the necessary direction and leadership with which to end what has been a long trophy drought; don't be fooled though by his rather confident pre-tournament predictions, as he'll no doubt be feeling the weight of the entire nation on his shoulders heading into Qatar.
Ghotbi insists preparation is nowhere near complete for the tournament and it'll be interesting to see what line-up he fields against the Chinese as he searches for his prefered starting XI.
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