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Iran Coach Afshin Ghotbi Positive After Jordan Win
Team Melli are heading forward according to their coach.
Nov 15, 2009 7:24:16 PM
Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi was looking at the positives after
his team defeated Jordan 1-0 in Saturday’s 2011 Asian Cup qualifier in Tehran.
The three points came courtesy of a second half strike from Javad Nekounam and puts Team Melli two points clear at the top of the table after three games played. It was a game of two halves according to the coach.
"I was very unhappy with the first-half," he said according to the-afc.com.
"Jordan played defensively, closed the game down and we played with no pace. But we had much more energy in the second-half and we improved our quality. We created good chances and scored a good goal.
"This goal showed that we have a good leader like Javad Nekounam who can change the destiny of a match at any moment.
"We have to accept that the time when we beat teams three or four-nil has changed and teams like Jordan have improved.”
Ghotbi knows that the football scene in Iran is struggling to recover from June’s failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup but believes that the team is moving slowly in the right direction.
"I said before that every game is a small step forward because we need to change our football," Ghotbi added.
"I just hope people have more patience with us and give the younger players a chance and put less pressure on them so that we can have a good national team in the future.
"If you have patience, I'm sure you'll be proud of this team."
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The three points came courtesy of a second half strike from Javad Nekounam and puts Team Melli two points clear at the top of the table after three games played. It was a game of two halves according to the coach.
"I was very unhappy with the first-half," he said according to the-afc.com.
"Jordan played defensively, closed the game down and we played with no pace. But we had much more energy in the second-half and we improved our quality. We created good chances and scored a good goal.
"This goal showed that we have a good leader like Javad Nekounam who can change the destiny of a match at any moment.
"We have to accept that the time when we beat teams three or four-nil has changed and teams like Jordan have improved.”
Ghotbi knows that the football scene in Iran is struggling to recover from June’s failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup but believes that the team is moving slowly in the right direction.
"I said before that every game is a small step forward because we need to change our football," Ghotbi added.
"I just hope people have more patience with us and give the younger players a chance and put less pressure on them so that we can have a good national team in the future.
"If you have patience, I'm sure you'll be proud of this team."
Talk all things soccer with the rest of our readers in the Goal.com Forums
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