September Review: Asia-Group 5

Standings



Game Results

Game 1-Iran def. Indonesia 3-0 in Tehran, Iran on September 2, 2011

• Iran Goals-Javad Nekounam (53',74'), Andranik Teymourian (87')

About what you would expect from a game between these two. Indonesia was able to hold Iran scoreless for the first half on the strength of some determined defending, but when the floodgates opened in the second, there was nothing Indonesia could do. Nice display of offensive persistency by Iran first in getting the go-ahead goal and then in piling it on throughout the half to ensure the victory.

Game 2-Bahrain tied Qatar 0-0 in Riffa, Bahrain on September 2, 2011

Not the best performance by either team in their opener although if you had to name a better team in this game it would be Bahrain. Neither side managed to threaten the opposing goal but Bahrain held the advantage in possession and tempo throughout the game. Both teams have high hopes of advancing from this group and will need to turn draws in to wins in the future in order to do that.

Game 3-Bahrain def. Indonesia 2-0 in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 6, 2011

• Bahrain Goals-Sayed Dhiya Shubbar (45+1'), Ismael Abdul-Latif (71')

One thing is certain, Indonesia will not be pulling any spectacular upsets like Thailand is in Group 4. A pair of decisive losses in both games so far puts them squarely at the bottom of the group with no easy opponents on their schedule. Like Iran, Bahrain had to be patient in breaking down the Indonesian defence to find a goal but once they did, this game was in the bag for the Gulf nation.

Game 4-Iran tied Qatar 1-1 in Doha, Qatar on September 6, 2011

• Iran Goals-Hadi Aghili (46')
• Qatar Goals-Mohamed El-Sayed (56')

Well, we've certainly this song and dance from Iran before. Despite a thoroughly dominant performance against a weaker opponent, Iran was only able to manage a draw. A bevy of missed scoring chances and a single defensive lapse provided the 1-1 scoreline which Qatar will happily take from this game. Iran still leads the group but giving points away needlessly is something Iranian fans are all too familiar with seeing, and it is something Iran has to correct.

Thoughts

Bahrain-Nice start to the group but I'm curious to see how they perform against Iran. Outplaying Qatar and Indonesia for a draw and a win is one thing but Iran is a whole other animal Bahrain must deal with. A win sends but Bahrain to the top of the group; a loss presumably puts them in third place. A lot to play for against Iran and Bahrain will have to be at their best to defeat them.

Indonesia-Another team that is simply out of their depth in this round. That's not meant as a criticism, there's just only so much you can ask a team to do and some things are beyond a team's capacity. All that can be asked of Indonesia is to play 100% and maybe they can play a spoiler role down the road.

Iran-Best team in the group. Needs to play like it though. Being the best team on paper is one thing but they can't afford not to play to their best in this group; Bahrain and Qatar could both finish ahead of them if they do. If they keep their heads, they'll be fine. If they don't, the roller-coaster will continue.

Qatar-Not as bad a start as the standings might indicate. 2 draws but they came against the 2 other teams capable of advancing from the group which will give Qatar confidence. With a pair of games against Indonesia and a home game against Bahrain forming the remainder of their 2011 schedule, there's no reason why they can't enter the final game against Iran undefeated.

Going Forward

Qatar travels to Indonesia and despite being on the road, they will be favoured to pick up their first win of the group. Qatar can't afford to lose or tie that game with 2 draws already while Indonesia will be desperately seeking anything positive.

Bahrain visits Iran and that will be a very intriguing matchup. Bahrain is playing well right now while Iran is stumbling at the moment. Can Bahrain manage to pick up points in a hostile Iranian environment is the question though. Very few teams are ever able to defeat Iran in Iran.

Post-September Standing Predictions Revisited:

Prediction:

Iran-6 pts
Bahrain-4 pts
Qatar-1 pts
Indonesia-0 pts

Actual:

Iran-4 pts
Bahrain-4 pts
Qatar-2 pts
Indonesia-0 pts

An Iranian letdown away from perfection. I'll take that.