Asian Football

[nudge]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Most of my family that likes football in Iran are Persepolis FC fans. I've got a cousin that likes Saipa too, so I guess I like both of those clubs. If I had to pick one, I'd probably pick Persepolis because they play in red  - but it's also the equivalent of gloryhunting because I think they're Iran's biggest club by far.

The clubs I know I'm not supposed to like are: Esteghal (also from Tehran like those other two, but they're also sort of the "regime" club - even pre-revolution... and if you know my politics regarding Iran: fuck the Shah and also fuck the Islamic Republic) & Tractor Sazi (I actually don't know why I'm not supposed to like them, but my cousins in Tehran all hate them).

Could be because they are seen as an Azerbaijani club with strong racist tendencies against Kurds and Persians? 

[Dr. Gonzo]

52 minutes ago, nudge said:

Could be because they are seen as an Azerbaijani club with strong racist tendencies against Kurds and Persians? 

Yeah, it could be that. I went onto the club's Twitter page and they are going absolutely mental with Azeri nationalism - it's weird though because in the comments there seem to be a lot of their fans expressing dismay/disgust at the club for that. I know politics and football go hand in hand a lot, others are pretty gungho about it though.

It's weird because I know a few Azeri-Iranians and they're definitely not like the Azeri nationalists you might see online (particularly the ones from Azerbaijan the country, not Azerbaijan the state in Iran) - maybe they're a bit more heated about the ethnic differences in Iran than the people who made it out? That wouldn't surprise me.

It also might be a Tabriz v. Tehran thing - considering those are the two biggest cities in the country & city rivalries might exist. I know my great aunt (the one the Shah had enough of torturing and kicked out of the country) lived in Tabriz for a year or two for a while because it was sort of a hotbed for the Tudeh party (that she was pretty heavily involved in) - while she was alive she never mentioned anything about being treated differently in Tabriz for being a Persian from Tehran. But... it was a very different Iran back then, for sure.

They do the "Marg Bar Diktator" chant like Persepolis does when they play Esteghal... so they can't be all that bad 

[Dr. Gonzo]

@nudge idk if you even care, but fuck it I want to tell someone. So apologies if you don't give a shit.

I have picked two teams - which might be kind of weird because... they could potentially play each other. But I'm not a normal Iranian, so why should I support Iranian football teams normally.

I'm going with teams based off family connection. I've got family from (mostly) Tehran, a bit in Shiraz, and some family up in some town by the Caspian sea in Gilan province. So for Tehran, Persepolis FC wins out because most of my family are Persepolis FC fans. It's also the easiest Iranian team to watch matches of outside Iran except for maybe Tractor Sazi. Persepolis also covers Shiraz! This is a stretch... but they're named after that ancient palace Persepolis... which is really close to Shiraz. And Shiraz doesn't have any teams in the top flight so... close enough!

The next team is SC Damash Gilan, it looks like people mostly call them Damash. They're in Rasht, which I think is the capital of Gilan province. I'll probably never get to see them play unless they get promoted up a division though, because they're in the league just below the Iranian top flight. Jahanbakhsh & more importantly Mehdi Mahdavikia (imo Iran's best player in my lifetime) played for them.

Mahdavikia started and finished his career at Persepolis too, so I think I've found two good clubs for me.

[nudge]

8 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

@nudge idk if you even care, but fuck it I want to tell someone. So apologies if you don't give a shit.

I have picked two teams - which might be kind of weird because... they could potentially play each other. But I'm not a normal Iranian, so why should I support Iranian football teams normally.

I'm going with teams based off family connection. I've got family from (mostly) Tehran, a bit in Shiraz, and some family up in some town by the Caspian sea in Gilan province. So for Tehran, Persepolis FC wins out because most of my family are Persepolis FC fans. It's also the easiest Iranian team to watch matches of outside Iran except for maybe Tractor Sazi. Persepolis also covers Shiraz! This is a stretch... but they're named after that ancient palace Persepolis... which is really close to Shiraz. And Shiraz doesn't have any teams in the top flight so... close enough!

The next team is SC Damash Gilan, it looks like people mostly call them Damash. They're in Rasht, which I think is the capital of Gilan province. I'll probably never get to see them play unless they get promoted up a division though, because they're in the league just below the Iranian top flight. Jahanbakhsh & more importantly Mehdi Mahdavikia (imo Iran's best player in my lifetime) played for them.

Mahdavikia started and finished his career at Persepolis too, so I think I've found two good clubs for me.

I personally think you should have gone with Tractor Sazi just to piss your cousins off

Nah, sounds good! I find following some more "obscure" leagues kind of rewarding, especially when you have a personal connection, and Iranian football is underrated in the West anyway. 

Your grandma is from Shiraz, right? 

[Dr. Gonzo]

47 minutes ago, nudge said:

I personally think you should have gone with Tractor Sazi just to piss your cousins off

Nah, sounds good! I find following some more "obscure" leagues kind of rewarding, especially when you have a personal connection, and Iranian football is underrated in the West anyway. 

Your grandma is from Shiraz, right? 

Yeah she is - she was born there and grew up there, but lived in Tehran for most of her adult life. Now she splits time between Shiraz & Tehran, or at least she did pre-COVID.

[Dr. Gonzo]

My cousins have made fun of me for choosing a team from Rasht because apparently our family in Gilan is actually from Bandar e-Anzali... so maybe I should choose a team from there?

Not like it really matters tbh, those teams are all in Iran's second division which means I'll probably never get to see them unless they get promoted. And even then... probably only if they play a big enough team where the Iranian diaspora cares enough to have a big enough demand to stream it.

[nudge]

19 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

My cousins have made fun of me for choosing a team from Rasht because apparently our family in Gilan is actually from Bandar e-Anzali... so maybe I should choose a team from there?

Not like it really matters tbh, those teams are all in Iran's second division which means I'll probably never get to see them unless they get promoted. And even then... probably only if they play a big enough team where the Iranian diaspora cares enough to have a big enough demand to stream it.

I mean, Jahanbakhsh and Mahdavikia didn't play for Bandar e-Anzali, did they??? 

[Dr. Gonzo]

4 minutes ago, nudge said:

I mean, Jahanbakhsh and Mahdavikia didn't play for Bandar e-Anzali, did they??? 

True! But really Mahdavikia is my Iran national team hero and he only played 15 games for Damash... Persepolis was his side.

Bandar e Anzali's team is Malavan and they have a club logo that I actually find to be quite amusing, so I'm pretty open to them being my "official" Iranian side, even over Persepolis (if they ever get back into the top flight and I can see their matches ).

I don't know why I like this logo so much (I mean, yeah I do... it's the swan)... but I think it's great

maybe a stupid reason to pick a football team to support? Or maybe the best reason.

and their stadium only holds 8,000. Compared to Persepolis/Esteghal who play at Azadi stadium that's absolutely massive. I think I'd prefer to support a tiny Iranian side with an amusing logo, so hopefully they get back up ASAP so I can see their matches more.

[nudge]

3 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

True! But really Mahdavikia is my Iran national team hero and he only played 15 games for Damash... Persepolis was his side.

Bandar e Anzali's team is Malavan and they have a club logo that I actually find to be quite amusing, so I'm pretty open to them being my "official" Iranian side, even over Persepolis (if they ever get back into the top flight and I can see their matches ).

I don't know why I like this logo so much (I mean, yeah I do... it's the swan)... but I think it's great

maybe a stupid reason to pick a football team to support? Or maybe the best reason.

and their stadium only holds 8,000. Compared to Persepolis/Esteghal who play at Azadi stadium that's absolutely massive. I think I'd prefer to support a tiny Iranian side with an amusing logo, so hopefully they get back up ASAP so I can see their matches more.

That logo is badass! Would definitely choose that over a massive club that wins every time. That's boring af!

[Dr. Gonzo]

11 minutes ago, nudge said:

That logo is badass! Would definitely choose that over a massive club that wins every time. That's boring af!

It's also a team from a northern port city... and as someone from a northern port city that found out I've got other family from another northern port city in Iran... I guess there's a feeling of solidarity or something 

plus that fucking logo is so cool

[Dr. Gonzo]

Persepolis are absolutely fucked for the AFC CL final. So many of their best players have left since the semi-final (probably in part to the economy in Iran tanking)

[Azeem]

On 23/10/2020 at 02:07, nudge said:

Could be because they are seen as an Azerbaijani club with strong racist tendencies against Kurds and Persians? 

There are occasional chanting of Turk/Azeri Donkeys when they play home at Tehran and of pro-separatism when they play home in Tabrez.

[Toinho]

Asian champions league is back. Think they’re in Qatar or somewhere. We lost (surprise surprise) and Sydney just went down to Aaron Mooy and Hulk’s Chinese underperforming side 2-1.

[nudge]

 

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Uhh is this... allowed? Why was the goal allowed to stand?

https://streamable.com/na5z19

I’m going to tag @Stan because I’d feel like he’d know.

[nudge]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Uhh is this... allowed? Why was the goal allowed to stand?

https://streamable.com/na5z19

I’m going to tag @Stan because I’d feel like he’d know.

Goalkeeper got the last touch.

[Stan]

@nudge just about got there ahead of me but she is wise and correct.

 

[Azeem]

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Aw I missed the final!

But Persepolis lost, as expected. I still think it's pretty remarkable they managed to reach the final, considering how shit things are in Iran currently. But no surprise they've lost in the final after having lost most of their best players.

When was the last time a West Asian side won?

[Michael]

26 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

When was the last time a West Asian side won?

Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia only last season! 

[nudge]

Haven't had any time to watch it, but Thailand have beaten Indonesia comfortably (4-0) in the first leg of the Suzuki Cup final, and are heading into their 6th Southeast Asian championship title.

[Azeem]

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

On 14/05/2022 at 00:36, Aladdin said:

 

I think the way China is still treating covid is absolutely mental.

Having said that, I'm glad they won't be hosting the AFC.

[Azeem]

Russia has joined the Asian Chess Federation. Them joining AFC would be the big deal as football is THE sport and FIFA is very strict about these things, requires a lot of processing and vetting and once the move is made it is likely permanent. But I see it happening

Looking forward to Russia vs Australia in the Asian Cup final lol

[Michael]

Malaysia made an excellent come-back against Kyrgyzstan, after going 1-3 down. Malaysia managed to win the match 4-3, scoring their 4th goal in the 3rd minute of injury time right at the end of the match.