Bring on Iran, says Korea Olympic coach

AFC - KOREA Republic's Olympic assistant coach Lee Sang-chul is unconvinced that his Iranian counterparts will be able to give his side a hard time when the teams meet in the final phase of the Olympic qualifiers.

Iran's Olympic team edged the full Singapore international side 3-2 in a friendly game played on February 1 (Saturday) and while the result may have flattered the Iranians, Lee feels that the Persians will have to raise their game should they wish to have a decent crack against the East Asians.

"There wasn't much that I was impressed with," said Lee of the Iran Olympic side. "The cohesion was not there and the way the Iranians moved up front wasn't the most ideal.

"I am not sure if it is the humidity or the travelling but they looked out of sorts at times. The forwards were not well supported by the midfielders and more often than not, some of their decisions left a lot to be desired.

"The Iranian number nine (Mehrzad Madanchi Ardakani) often dropped too deep in midfield and if they continue to play like this at the Olympic qualifiers, I do fancy Korea's chances.

"That being said, I thought their number eight (Ali Badavi) and number 10 (Eman Mobali) were quite impressive," added Lee to www.footballasia.com.

"Both players were often at the heart of every attack and these are two players that I believe Korea must watch out for when the two teams meet."

Iran and Korea Republic are in Group A with China and Malaysia. The Iranians kick off their campaign in Malaysia on March 3, while Korea host China on the same day.