FRANCE 98 – MatchQuotes

Match Number 30 USA – IRN Quotes

Steve SAMPSON :

” In this match we achieved our aims, that’s to say to build a good attacking game. To win, you’ve got to know how to take risks. After Hamid ESTILI’s (9) goal, we took even more risks. I am proud of my team and their attitude. I would like to congratulate the IRAN (Group F) team, who scored the first goal while we were attacking. They counter attacked very well.

The next game against YUGOSLAVIA (Group F) is very important for us. We are going to show that we’ve improved our game. Our aim stays the same, we will play to win.”

Jalal TALEBI :

” I would like to say that the UNITED STATES team played very well. We put everything into this match and we had a lot of chances. Anyway, I would like to congratulate the American team as well as their coach Steve SAMPSON.

My team completely dominated the game. I was very excited from beginning to end and it was a great pleasure to watch this game. It wasn’t easy, because the media had put a lot of pressure on this match.

Against GERMANY (Group F), I hope that my team will play the same football as they did this evening. It will not be easy to beat such a team, but if we do, it will be against the world’s greatest players”.

Mehdi MAHDAVIKA (2) :

” We’re elated. In the changing rooms, we were all crying. I think that in TEHERAN at the moment, the people are in the streets, as they were during our final qualification match. When I scored, I thought about my people. Against GERMANY (Group F), we will win if God wishes it”.

Ali DAEI (10) :

” I dedicate this match to the Iranian people and all the supporters who came to encourage us. We were yearning for this victory. Tonight, we have 3 points and a slight chance of getting past the first round. If we play the same way against GERMANY (Group F), we might beat the European champions “.

Karim BAGHERI (6) :

” I am completely satisfied, as we played a very good game of football. Tonight, the whole world was watching this match and we were at our best. The match was played in good spirit. We knew how to take our chance and I will always remember the photo of the teams together at the beginning of the match “.

Hamid ESTILI (9) :

” I am happy for the team, the Iranian supporters in the stadium and everybody at home watching the match on television. I scored the most important goal of my career. We must already start thinking about the next match against GERMANY (Group F), as I did for the games against the UNITED STATES (Group F) and YUGOSLAVIA (Group F). This victory keeps us in the running for a place in the last sixteen. In the next game against GERMANY, we will do everything we can to keep this chance alive “.

Ahmad ABEDZADEH (1, cap) :

” In spite of the pressure on this game, I did my best for the whole team. I’m happy for myself, my team-mates and Iranians throughout the world. With God’s help, I’m still hopeful that we can win the last group match against GERMANY (Group F). We know their game and we now have a few days to finalise our tactics to get the best result and to progress to the last sixteen”.

Cobi JONES (13):

“We’re very disappointed to see four years’ work destroyed in the space of a week. It’s all over, we have to face up to the fact. I won’t comment on the team line-up, which in any case inspired confidence. But the Iranians were clinical, and took all their chances.”

David REGIS (6)

“The two teams played attacking, total football, which definitely showed that the contest was on the pitch. The more determined team won tonight: they were hungrier in front of goal. True, we hit the post four times, but the first Iranian goal really stunned us.”

Tab RAMOS (10)

“We gave it everything and created lots of chances by showing plenty of initiative, but taking risks in attack didn’t pay off. Obviously we’re really disappointed, because we thought we had a chance of getting through to the last sixteen by beating the Iranians. Unfortunately it didn’t turn out that way, but our game has clearly improved and we should be proud of that”.

Roy WEGERLE (7)

“We were the better team tonight. But we scored too late, and that cost us victory. In the first twenty minutes, it was one-way traffic, we were completely on top. But tonight was just one of those nights – that’s football for you. It’s disappointing, because we were hoping to qualify as one of the world’s best sixteen teams. We’ve got another four years to build a good team: don’t forget that we’re still learning.”