Iraq Soccer Team "Lions of the Two Rivers" Wins Asia Cup

The Iraqi team, known as the "Lions of the Two Rivers" beat three-time champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 in its first appearance in the Asian Cup final.
"The players have made us proud, not the politicians. Once again, our national team has shown that there is only one, united Iraq."

Jorvan Vieira, the present coach of the Iraqi team. He should be given the Iraqi nationality for his honest efforts to our country. He studied our players and showed a good understanding of their difficulties and the problems we have back at home. He said talking about the war the following:

"Some of them, if they go to Iraq, they are going to be killed," Vieira said of our team. "When you don't know where your home is, where your things are, you are lost in space. It's the same when you have no organization in your house. You don't know where you put your socks or your trousers. It's the same here. They are lost people because of the war."

Now have a look at how he described the job he has done:

"They've been through so much. The players are so strong, but sometimes too strong. They have so much pain that I have to be not only a coach, but a psychologist, a father, and a friend to them. They are a very good example of unity to the Iraqi people."

I believe his determination to win was also an important factor for this historical achievement:

"I have to be confident about winning. I can't talk about my problems, and say we'll do nothing, because I am not a loser. I've lost very few times in my life."
Now look at his humanity and modesty:
"The congratulations should not go to me. It should go to my players, my staff who are working behind me," a humble Vieira told a press conference after our team's stunning 3-1 victory over Australia "Because without these people I can not do anything. I'm not a magician," he explained.

Vieira also talked about how every player was busy with himself at the beginning and his first task was to get them all together, the Shia, the Sunnis, and the Iraqi Kurds and to be united playing for their country..
"I tried to unify them. Now they are together, they kiss each other, they shake each others' hands. They are not fighting or talking politics. They accepted my way. I am not a magician, but I know football can change people."
Vieira thank you, you are a brother!


Our football team behind our Iraqi flag celebrating their wins

Lions of the Two Rivers

Our Iraqi Football Team reached Asian Cup final

My beloved country Iraq reached the first Asian Cup final in our football history on Wednesday 25th of July 2007, beating South Korea 4-3 on penalties in a very excited semifinal that ended goalless after extra time.

Noor Sabri was our hero when he saved Korea's fourth spot-kick from Yeom Ki-hun.

After Ahmad Menajed had made it 4 for us - 3 for the Douth Koreans, Kim Jung-woo hit the post to send the our players into raptures.

The Iraqi players dedicated the dramatic win to the Iraqi nation.

"Only happiness in our camp... everyone is very happy and we have reason to be happy. This victory is for the Iraqi people because they deserve that," our coach Jorvan Vieira told a news conference.

"There is only happiness in our camp and our boys worked very hard to achieve it," Vieira added.

"It was a great game," Iraq coach Jorvan Vieira told a news conference. "The game was 50:50 but we missed more opportunities than them. We were tired too, but Korea were more tired than us."

The Iraqis team went into the match in confident mood having topped qualifying Group A in which they beat a fancied Australia.

We showed during the match brilliant individual skills and our team deserved to win.

Gunfire erupted across our cpital Baghdad and most the Iraqi cities as we the Iraqis celebrated the national soccer team's victory over South Korea to reach the final of the Asian Cup.

our Iraqi people poured into the streets of Baghdad, waving national flags and cheering. An Iraqi television reporter choked back tears of joy as he joined the celebrations on a Baghdad street.

Iraqis in the autonomous northern region of Kurdistan even waved Iraqi flags in a rare display of national unity.

I hope that we will see more celebrations after we win the final match next Sunday.

God willing, we the Iraqi people will prevail and triumph.

My beloved country Iraq shock Australia with 3-1 win

It was nice to read about the Iraqi win at a time when the killing of our innocent people is still continuous. It made me and every Iraqi happy to watch our people going out into the streets of Baghdad in a united celebration.

I was proud to see the following reports on the net about our Iraqi football team beating Australia 3-1:

The Socceroos fell behind after a 22nd-minute goalkeeping clanger by Mark Schwarzer, only to equalise through Mark Viduka but they were badly exposed defensively again for the Iraqis to wrap it up with two more goals.

The bumbling loss heaps further pressure on under-fire coach Graham Arnold, with chants of "Arnold out" from the travelling Australian fans.

Iraq now share the lead in Group A with Thailand, 2-0 winners over Oman Thursday, with the pair favourites to go into the quarter-finals after Monday'sfinal pool games.


Iraq Shock Australia With 3-1 Win Australia’s Asian Cup hopes are hanging by a thread after an emphatic 3-1 defeat at the hands of Iraq in Bangkok.
Iraq Shock Australia With 3-1 Win
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The Iraqis were the better team for the majority of the game and could have won by a more emphatic scoreline against an Australian side that improved little from their opening game 1-1 draw with Oman.

To make matters worse for under-fire coach Graham Arnold, Lucas Neill was shown a second yellow card for dissent in the final minute.

The West Ham defender will have to sit out Monday's match with co-hosts Thailand - a game that the Socceroos must win in order to keep quarter-final hopes alive.

After Iraq took an early lead, Australia got back into the game through Mark Viduka at the start of the second half but were undone by two subsequent Iraqi goals.

Australia started at a much higher tempo than five days previously but Younis Mahmoud, Iraq’s goalscorer against Thailand, went close in the ninth minute, turning Brett Emerton and forcing Mark Schwarzer to tip the ball over.

The Socceroos had most of the possession of a foul-strewn half but rarely troubled their opponents.

Soccer: Iraq upsets Australia, 3-1, in Asian Cup
Reuters
Published: July 13, 2007


BANGKOK: Iraq pulled off a stunning 3-1 upset of Australia at the Asian Cup on Friday to leave the tournament favorite in danger of an embarrassing early exit.

Nashat Akram scored on a free kick in the first half after a terrible mistake from the Australian goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer, and Hawar Mulla Mohammad and Karrar Jassim Mohammad capitalized on further defensive errors to find the net after halftime.

The Socceroos briefly drew level when their captain, Mark Viduka, scored just after halftime, but were otherwise outplayed by a team that had to train and play qualifiers in neutral Jordan because of the war in their homeland.

"I told you all before the game and no one believed me," Iraq's Brazilian coach, Jorvan Vieira, said at a news conference. "I know my players, I know these men. I knew they could win, and we proved today we can do anything."