re: Iran and Saudi Arabia both played with heart today.

Iran is a better team than Saudi Arabia. Most of the Iranian team is foreign based, and they have looked better to my eye than Saudi Arabia, who have to be one of the worst teams I've ever seen.

Saudi Arabia was also sort of screwed when MBS fired the old head of sports in the country (after the KSA had already qualified) and replaced him with Turki Al-Sheikh, a friend of MBS. Al-Sheikh recently fired many of the big teams' presidents and hired others who are his lackeys in his place. He also couldn't agree to a contract with Van Marwijk, and hired Bauza in his place. Later Bauza was fired and Pizzi was put in his place.

The reason Marwijk wasn't renewed was that apparently under the old head of sport, he was allowed to live outside the KSA, while Turki wanted him to stay in the country.