The battle between Iran and the United States is boiling on and off the field

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The entrance to the Iran training at the Al Rayyan sports center is accompanied by a careful security check. Every garment and shirt is checked, and every paper and notebook is checked to see if there is any political message on them by mistake. It is forbidden to take pictures, and also anyone who takes pictures with a cell phone, even stills, is asked to delete the picture, by the media officer, and Iranian journalists themselves. It’s not for nothing. The situation has been tense in Iran in recent months, and tonight (Tuesday, 21:00), the Iranian national team will play against the United States national team in the most political game in the 2022 World Cup, an event loaded with political layers in itself, and things are starting to leave their mark on the ground.

While it was clear to everyone the moment the lottery called them both together in Group B, no one knew that the politically charged meeting between Iran and the USA would also be so critical from a sporting point of view, when the two come to the match head to head for a place in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

With the protests in Iran, the tensions between the countries and the never-ending nuclear talks in the background, “Team Malley” comes to the game against the stripes and stars team from second place with three points in Group B after an impressive victory over Wales last Friday. On the other hand, the stripes and stars team, which drew two results with England and Wales, comes from third place, with only two points. A draw or an Iranian victory – and Iran in the knockout, an American victory will send them to the eighth.

On the grass at El Rayan, Carlos Queiroz, the team’s Portuguese coach, laughed lightly with his players, but anyone present in the complex could tell he looked very tense.

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The pressure is at its peak. Quiros | Imagebank GettyImages, Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA

“Why don’t you ask Gareth about Afghanistan?”

After the booing and silence during the Iranian national anthem in the first game, and the booing and murmuring in the second game, it was clear that the political issue would occupy a central volume in tonight’s game, and the day before the game the press conferences of the two teams were political events for all intents and purposes, when not only sports journalists were present. Naturally, the questions from the journalists were also political, and without bias. Iran striker Mahdi Tarami was asked if he had any messages for the protesters in his homeland, but refused to answer. Kiiros “rescued” his player and attacked the questioners: “Why don’t you ask Gareth Southgate when Britain and the USA left Afghanistan?”.

It wasn’t quiet in the US either. Iranian journalists asked Tyler Adams and coach Greg Berhalter about everything except football. “First of all, our country is called Iran, not ‘Iran,’ and how does it feel to represent a racist country?”, an Iranian journalist asked Yesterday Tyler Adams, beyond the question from the beginning of this article, the two Americans demanded the rights of blacks and minorities in the US, the strict US visa procedures for foreigners, and the presence of the US Navy in the Persian Gulf.

“First of all I apologize for misspelling the name of your country, secondly – you are right,” said Adams. “There is no place without discrimination,” he said, “but I know that in the US we are constantly trying to improve, and that is the most important thing for me.”

Tyler Adams, player of the United States national team
“There is no place without discrimination.” Taylor Adams | Reuters

Voices from the past

In 1998, the two met in the semi-finals of the World Cup, for what was dubbed “the mother of all games”, or “the most political game in the World Cup”. From a sporting point of view, Iran and the United States were two teams quite equal in their level, with the Americans having a greater sports tradition, more World Cups under their belt, and more experience on the international stage, but it was still considered mediocre in terms of a soccer team.

They had senior players in the squad such as Casey Keller in goal, Claudio Reyna in midfield, the never-ending Kobe Jones and striker Brian McBride, who arrived in good form. Even so, the Iranians, in their second ever World Cup overall, enjoyed a talented generation, based on an attacking trio that came from the German Bundesliga: Karim Bagri of Arminia Billfield, Mehdi Mehdikia on loan from Persepolis of Iran to Bochum, and the giant Ali Dei – the Iranian goal machine who was then under contract in Bayern Munich. By the way, Dai until recently held the Guinness record for international goals in a national team uniform with 109, until Cristiano Ronaldo arrived.

On paper, the political tension was supposed to dissipate for the time being with a soccer match between two teams of fairly equal ability who wanted to prove themselves in some kind of climactic moment, but… there were countless problems that arose in the run-up to this game.

First of all, reports began to arrive that the American delegation – the players, the professional staff – had become a hot target for all kinds of radical Islamic groups ahead of the game. Security around the US camp in France has been significantly increased. But it doesn’t end there. Because in a football match between the United States and Iran – things can get to extreme places very quickly. The Mujahideen Khalq organization, one of the largest opposition movements in Iran since the Islamic Revolution, which was also supported by Saddam Hussein in the late 1980s and early 1990s around the Iran-Iraq war, bought 7,000 tickets out of the 42,000 that were put up for sale for the match at the Stade de Gerland. All this with the goal – to convey a political message that will resonate throughout the world, and destabilize the Iranian regime of Khamenei.

Iran was the “visiting” team in this game, and in World Cup games the law says that the visiting team goes in the direction of the “host” team. What’s the problem? The day before the game, Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei issued an executive order that forbids the players of the Iranian national team from marching towards their American opponents, and of course not to pressure them hands.

In an unusual step, FIFA confirmed that the so-called “host” team, in this case the Americans, will march in the direction of the “guest”, Iran. But also – not in an orderly line but in a more free style, and instead of shaking hands they introduced another innovation – the Iranian players went onto the grass each with A bouquet of white flowers – as a symbol of peace – and we gave it to the American players.

It didn’t end there – the Swiss match referee Ors Meyer signaled the players to gather together for a joint picture, and the players – arranged two and a half of American and Iranian players alternately, hugged and created a special and emotional atmosphere in the stadium. One can only imagine what will happen tomorrow.

Playing time

In Al Rayyan, nobody talks football. Only Kiiros, who refused to talk to the media during the open 20 minutes. Politics aside, in Iran’s final training session, beyond the tense and charged atmosphere, the picture of the lineup began to become clearer. Alireza Biranbad, who was injured against England in the face and suffered a concussion, will stand in for Kiiros, while Hossein Hosseini will get the opportunity in goal again. Feyenoord’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh is sent off for yellow cards. Karim Ansarifard from Omonia Nicosia is supposed to play in his place.

Group B is still quite open with England first with 4 points, Iran second with 3, USA third with 2, and Wales last with 1. In fact, Iran can advance, for the first time in its history, to the knockout stage of the World Cup, even with just a draw. In general, this is one of the most open World Cups for the last cycle, when only 3 teams secured their place in the next stage (France, Portugal, Brazil). Also, houses 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 are close and give us a number Interesting meetings in the last round of the group stage of the World Cup: Uruguay-Ghana, Serbia, Switzerland.

  • second house

    Groupgamesvictoriesdrawlossesgatespoints
    1

    England

    21102-64
    2

    Iran

    21016-43
    3

    U.S

    20201-12
    4

    Wales

    20113-11

But none of the divine meetings come close to the level of Iran-USA. Because Iran-USA is everything, and football. Iran USA is politics, it’s military tension, sanctions, nuclear, demonstrations, women’s rights, East versus West and much more and much more.

For sure, it will be fascinating to see what will happen during the Iranian national anthem tonight. Or what will happen when the players have to shake hands with their American opponents. or during the game. Will there be a display of support for the protest and pictures of Mahsa Amini? very possible. In the meantime, when in Souk Waqf, the place where mainly the fans of the Arab national teams meet every evening, a huge Iranian flag is unfurled in a procession of fans, there is a rather silent silence regarding the issue after the game.

“We are people, we are like you,” he said to the writer of these lines, an Iranian journalist, after recognizing him From a viral video which exploded only last Friday, after the victory over Wales, when Iranian fans celebrated and happily waved an Israeli reporter – himself. “I know who you are, but I can’t talk to you. Sorry.” In the 2022 World Cup, everything takes on a different, representative meaning, and just like that, even a meeting with the United States requires precautions when talking to colleagues from Israel.

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