The war was kept aside and so were the US-Iran negotiations on Nuke etc. For full 101 minutes against New Zealand, Iran’s players were able to focus on the football.
Iran have accused FIFA of unfair treatment after being ordered by US authorities to leave Los Angeles immediately following their 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their FIFA World Cup opener, with head coach Amir Ghalenoei describing his side as "the most oppressed team" at the tournament.
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi, midfielder Mohammad Mohebi and Ghalenoei voiced their frustration over what they said were repeated logistical challenges that have disrupted the team's preparations. According to the coach, the squad was instructed to return to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, shortly after Monday night's match instead of remaining in Los Angeles for recovery.
Cape Verde’s Vozinha in tears as cost of visa stopped mother witness his historic performance
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This is what their head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, had vowed. Goals from Mohammad Mohebbi and Ramin Rezaeian cancelled out a smart Eli Just double.
The cue of a partisan crowd provided the kind of joy Iran captain Mehdi Taremi conceded had been missing in recent months.
While Fifa’s code of conduct prohibits materials of “political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature”, several carried the flags into the ground unchallenged; one couple were asked to simply remove the sticks attached to them.
Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, had been quoted as saying their players would abandon the match if they heard political slogans in the ground.
Inside the stadium, there was little in the way of good soccer...
From the moment Taremi exchanged pennants with Chris Wood, the support for Iran was overwhelmingly positive.
Unlike in their opening game in Qatar four years ago, Iran sang the national anthem, which in itself is a divisive issue.
Iran, all in white against New Zealand made a fast start but trailed on seven minutes when Just juggled the ball in the box and wellied it past Alireza Beiranvand.
It was a fine move that stemmed from Wood controlling on his chest a long kick downfield by the Millwall goalkeeper Max Crocombe. Wood and Just then combined in the box, the latter taking the ball away from Ali Nemati with his left boot and then smacking in with the laces of his right.
A loose contest meant plenty of openings. Shahriar Moghanloo made, surely, a goal-saving block, taking the ball off the toes of Wood after the Nottingham Forest striker wound up a shot and Taremi cracked an effort against the post after soaring to the edge of the 18-yard box from inside his own half.
Iran levelled when Rezaeian poked in, the 36-year-old rewarded for burning towards goal after sending a delightful pass infield with the outside of his right foot.
(Elijah Just opens the scoring in Los Angeles. Photograph: AP/The Guardian)
‘I have worked my whole life for this moment,’ said
Cape Verde’s Vozinha, goalkeeper. Vozinha, 40, was named player of the match after making seven saves in his side’s 0-0 draw against Spain.
He was in tears at full time. The mother of Cape Verde’s World Cup hero was not there to see history made because she could not afford the visa to the US.
The goalkeeper described the game as the moment he had been working towards his “entire life”.
In January the US government added Cape Verde to the list of countries whose citizens have to post a returnable bond of up to $15,000 before travelling to the US, on top of the visa fee.
As a result, Vozinha’s mother was unable to complete her application. Vozinha has been Cape Verde’s No 1 for 13 years.
“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” he said.
“They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa...".
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