Iran twice come from behind to claim draw in World Cup opener with New Zealand
During 101 minutes of action in Los Angeles, Iran were finally able to focus on football. The buildup, of course, had been unprecedented, messy and chaotic. But then, in the aftermath of an entertaining draw with New Zealand, Iran’s captain, Mehdi Taremi, described their World Cup as a “disaster”, explaining how Fifa president Gianni Infantino went into their dressing room to hear their concerns, and head coach Amir Ghalenoei labelled them the “most oppressed” team at the tournament after being forced to return to Mexico after the game.
A charter flight from LAX was scheduled for 11pm local time. It was a lively end to a relatively drama-free occasion, despite pre-match protests and an underlying anxiety around how the team would be greeted by their own supporters. What, really, were the emotions flowing through their veins as they took to the pitch? A few hours earlier Donald Trump, in France before the G7 summit, said a peace deal had been signed after almost four months of war. Infantino, who in effect recently admitted he is powerless to prevent the chaos that continues to plague Iran’s preparations and overshadow their participation, was up in the VIP seats.