Moorpark, California —
The crest is red, white and green – the colors of the Iranian flag. Nader Adeli, the 65-year-old captain of Arya Football Club, holds up the jersey and laughs: “We are Iranian! We are Aryan, alright?”
All 11 Arya FC players on the field are Iranian or Iranian American.
It is a Wednesday evening in Moorpark, in the San Fernando Valley, and a friendly game against another local recreational league team is about to kick off.
Less than 50 miles away at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, renamed Los Angeles stadium for the duration of the World Cup, Iran’s national team on Monday will play their first match under unprecedented circumstances.
