Iranian sports officials on Monday criticized the treatment of its World Cup team in the United States, suggesting protocol established amid the conflict between the two countries negatively impacted its performance in Los Angeles.
Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they were the “most oppressed” team at the World Cup, following his team’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Monday evening. Iran said the team arrived in the U.S. on Sunday from its World Cup home base in Tijuana, Mexico, after facing over five hours of travel and security checks during what’s typically a very short trip to the Los Angeles area. Officials inferred that politically charged diplomatic and bureaucratic hurdles fueled issues during the country’s first match.
“Before the game, I said we haven’t had time to adjust because of the travel,” Ghalenoei said. “Many of our players, they had cramps, and that’s why we had to substitute them. So, it wasn’t for technical reasons that we made substitutions. It was because of the injury and because of the cramp. They will be examined (Tuesday) by our technical staff, but the fact they delayed our arrivals and they are forcing us to go back early without time for recovery, they are making the situation more difficult.”
