By Rory CarrollLOS ANGELES, June 13 (Reuters) - Iran open their World Cup Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday in a match shaped as much by events off the pitch as by the ambitions of two teams seeking a long-awaited breakthrough.The fixture will be played against the backdrop of the U.S. war with Iran and in a region home to the largest Iranian community outside the country, adding a charged atmosphere to a contest between two nations who have never met at the World Cup.

Flag bans, travel headaches and a religious regime video among bumps in road, as team prepares to be first to play in country with which it is at war

By Rory CarrollLOS ANGELES, June 13 (Reuters) - Iran open their World Cup Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday in a match shaped as much by events off the…

Protests and tension threatened to turn match into political flashpoint