The coach of the Iranian World Cup team says he was expelled from the US after the first game

Inglewood, Calif. — The coach of the Iran team that will play in the World Cup said he was ordered to leave the US and return to his training ground in Mexico a few hours after opening the tournament facing politics with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand on Monday night.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei did not say who ordered the Iranians to leave earlier than planned. The team was expected to spend the night in California for the usual recovery process after their opening game, and was told after the game that everyone had to get on a plane immediately for the 140-mile trip. I returned to Tijuana.

“They didn’t give us time to recover,” Galenoei said through an interpreter. “After the game today they said to us that you have to leave quickly. It is very important for us to have time to recover, (but) we are asked to board a plane back to our camp in Tijuana, and that worries us.”

The Iranian World Cup circuit has been in chaos since the US and Israel started a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran finally decided to compete even after FIFA rejected its request to move its three stage matches to the US.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said the team endured five hours of travel and security checks during the usually short trip from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area on Sunday.

“We don’t know why they are sending us back, to be honest,” said Ghalenoei. “I think it’s very strange. It seems that others are planning for us. Our decision is being taken elsewhere. We were supposed to come two nights before the game, we were supposed to stay tonight to recover and come back tomorrow at lunchtime. We don’t know why.

“I think our team is probably the most under pressure in the World Cup.”

Taremi and Ghalenoei both criticized the team’s absence of several key staff – including the president of Iran’s football federation, coaching support staff and media officials – you have been denied visas by the US., increases the difficult preparations of the group.

“We have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it’s not good for us,” Taremi said about an hour after the game. “I think FIFA should help us more than this. … Everything is like a disaster, really, for us.”

Galenoei said many players suffered from cramps during the match, which was played in cool conditions. He cited injury problems due to lack of proper preparation time caused by Iran’s administrative and diplomatic obstacles.

Before the game, I was saying that we don’t have time to practice because of the trip,” said Ghalenoei. “Many of our players had cramps, that’s why we had to change them. So it was not for technical reasons that we made substitutes. It was because of the injury and because of the cramps. They will be examined (on Tuesday) by our technical team, but the fact that they are delaying our arrival and forcing us to go back without time to recover, is what makes the situation difficult.”

The Iranians’ remaining two games in the group stage will be against Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday, followed by a trip to Seattle to face Egypt next week.

Iran opened the World Cup unsatisfyingly for a team ranked below 65 places in the FIFA list. Yet the Iranians overcame two deficits in a thrilling match, scoring a goal from Mohammad Mohebi in the 64th minute in front of a pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, which has the largest Iranian population in the world outside of Iran.

The match was played in a tense atmosphere created by a section of dissident fans, who are always angry with the current Iranian government but still strongly support Team Melli.

While several hundred African Americans protested against the government outside, many fans from other countries jeered and turned away from the stadium during the national anthem. Dozens of Lion and Sun symbols – the core of Iran’s official flag before 1979 – were displayed in the crowd despite FIFA’s efforts to prevent them, while scores of fans wore Lion and Sun symbols on their T-shirts.

However, most of the crowd supported the Iranian players when the match started.

It was an amazing atmosphere in the game, the whole 90 minutes,” said Taremi. “It was like home for us.”

Elijah Usand scored at the start of each half for New Zealand, but Iran responded twice with fine goals, including Mohebi’s header at the right post from Ramin Rezaeian, who had scored on the sidelines of his own half in the first half.

Mohebi was seen faking a shot after his goal, drawing criticism online. He also performed the now-ubiquitous “ice in my veins” gesture from 10 miles from SoFi Stadium by Los Angeles Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell a decade ago, before raising his heart to cheering fans.

“Iranians living in Los Angeles, they make a great atmosphere,” Mohebi said. “That celebration, it comes to mind, and I did this” – showing his arm – “for all the fans. Just a celebration.”

Players from both teams hugged and shook hands after the final whistle, with at least one jersey exchange taking place. As Galenoei sat alone in the dugout, his players gathered together and roamed the field to the applause of their remaining thousands of flag-waving, roaring fans.

Both of Iran’s next matches are difficult on paper, jeopardizing their chances of a first World Cup group stage exit. Iran, Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand have one point after the opening game.

“We are facing more obstacles, but we will not let that stop us from doing our best,” said Galenoei. “I think today was one of the best games in the World Cup so far, and I think the fans really enjoyed it on and off the pitch.”