Coach says Iran ordered out of US right after NZ game

INGLEWOOD, California — The coach of Iran's World Cup team said it was ordered to leave the United States and return to its training base in Mexico only a few hours after opening its politically charged tournament by playing out a 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei didn't say who ordered the Iranians to leave earlier than planned. The team had expected to spend the night in California to maximize the normal recovery process after its opening game, only to be told after the match that everyone must immediately get on a plane for the 140-mile trip back to Tijuana.

"They didn't even give us time to recover," Ghalenoei said.

"After the game today, they said to us: 'you have to leave immediately.'It's very important for us to have time for recovery, (but) we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that."

The Iranians' World Cup cycle has been in upheaval since the US and Israel started bombing Iran on Feb 28. Iran ultimately decided to compete, even after FIFA rejected its request to move its three group-stage matches out of the US.

"We don't know why they are returning us, to be honest," Ghalenoei said. "I think it's very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. The decision-making for us is being made elsewhere. We were supposed to come two nights before the game, and we were supposed to stay tonight to recover and return tomorrow at lunchtime. We have no idea why.

"I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup."

Captain Mehdi Taremi and Ghalenoei both decried the team's lack of numerous key staff members — including the president of Iran's soccer federation, coaching support personnel and media officials — who were denied visas by the US, further hindering the team's preparations.

"We have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it's not good for us," Taremi said about an hour after the match. "I think FIFA have to help us more than this. Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us."

Iran opened its World Cup with a draw, coming from behind twice with Mohammad Mohebbi getting the second equalizer in the 64th minute in front of a solidly pro-Iranian crowd. Some Iranian-American fans engaged in protest against Iran's government.

Iran's next match is also at SoFi Stadium against Belgium on Sunday.

Quality performance

New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley praised his players for their battling performance which brought the team tantalizingly close to a first-ever World Cup win, saying they showed the kind of quality needed to clear that hurdle.

The Kiwis led Iran twice in what was an entertaining Group G encounter that featured a brace from New Zealand's Elijah Just.

"That may be our best performance ever, or since I've been involved with the All Whites, which is a long time," Bazeley said.

"Overall, I thought it was a really strong performance and I think we showed the world who we are and who our players are."

The draw means all four teams in the group have one point after Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt earlier on Monday.

It was also the first time since the 1958 World Cup that four draws were recorded in a single day's play.

It also means, however, that New Zealand — in its third finals appearance — remains without a win after seven World Cup matches.

Bazeley said his team produced enough quality moments to snatch a victory, but acknowledged it hurt to come so close to that elusive win.

"We came here to win, and today we were so close to making history," he said. "We haven't won a game at a World Cup, and we're so close to doing that today, and that hurts."

New Zealand looked like it would hold on, until Mohebbi headed in a perfect cross to tie things up at 2-2, a moment Bazeley attributed to one of his team's few defensive lapses.

Nevertheless, he predicted his players would create more positive moments during the tournament.

"We've been building and building over the last few years in regards to performance," he said.

"And I've said a lot that, every game we play, we have moments within the games against good teams where we play really well and create chances. Today we were more consistent with that."

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