Iran told to leave U.S. immediately after 2-2 draw
Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais stops a shot during a World Cup Group H soccer match against Uruguay in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Monday. (AP Photo)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The coach of Iran’s World Cup team said it was ordered to leave the U.S. and return to its training base in Mexico only a few hours after opening its politically charged tournament by playing to a 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday night. 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 through an interpreter. “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 U.S. and Israel began a war against 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 U.S. Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said the team endured five hours of travel and security checks during what’s normally a very short trip from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area on Sunday. “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.” Taremi and Ghalenoei both decried the team’s lack of many important staff members — including the president of Iran’s football federation, coaching support personnel and media officials — who were denied visas by the U.S., amplifying the team’s difficult 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.” Ghalenoei said several players developed cramps during the game, which was played in mild conditions. He attributed the injury problems to the lack of proper preparation time caused by Iran’s bureaucratic and diplomatic obstacles. “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.” The Iranians’ remaining two games in group stage play are against Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday, followed by a trip to Seattle to face Egypt next week. Iran opened its World Cup with a disappointing draw to a team ranked 65 places lower in FIFA’s rankings. Yet the Iranians also overcame two deficits in an exciting match, getting the tying goal from Mohammad Mohebi in the 64th minute before a strongly pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest population of Iranians outside Iran. The game was played in a crackling atmosphere created in part by a conflicted, diasporic fan base which remains furious with the current Iranian government, but is still largely supportive of Team Melli. While several hundred Iranian Americans protested the government outside, many fans from the diaspora jeered and turned their backs on the field during the national anthem. Dozens of Lion and Sun emblems — the centerpiece of Iran’s official flag before 1979 — were displayed in the crowd despite FIFA’s attempts to keep them away, while dozens more fans wore the Lion and Sun emblems on T-shirts. Yet the vast majority of the crowd vocally supported the Iranian players once the match kicked off. “It was an incredible atmosphere in the game, all 90 minutes,” Taremi said. “It was like at home for us.” Elijah Just scored early in each half for New Zealand, but Iran responded twice with a pair of beautiful goals, including Mohebi’s header off a perfect pass from Ramin Rezaeian, who had scored off the side of his boot in the first half. Mohebi appeared to mime the shooting of a gun after his goal, setting off criticism online. He also made the now-ubiquitous “ice in my veins” gesture originated 10 miles away from SoFi Stadium by Los Angeles Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell a decade ago, before he held up a heart to the cheering fans. “The Iranians who live in Los Angeles, they make a great atmosphere,” Mohebi said. “That celebration, it comes in the mind, and I did like this” — motioning to his arm — “for all the fans. Just a celebration.” BELGIUM 1, EGYPT 1 SEATTLE (AP) — Romelu Lukaku’s entrance as a second-half substitute drew a standing ovation from the smattering of Belgium supporters. It took only 23 seconds to turn those hopeful cheers into raptures of euphoria. Lukaku’s presence sparked an immediate attack that led to Belgium’s lone goal against Egypt on Monday, helping to earn a 1-1 draw in the team’s opening World Cup match. “He’s a target man,” Belgium captain Youri Tielemans said. “He needs to build up his fitness, which is understandable after being out for the season. But, he helps us in this way.” Lukaku, a Napoli striker who leads his nation in goals scored, withdrew from Belgium’s friendlies in the United States in the spring to get fitter as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. That injury didn’t look too bothersome in the 66th minute when he ran down the middle of the field moments after entering the game and lurched to tap a cross from the right into the net. Egypt defender Mohamed Hany got there first, however, and scored an own-goal to even the score. With 66,775 spectators watching, the Egyptians took the lead early in the Group G match. Emam Ashour scored his first international goal in the 19th minute. If not for Lukaku’s impact in the second half, Belgium easily could have dug itself into quite a hole in a group it is heavily favored to win, much as it did when failing to advance past the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Despite out-possessing Egypt, the Red Devils struggled to score all afternoon. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne came the closest for Belgium, pushing a shot wide left in the seventh minute before clanking another off the left post in the 53rd. Lukaku could have put Belgium in front late, too, but his header sailed far above the goal. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said because only 20% of his team’s shots were on target, netting one goal was a fair representation of their efforts. Still, Garcia would have preferred a faster start. “We weren’t really in the groove,” Garcia said in French. “Technically, we left a lot to be desired.” Egypt, meanwhile, were the more aggressive side in the first 45 minutes. Ashour, a midfielder who was playing in his 30th game for his country, took advantage of a defensive breakdown to give his team only its second lead in a World Cup match. The Egyptians, who are playing in their fourth World Cup, have still never won a game at the tournament. “The match shows we were closer to earning the win,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said in Arabic. URUGUAY 1, SAUDIA ARABIA 1 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Maxi Araújo finally gave the crowd of mostly Uruguay fans in South Florida something to cheer about with his tying goal late in Monday’s World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia. La Celeste salvaged a point, but they were not thrilled with the result. “We gave it away. We have to be honest,” midfielder Federico Valverde said in Spanish after his side played to a 1-1 draw, making up for a flat first half by controlling the second. “We gave away the first half,” Valverde added. “We didn’t play the way we had trained. It wasn’t what we were aiming for. We rushed things too much. We wanted to win the game in the very first minute. Sometimes you need a bit more patience and just play our game. We improved a lot in the second half.” Abdulelah Al-Amri scored on a rebound in the 41st minute for Saudi Arabia, and Araújo got the equalizer in the 80th, firing a rebound past goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais from close range. La Celeste dominated possession and had 29 attempts on goal to Saudi Arabia’s seven but trailed until late in the second half. It was the fourth international goal for Araújo and second at Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Al-Amri, who had a shot denied by Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera earlier in the first half, put his squad ahead with a quick tap-in after Muslera palmed away a header. Al-Amri fell to his knees after the goal and placed his head down on the pitch as he was showered with cheers from Saudi Arabia fans, who were greatly outnumbered in South Florida but loud enough to make up the difference. Four years ago, they watched their team deliver one of the most memorable moments of the 2022 World Cup, coming back to stun Lionel Messi and eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in Saudi Arabia’s opening match. Monday’s result was much less dramatic, but Saudi Arabia — behind a mostly solid performance by Al-Owais — was able to shut out Uruguay, a two-time World Cup champion, until late. The Green Falcons were more pleased with the outcome than their opponents. “Uruguay is a team that is very energetic,” Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis said through an interpreter. “The players are well experienced, and there is depth on the bench. … When you’re faced with such an opponent, getting one point is a positive.” Donis replaced the fired Hervé Renard only two months ago. He said he’s still learning the squad, though he was hopeful after Monday’s performance. “I need to get to know my team better,” Donis said. “I need to create a team that is competitive, and it only makes sense that we need time to do this. Today’s outcome gives us an advantage.” La Celeste had plenty of chances. Al-Owais denied a point-blank header from Federico Vinas in the first half, then got his fingertips on an attempt by Manuel Ugarte in the 61st. He also denied Valverde’s attempt a couple of minutes into stoppage time. “When a team that is supposed to make a difference cannot do it, in terms of being dangerous or dominating the ball,” Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said through an interpreter, “then the weaker team actually dares to do something.”