The coach of Iran's World Cup team says they were ordered to leave the U.S. and return to their training base in Mexico just hours after opening the tournament with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand on Monday night.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei didn't specify who issued the order. The team had planned to spend the night in Inglewood for recovery but was told immediately after the match to head back to Tijuana, a trip of roughly 140 miles. "They didn't even give us time to recover," Ghalenoei said. "We are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that."
Captain Mehdi Taremi said travel and security checks delayed the team's arrival from Mexico. Ghalenoei attributed player cramps during the match to the disrupted schedule, not tactics.
Both Taremi and Ghalenoei criticized the lack of key staff, including the Iranian football federation president, who were denied U.S. visas. Taremi described the situation as a "disaster" and called on FIFA for more assistance.
The match was played before a largely pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium, home to the largest Iranian diaspora outside Iran. Protesters outside the venue turned their backs during the national anthem, but once the match began, the atmosphere was described by Taremi as "like at home for us."
Iran's next group stage matches are against Belgium on Sunday in Inglewood, followed by Egypt in Seattle.