The must-win match is rife with geopolitical tensions reminiscent of the countries’ last on-field face-off nearly a quarter century ago.
By the time he wrapped his press conference in Qatar on Monday, United States men’s national team coachcut the figure of an embattled head of state, not someone trying to stave off elimination from the World Cup. On the eve of a win-or-go-home match, Berhalter and team captainwere grilled by Iranian journalists about US policy on immigration and the country’s military presence in the Persian Gulf.
Berhalter and Adams fielded some questions about the USMNT’s next opponent, but tactical analysis tends to get overshadowed when that opponent is Iran. In a World Cup where it hasTuesday’s match between the United States and Iran is the most politically charged contest yet, the ultimate tempest in an unusually fraught tournament.
That set the stage for Monday’s strange press conference, where Iranian journalists repeatedly confronted Berhalter and Adams, both of whom tried gamely to steer the questions back to the game itself. “We support Iran’s people and Iran’s team,” Adams said. “But that being said, we’re laser-focused on this match, as they are as well.”from Press TV, an Iranian government-affiliated outlet, who pointed out that the 23-year-old midfielder was “pronouncing our country’s name wrong.
“You just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country,” he continued. “So yeah, it’s a process, I think as long as you see progress, that’s the most important thing.” Berhalter, meanwhile, stressed that neither he nor his players were aware of the US Soccer Federation’s social media post. “All we can do, on our behalf, is apologize on behalf of the players and the staff,” heThe Iranian national team hasn’t avoided the fray either, of course. Since September, the country has been roiled by protests inspired by Amini, a 22-year-old who died in Iranian police custody after being arrested for violating the country’s law that requires head coverings for women.
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