00:00Like disaster, actually, for us.
00:03A captain's cry for help,
00:07booze during the national anthem,
00:11and a flag that FIFA didn't want in the stadium.
00:14But to understand why all of that happened, you need to start with the war.
00:18Iran is currently dealing with the fallout of its conflict with the United States and Israel,
00:22creating major complication around its participation in a tournament being co-hosted by the US.
00:27A great relationship with President Trump.
00:30In the months leading up to the World Cup,
00:32there were even questions over whether Iran would participate at all.
00:36FIFA ultimately confirmed that the team would be allowed to play.
00:39If I had to go with a bus to Tehran and drive them here, I would do that.
00:46And that's where the problems began.
00:49Unlike most teams, Iran's team isn't based in the United States.
00:52Because of visa and travel restrictions,
00:54the squad has been operating out of Mexico and traveling across the border for matches.
00:59Several staff members reportedly couldn't obtain visas.
01:06Then came the biggest controversy.
01:08After Iran's opening draw with New Zealand,
01:10Coach Amir Ghallanoi claimed the team was told to leave the United States immediately.
01:15That's when Capt. Mehdi Tademi publicly appealed to FIFA.
01:18I think FIFA can have to help us more than this.
01:23But while the players were dealing with problems off the pitch,
01:26something else was happening inside the stadium.
01:28As Iran's national anthem began playing before kickoff,
01:32booze erupted from Iranians themselves.
01:34Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Iranian communities outside Iran.
01:38Many Iranian-Americans in attendance oppose the current government in Tehran.
01:42So while they support Iranian players,
01:44they don't necessarily support the state those players represent.
01:47Then, the cameras started picking up a different symbol.
01:51The Lion and Sun flag.
01:53Iran's pre-revolution flags,
01:55a symbol many opposition supporters used to show resistance to the current regime.
01:59According to multiple reports,
02:01security personnel confiscated some of these flags,
02:04while FIFA faced criticism over attempts to restrict them inside stadiums,
02:08because they were considered political symbols.
02:10Outside the stadium, protesters gathered carrying the same flags and banners.
02:15Some celebrated the goals,
02:17others focused on the politics.
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