'Repressed' Iran forced to leave U.S. after New Zealand draw - ESPN

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei called his team perhaps the «most repressed team in the whole World Cup,» after he said they have been forced to leave Los Angeles and return to their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, immediately following their opening match.

After perhaps the most strained buildup for any team in the long history of the World Cup, Iran finally took the pitch on Monday at SoFi Stadium, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in their politically charged opener.

But Ghalenoei began his postgame news conference by expressing his unhappiness that the team's travel plans — a return to Mexico on Tuesday — had been changed at the last minute.

Iran's base camp was moved to Tijuana from Arizona weeks before the tournament, despite all three of their group games taking place in the United States.

The team was due to fly to the U.S. two days before each game, before departing the following day.

However, Iran instead traveled to Los Angeles only on Sunday and have now said their travel plans were altered again following Monday's game.

«We spent so much time in the air commuting, 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've been told to return to our camp in Tijuana and we are really troubled by that."

He added: «I think perhaps our team is the most repressed team in the whole World Cup.»

Ghalenoei did not say who had instructed the team that they need to leave Monday night, although Iran captain Mehdi Tahremi said that FIFA president Gianni Infantino had visited the team in the locker room after Monday's game.

«For sure, he wants to try to help