The Iranian men’s soccer team’s quick departure from Los Angeles following its opening World Cup match was always the plan, according to the US government. Iran’s coach and players made it clear they were upset with having to fly back to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, late on Monday night following a 2-2 draw with New Zealand.

Complaints from the Team

Coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team expected to spend the night in California before flying back to Tijuana, but were told to get on a plane immediately after the game. “They didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said. “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.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN that the Iranians agreed to those terms. The team’s preparation for the tournament has been difficult due to the armed conflict between Iran and the US, including a last-minute training base relocation from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana.

Challenges for the Team

The team has had to endure visa issues, with members of their delegation not allowed into the United States for their games, the Iranian ticket allotment being revoked by FIFA, travel bans for many Iranian fans who may have hoped to travel to the USA for games, and conflicted feelings among the diaspora in the US.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.