ABOUT CIBUBUR – “I’m sure when we score today, everyone will cheer.”
This prediction was made with confidence by Parsa Tafreshi, a football fan from Iran who was willing to travel long distances from New York to Los Angeles to watch the fierce match between Iran and New Zealand.
What Parsa said proved to be true on the pitch.
The dramatic match ended in a 2-2 draw. Every time New Zealand’s goal net shook due to an attack from Iran (known as Team Melli), the stadium erupted in deafening celebration.
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However, behind the excitement, the atmosphere inside and outside the stadium actually contained very deep political tensions.
Los Angeles itself is home to a large community of Iranian-American diaspora.
The majority of them are staunch opponents of the government system currently in power in Tehran. This polarization is clearly visible from the attributes that spectators bring to the stadium.
In one corner, some fans waved the official flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran decorated with calligraphy of the name of God.
Meanwhile, in another corner, a flag flying from the era before the 1979 revolution displayed the symbol of a lion and a sun, a symbol that is now attached to the identity of Iran’s opposition groups.
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Uniquely, this polarization melts every time Team Melli builds an attack. Chant “Iran, Iran!” echoed in unison without partition.
Thousands of pairs of eyes held their breath together every time Iran’s front line approached New Zealand’s defense.
Protest Outside the Stadium: “Finish Your Job, President Trump”
Even though inside the stadium the supporters are united for football, the atmosphere outside the stadium is actually heating up.
Before the match started, a small group of demonstrators gathered while waving Israeli flags and shouting support for Iranian opposition figure, Reza Pahlavi.
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These demonstrators even made controversial calls, asking United States President Donald Trump to continue the war with Iran, ignoring the fact that Washington and Tehran had actually agreed to a ceasefire agreement.
“President Trump, finish your job!” they shouted through the loudspeaker.
Not only that, chants of condemnation of the Hamas group in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon were also raised.
One of the demonstrators even unfurled a large banner containing photos of Team Melli players’ faces crossed out with a red cross, complete with the words “Team IRGC (Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)” in a red ink design that resembled drops of blood.
“This is the regime team,” said Kourosh Kiumarsi, one of the demonstrators interviewed.
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When asked about the presence of the Israeli flag in the midst of their action, Kourosh argued, “Israel and the US are attacking the regime and helping the Iranian people.
They are not at war with the Iranian people, but with the Islamic Republic regime.”
Softening FIFA Rules?
Even though the tension outside the stadium was quite high, the ripples did not disrupt the course of the match.
Sudi Farokhnia, a supporter wearing a three-color wig (green, white, red) typical of Iran, said he was relieved that all the political tensions had been calmed outside the gate.
“As soon as you stepped into the stadium, all you could hear was ‘Iran, Iran, Iran’. The energy was incredible,” he said.
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However, ignoring the political aspect of this match is certainly impossible.
The display of pre-revolutionary flags, hats and T-shirts emblazoned with the slogans “Make Iran Great Again” and “Free Iran” violates FIFA’s strict rules banning political symbols in international matches.
Until this news was published, FIFA had not provided an official comment regarding leaving these attributes in the stadium.
Sad Message from Minab Tragedy 168
Another emotional side also came from a supporter named Arash. He wore a jersey that read “Minab 168”.
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This figure refers to the heartbreaking tragedy in which 168 children at a girls’ school in the city of Minab were killed as a result of an air strike on the first day of the armed conflict between the US-Israel and Iran some time ago.
“This is not just a political outfit,” said Arash emotionally.
“This is a simple statement: schools are sacred places that must be protected. No matter who you are, what your beliefs are, or what country you are in, schools must be free from conflict and attack.”
In the middle of the match, a group of supporters in the stands even unfurled a large banner with the same message of peace.
This match actually started with a boycott, where many supporters booed the Iranian national anthem when it was played at the start of the match, a form of direct protest against the Tehran government.
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Team Melli’s journey to be able to compete in the US was filled with drama, after previously they were forced to be detained and based in Mexico because the Trump administration refused to host them on US soil during the group phase due to the war situation.
But as soon as the first whistle blew, all the political drama seemed to evaporate. On the gridiron, the pure drama of 11-on-11 football takes over the stage.
Even though Iran had to lose two valuable points because they were held to a draw by a lower ranked team, their struggle to come from behind twice gave them a glimmer of happiness.
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For a nation divided into two flags, which had gone through the trauma of war and extraordinary hardships, the two goals scored in the opponent’s goal that night succeeded in uniting their voices: everyone cheered for their homeland. ***
