Iran deserved better this World Cup. Visa issues, lack of ability to recover, forced to take flights in and out, every game winning goal overturned by VAR, and now two teams playing to essentially tie in an outcome that ensures their elimination. They played damn well. A shame.
Zlatan Ibrahimović on the VAR decision that denied Iran a last-minute winner against Egypt:
🗣️ “This is exactly why people are losing faith in VAR. We're told it's here to eliminate clear mistakes, yet somehow it keeps creating even bigger controversies on football's biggest stage. That's simply unacceptable.”
“I've watched the replay again and again, and I still don't understand how anyone can call that offside. If you're going to cancel a goal that could decide a nation's World Cup, you better be 100% certain not guessing behind a screen.”
“Millions of Iranians celebrated what they believed was a historic moment, only for a group of officials to erase it within seconds. You didn't just disallow a goal you stole a nation's dream.”
“The referee and VAR officials should be held accountable for decisions like this. You cannot hide behind technology when the technology is being used incorrectly. That's not justice, that's incompetence.”
“A World Cup is played once every four years. Players sacrifice everything to get here, supporters travel across the world, and then one shocking decision destroys months of hard work. That is unforgivable.”
“If this is the standard of officiating at the biggest tournament in football, then something is seriously broken. Football deserves better, the players deserve better, and above all, the fans deserve far better than this.”
El capitán de la Selección de Irán, Mehdi Taremi, explotó contra la FIFA y la organización de Estados Unidos.
“Esta es una Copa del Mundo desastrosa. Como jugadores profesionales no podemos jugar una competición en estas condiciones, no está bien ni es justo. Si la FIFA piensa que esto es justo, tema de ellos, pero no lo es. ¿Quién debería solucionar este problema por nosotros? ¿La FIFA? ¿EE.UU.? ¡No sé! Díganme un nombre. El presidente de la FIFA, Gianni Infantino, vino a nuestro vestuario después del primer partido contra Nueva Zelanda y dijo que iba a resolver todos los problemas, pero en realidad, la FIFA no hizo nada. Respondiendo la pregunta de: "¿Sienten que los organizadores de la Copa del Mundo, incluidos la FIFA y los funcionarios estadounidenses, prefieren que Irán sea eliminado de la competencia?", digo: Tenemos que luchar contra absolutamente todo. No podemos quedarnos en el país, viajamos y nos sometemos a controles migratorios cada vez que queremos jugar, ahora no podemos quedarnos en Seattle y tenemos que volver a Tijuana. Han hecho todo lo posible para eliminarnos, entonces desde nuestra perspectiva, sí, creo que lo quieren así, nos quieren afuera”.
Two things are simultaneously true about the US team:
1. They have very little depth. A lot of these substitutes who started tonight are ASS.
2. The fact that these guys are our subs is a sign that US men's soccer has made strides forward. Players of this caliber usually start.
A reminder that Flo Balogun would not be on the US Men's National Team if Trump's birthright citizenship order was in place when he was born in NY. The first US man to score more than one goal in a World Cup match since the very first World Cup in 1930.
You got players in the NFL RIGHT NOW who have domestic violence cases and multiple DUI’s. But apparently Caleb Williams painting his nails is sending the “wrong message” to kids. Y’all got it fam.