The USA triumphed over Iran in the FIFA World Cup 2022 match on Tuesday. Pulisic’s 38th-minute goal helped the United States come up trumps in their politically charged rematch to advance to the World Cup’s knockout stage.
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However, the game which was overshadowed by protests raging in Iran and laced with decades of tension between the two countries witnessed a heartwarming moment when USA defender Antonee Robinson consoled a tearful Mehdi Taremi after the final whistle.
No politics, just sportsmanship. #USAvIRN pic.twitter.com/F9z1XtF7Pf
— David Blenkle (@StockLlamma) November 30, 2022
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Taremi was in the thick of the action and also led Iran protests after being denied a late penalty following a challenge from Cameron Carter-Vickers in the final minutes of the match.
During the dying minutes of the game, Taremi went down, after seemingly pushed by Carter-Vickers.
Taremi thought it was a penalty and would lead an animated protest for the referee to consult VAR. But it didn’t materialise. Even as the referee blew the whistle to signal end of the game, number of Iran players surrounded him to contest the decision but he wasn’t moved.
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The contest in Qatar between the two nations, which severed diplomatic ties more than 40 years ago, took place under increased security to prevent a flare-up over the anti-government protests across Iran since the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept 16.
For fans attending the first soccer World Cup in the Middle East, or watching across the world, Iran’s domestic politics and its troubled relations with the United States were in focus.
