Dude, what do you know! Iran's national team landed in Los Angeles exactly when a deal between Iran and the USA was announced - it was like a scam from Relu's wedding, when Mioara showed up with the sarmale just as she was arguing with her mother-in-law. No joke! They moved their training camp from Arizona, Tucson, all the way to Tijuana, Mexico - like they were running from the tax office in Berceni.
Now, protocol had the players and coach Amir Ghalenoei make statements before the match against New Zealand. Ghalenoei said: "We are here for football, I respect all Iranians. We must separate football from politics." Well, bro, politics is like back home - Mioara says politics is on TV, but I say it's in your pocket. Listen, Los Angeles is nicknamed "Tehrangeles" - 500,000 Iranians! Part of the diaspora considers the team a propaganda tool of the Islamic Republic, and on Monday hostile demonstrations are planned. Just like in Craiova, when people gather at Summer Fest and argue over manele.
Striker Mehdi Taremi, from Olympiacos, added: "I respect all Iranians, but I am here for football." And he drew a parallel with Somali referee Omar Artan, who was banned from entering the USA: "Not only Iran is affected, but also referees... The World Cup means peace and joy." Well, bro, peace and joy - like back home, when you go to a match with Gică the Dinamo fan and end up in a brawl.
Now, wait and see: I experienced something similar when I went with Fane to the terrace and a guy showed up with his 2008 BMW, just like mine, and acted like he had connections at FIFA. In the end, football is about people, not politics. But look how everything gets mixed up - it's like a play written by Caragiale. Alright, I'm off to tell Brian he might catch the match on international channels, not just on TikTok.
