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Iran are 2nd successful Group B and play the United States connected Tuesday| Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live connected BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Day-by-day TV listings - Full sum details |
United States manager Gregg Berhalter has apologised aft a modified mentation of Iran's emblem was utilized successful societal media posts by the US nationalist team.
Before their World Cup gathering connected Tuesday, the US removed the the Islamic Republic emblem from the emblem successful graphics posted online, which were aboriginal deleted.
Iran's shot federation complained to Fifa implicit the issue.
"Sometimes things are retired of our control," Berhalter said connected Monday.
"We're not focused connected those extracurricular things and each we tin bash is apologise connected behalf of the players and the staff, but it's not thing that we were a portion of."
The US and Iran chopped diplomatic relations successful 1980 and the gathering of the 2 nations successful the World Cup comes amidst a backdrop of wide anti-government protests successful Iran.
Iran has accused the US and different overseas adversaries of instigating the protests, with the US authorities imposing sanctions connected Iranian officials implicit the crackdown.
The US said they decided not to usage Iran's authoritative emblem successful the societal media posts to amusement "support for the women successful Iran warring for basal quality rights", amid wide anti-government protests successful the country.
The protests successful Iran, met with a fierce crackdown, person been sparked by the decease successful custody successful September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old pistillate who was detained by morality constabulary for allegedly breaking the strict rules astir caput coverings.
A US Soccer spokesperson aboriginal said the posts had been removed and replaced with ones utilizing the close Iran flag, but added: "We inactive enactment the women of Iran."
Berhalter said: "We had nary thought what US Soccer enactment out. The staff, the players, we had nary idea. For america our absorption is connected this lucifer and I don't privation to dependable aloof, oregon we're not caring by saying that.
"Of people are thoughts are with the Iranian people, the full country, and everyone. But our thoughts are lone connected this match."
Both the United States and Iran spell into Tuesday's lucifer knowing they volition decidedly spell done to the World Cup past 16 with a win, but volition beryllium eliminated if they lose. A gully would sound retired the US, and permission Iran relying connected Wales not beating England.
The 2 teams past met astatine the World Cup successful 1998, with Iran winning 2-1, but some teams going retired successful the group.
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