DOHA: United States and Iran will face each other in 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar group match in November following the draw ceremony that pitted them in Group B.
But coaches Gregg Berhalter and Dragan Skocic are keen to defuse before the teams meet in November. They will meet in Group B at the World Cup in Qatar, and also play England and potentially Ukraine in what could be the first-round matches that draw most of the spotlight.
The United States has been a diplomatic arch-rival of Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. On the pitch, Iran famously beat the Americans at the 1998 World Cup when the two sides exchanged roses before the game.
Berhalter does not believe that bouquets will be seen this time. Nor does he want to talk about the politics.
“It was a nice gesture at the time, but everyone has moved on. Iran is focused on doing a good job at the World Cup and we are focused on the same thing,” he said.
Berhalter did not play but remembers the defeat in Lyon in 1998 that booted the United States out of the tournament. Brian McBride, who scored the US goal, is now the national team’s general manager.
Mehdi Mahdavikia, who scored Iran’s second goal, is on the Iran coaching staff. “It was a match where I don’t think we performed well and we ended up losing,” said Berhalter, who played 44 games for the US side and became national coach in 2018. “I give Iran a lot of credit for their spirit and how they performed in that game.”
But he added that “football transcends a lot of the political stuff. “That’s history, that was 24 years ago and for us it is about what comes next.”
Skocic took a similar view of the hostilities that continue with US efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear programme.
“I don’t care about this. Of course there is a story, but we are focused on the playing,” said Iran’s Croatian coach.
The United States also has a longstanding World Cup history with England. They beat England in 1950 in one of the biggest shocks the tournament has known and drew 1-1 with them in their first game at the 2010 World Cup.
