The United States ends the epic of Iran

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Iran's footballers fell to the ground.

in unison

Some were crying.

Others pressed their faces against their knees.

There were those who tried to lift them, but some of them could not even move.

Comfort was impossible.

That Iran team that dared to challenge the theocracy of the Islamic Republic at its debut had to close its participation in the World Cup after losing, blessed irony, against the United States.

Only one goal was missing for the Iranians.

And they thought they had it close when

fell in the area after a light grab from

.

But the Spanish referee

did not see it clearly.

Neither did the VAR, directed by

.

And the epic came to an end.

No one should forget these footballers from Iran just now that the spotlights are going out for them.

Against the United States, and contrary to what happened against England in its challenge to theocracy, they sang their country's anthem.

Some with feeling and live voice.

Others, with a slight movement of the lips that could only reveal frustration, if not obligation.

Even afraid of what might come.

The Iranian fans who populated the stadium did not change the attitude shown throughout the World Cup, responding to the notes with boos that turned into applause for the players once the music ended.

What was clear is that the weather, this time and contrary to what happened in the 1998 World Cup, had nothing to do with the United States.

The Great Satan of the Ayatollahs, a country with which Iran has had a diplomatic confrontation for more than four decades, was received by the Iranian team as just another rival.

There were no reproaches in the stands, nor on the pitch, where the players shook hands normally and exchanged pennants to the satisfaction of Mateu Lahoz.

In the surroundings of the Al Thumama stadium, where the fans were photographed smiling with Iranian and American flags, a man without any badge that could identify him with anything or nobody approached this journalist with a story to tell.

After thinking about it for a few seconds, he decided not to say his name and began.

«I am Iranian, not like most of the fans here, who are people who were born in Europe or the United States.

I am living in Qatar and no one gives me a job because I am an Iranian immigrant.

I'm scared.

Please, you must tell what is happening in Iran.

I left my family there.

To my son.

But I can't raise my voice.

The government of Iran has many informants in Qatar who are watching us.

They even photograph us.

They are friendly states.

If we do something, they send reports to the regime and our relatives may be in danger.

Write it, please.

There they are killing people, women, children.

The situation is very bad."

Behind him,

, a 34-year-old supporter, held up an Iranian flag.

He was coming from the historic Iranian city of Yazd.

"We have come here for football.

But also to defend our women.

We will not sing the anthem because it is not ours, it is that of the regime.

An American fan, meanwhile, denounced having been evicted by the Qatari police for wearing a rainbow bracelet.

Who knows if the emotional storm that Iran lived with from the very beginning of the championship ended up affecting the team in one of the most important games in its history.

A win or draw -after Wales' defeat against England- would have qualified them for the first time for the round of 16 in a World Cup.

But the technical superiority of the Americans soon became apparent.

On the brink of halftime, a combination between

,

and

led to the only goal of the match.

The Chelsea forward went for the ball as if his life depended on it.

Such was the aggressiveness with which he attacked the ball that, after catching the goal, he violently hit goalkeeper Beiranvand who took him out of the duel.

Ghoddos

,

and, above all ,

, the latter already in added time with a header, were around the tie that would have given the pass to an Iran whose extreme effort in the second half was not enough.

Tademi's protests to Mateu Lahoz, already with red eyes and with the game over, were of no use.

That would no longer have a solution.

But these days will remain forever in memory.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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• Iran Soccer Team

• United States Soccer Team

• Articles Francisco Cabezas