INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA ¨C Iran kicked off its World Cup in Los Angeles on Monday, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in front of a crowd that consisted of both fans cheering it on and Iranian Americans waving symbols of protest against the Tehran government.
The run-up to the match had been one ?of extraordinary drama off the pitch, with the team playing on U.S. soil barely 24 hours after a peace ?deal was ?announced to end the war that began when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in ?February.
The players had flown into the U.S. on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico.
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