Giovanni Reyna and Amir Abedzadeh reissue in Qatar the historic US-Iran match between their parents in the 1998 World Cup
The children face a game of greater sporting interest. In their fifth World Cup, Iran enjoys a unique opportunity to reach the round of 16
The scoring debut of American Timothy Weah brought to the surface the surname of one of the great names in football. His father, George Weah, was Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player in 1995, is Liberian and the current Prime Minister. The next day, Marcus Thuram appeared on the field with France, the son of Lilian, defending world champion in 1998.
Simple introduction to deal with the United States-Iran, a match that politics makes more relevant than strictly football. It will be a game played by two sons, with less illustrious surnames, but whose parents participated in the historic duel of the World Cup-98.Giovanni Alejandro Reyna He is the son of Claudio Reyna, a 49-year-old American international legend, and a participant in four World Cups (from 1990 to 2002). He was born in Sunderland (England), where his father was playing at the time and, like him, he has enough quality to remain in European football. Gio, 20, plays for Borussia Dortmund.
The other father is Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh. He was the goalkeeper and captain of Iran in the famous match. He was born in Abadan (Iran) and is 56 years old. his son is Amir Abedzadeh, He was born in Tehran 29 years ago and defends the goal for Ponferradina, in the Second Division. He played 11 games before joining the national team, where he is the third goalkeeper.
The children face a game of greater sporting interest. In their fifth World Cup, Iran enjoys a unique opportunity to reach the round of 16. It will happen if they beat the USA and also if they draw and Wales do not thrash England in the three-way tie that would take place.
Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach who directs the Asian team, acknowledged that it is a special game, but subtracted the overexcitement that the team is experiencing in the face of such an opportunity.
“Our mission is to create entertainment and make people happy for 90 minutes& rdquor ;, he stated, as if it were a minor purpose. Queiroz, former coach of Portugal, Iran (nine years, from 2011 to 2019), Colombia and Egypt before returning to Tehran, presented his thesis below.
“Our mission is to create entertainment and make people happy for 90 minutes& rdquor;
“I was born in Mozambique and when I used to go to work, you don’t know the effect a ball can have on children who haven’t eaten for a day or two and who don’t have enough to wear. When we stopped the cars and gave them a ball in the park, you can’t imagine the magic of the moment: their sad faces instantly changed into a smile. That is our mission in football, to make people happy,” she commented.
Gregg Berhalter, his colleague on the American bench, was less prosaic. He should present results to stay in office and continue until the 2026 World Cup that will be co-organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico. He sensed the political aspect of the questions and cut his losses: “The match will be highly contested because both teams want to go to the next round, not because of politics or relations between our countries. We are footballers, we are going to compete and that’s it.”
That June 21, 1998, at the Gerland stadium in Lyon was nothing like the duel this Tuesday at the Al Thumama stadium in Qatar, where controversy has not been lacking. It was the first time that they met on a playing field undermined by a political conflict that had started 20 years earlier.
Since it was known in the draw that they had been paired in the same group, start the preparations for the match. Away from the grass. In the offices, and in the political rooms, where soccer so often gets entangled. The photo of the 22 footballers together before the initial whistle portrayed the climate of harmony and peace. The Americans went to greet the Iranian soccer players and they presented them with a flower.
It was a bigger event in Iran than in the United States, where soccer lacks roots despite the fact that the 1994 World Cup had been played in its cities. And it was a major event also afterwards. By the result. Iran prevailed 2-1. Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scored before Brian MacBride cut back. Both were eliminated in a group that they shared with Germany and Yugoslavia, far superior.