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RFL/RE – Iran coach Dragan Skocic has played down the political aspects of another World Cup group stage meeting with the United States, saying he and the team would only be focusing on soccer.
The two teams will meet on November 29 at the Qatar tournament in Group B which also features England and possibly Ukraine as well.
Washington broke diplomatic ties with Iran following the 1979 revolution and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
The United States and Iran met for the first time at a World Cup in 1998, with Iran winning 2-1.
Skocic admitted to the political undertones but insisted “I am not political. I am focusing on football.”
“My team and I will therefore only concentrate on sporting matters and prepare for the games in the best possible way,” Skocic said.
“It’s 24 years later from 1998 and further removed from the ’70s and both nations have evolved tremendously since then,” U.S coach Gregg Berhalter said. “For us, it’s a soccer game.”
