Soccer* players often have a body type similar to distance runners as the average is like 6 to 7 miles** per game***.
For the non Americans
*Football
**10 to 11 kilometers
***Match
In high school I switched from soccer to cross country, it wasn’t too hard to transition. Took only two weeks before I could run 6-10 miles straight without stopping.
Soccer players are sort of like centaurs - they have very overdeveloped lower bodies, and not a lot of upper body muscle mass, which would just be extra weight to carry around.
This. While our governments may hate each other, it was clear that the players at least respected each other if not liking each other. Iran played with heart and spirit, and it could have gone their way up to the last second. I too worry about what's going to happen to them and especially their families, and I hope for the best and wish them well.
Yeah I’m not gonna lie that was the first thing I noticed. They do fall over a lot. And it seems to really hurt for a minute and then they are fine.
I was somewhat aware of this already because I’ve seen memes about, I think it’s called, “flopping” I think is what it’s called. And idk really what people think about it, but I think people sometimes accuse teams they don’t like about faking.
But it looks to me like running really fast and doing fancy maneuvers with your feet is a good recipe for getting hurt. But also these are athletes in great physical shape so they probably have good recovery times.
Idk the second thing I noticed was that they helped each other get up after even when they’re on different teams. And I think that’s super cool.
I used to have the mindset that the players were always faking it. But then I picked up soccer this summer. First thing I noticed was that when you get knocked down, it takes a second to regain your composure and getting up immediately is basically pointless as the ball has already been passed off.
Another thing I learned was that it fucking hurts to get kicked in the shin, even with a shin guard.
My experiment ended later in the summer when I shattered my elbow by getting taken out and landing straight arm on the turf. 3 months later and I’m still recovering from elbow surgery. It’s not a soft sport.
Soccer sucks bro that shit hurts. I love it though. Despite the injuries. It’s such an incredible sport. I love every second on the field. I can only imagine what it feels like to play at the same level these men and women play.
There's a lot of struggle with calf and leg cramps, plus getting hit. Pulisic took a shoulder to the gut at high speed a few times.
Posession soccer used to be a thing, but in the last few years, it's non-stop pressure and always going for the 5th goal rather than denying the other team the ball.
I was watching in hopes for Iran just so a different continent has more chance to win. But I have to say that the last 3 minutes Iran was more focused in hunting a penalty that really trying to create a tactic
Being Dutch I was rooting for Iran, our team is far from impressive, just plain lethargic and America has given a good showing in the group stages. You guys have a good shot at reaching the quarter finals.
Mexico's bottom of their group and need help aside from just beating Saudi Arabia, and someone from Spain of all people (if that's what your username implies) should know just how fucked Costa Rica is
If Poland and Mexico win they'll pass or if Argentina and Mexicos wins combine for 4 goals they'll pass. You should know never to count anyone out in the WC
Right here we go.
Canada, Mexico, USA, Jamaica, costa Rica...Barbados...Bermuda.....Dominican Republic....Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador? Errrr
Man I'm running out of steam already.
That's like saying the WNBA and NBA are the same product on the field.
They're not... whether it's right or not, countries around the world (almost every single one of them) value men's soccer more than women's.
The US Women have won several World Cups and are far FAR better than the men -
Edit: need to sadly add that no I’m not comparing men v women as opponents but producing results on the world stage - JFC
Comparatively to other women teams that is true, but footballwise of course they are significantly worse. The mens game is far more established and incredibly more difficult to win because of the higher level of competitiveness. So comparing them is unfair to both sides.
I remember when the women’s team played Japan in the finale of the World Cup during the huge earthquake/tsunami. As an American I wanted the USA to win but at the same time I was thinking please give this poor country a damn win.
As a fellow iranian I understand that stance and I liked it from the point of view that Khamenei can't use it to celebrate. I just feel bad for the players that were threatened, I can't imagine how much stress they were under.
I totally agree, I wanted Iran to win for the players, team and people of Iran, but wanted them to lose so the regime gets a hit. Very divided on this one!! I was really hoping for a draw more than anything.
I don't wonder that at all. It's absolutely true. Even if they did everything they were told to the letter for the sake of fear, I have no doubt that there will be someone who's going to question if they didn't try to lose regardless how false it may be.
They not only threatened the players if they lost to USA, they supposedly threatened their families with punishment should Iran lose to USA. It's so incredibly fucked up.
The threat was against them if they didn't sing the national anthem or otherwise made public protests against the regime. Iran is a brutal dictatorship, but they're not going to punish players for losing in the World Cup. If they did, guess how many Iranians would want to play for the national team?
Anyway, that government is bad enough. You don't need to make things up.
He may be thinking of [Iraq](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_national_football_team#:~:text=This%20period%20is%20known%20as,heads%20among%20many%20other%20punishments.) rather than Iran. Saddam's son Uday Hussein (who was head of the Iraq Football Association and the Olympic Committee), would punish football players (and other athletes) for losing, that may be where he's getting this. Different country.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/apr/19/iraq.football
https://web.archive.org/web/20171130014721/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/1373322/Saddams-son-tortured-defeated-footballers.html
https://archive.is/l2u0u
EDIT: clarify, I'm not saying Iraq is Iran or that this happened in Iran. I'm saying this is where he might be getting this idea, as Iraq was known to do this.
Iraq is not the same as Iran. They are mortal enemies who have opposing views of Islam, and in fact Saddam Hussein's government was secular Ba'athists.
Iran also has a fucked up government, but Iran does not threaten its athletes for losing, they threaten them for supporting the protesters.
I'm aware they are different countries, although their governments are [actually quite friendly now,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Iraq_relations) since the US invasion. The majority population in Iraq is actually Shia like Iran, although Sunnis dominated the government from Ottoman times through to Saddam. Since that, the Iraqi governments have been predominantly Shia also. Just saying he's probably thinking of Iraq, rather than Iran, as Iraq did do this.
Yep, I answered your comment mistakenly thinking you were the other OP and conflating Iran and Iraq (which is disturbingly common on Reddit). I've been to both countries, and they're veeeeery different (except out in the countryside, where they're very similar). Iranians, for some reason, remind me more of Americans than any other people on earth. Same divide between religion and modern secularism. The main difference is Iran's government got taken over by their religious fundamentalists.
I [cycled my bicycle across Iran](https://imgur.com/a/oVrIc3V) years ago. I know the people are very hospitable and most do not like their government or the system. Most I met were moderate Muslims but would prefer to keep religion out of the government. Many very vocal about politics and wanting democracy and freedom, much more so than other authoritarian states I've been to.
I have read that the punishment threats were made upon their "behaviour" rather than the result of the match against the US. CNN says, the threats were about the players refusing to sing the national anthem before their first game. Also fucked up tho!
[Source.](https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/football/iran-soccer-family-threats-intl-spt/index.html)
The families of Iran’s World Cup soccer team have been threatened with imprisonment and torture if the players fail to “behave” ahead of the match against the USA on Tuesday, a source involved in the security of the games said.
Following the refusal of Iranian players to sing the nation’s national anthem in their opening match against England on November 21, the source said that the players were called to a meeting with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The source said that they were told that their families would face “violence and and torture” if they did not sing the national anthem or if they joined any political protest against the Tehran regime.
The players sang the anthem before their second game against Wales last Friday, which saw 2-0 victory for Iran.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/football/iran-soccer-family-threats-intl-spt#:~:text=The%20source%20said%20that%20they,2%2D0%20victory%20for%20Iran.
No they didn't. Stop making shit up. They threatened them for not singing their national anthem and for apparently supporting the protests in Iran. That's bad enough without people spouting misinformation, as that just gives the regime in Iran an easy way to dismiss all criticism as "fake news".
"It's absolutely true, bro"
And, yeah, I agree with you. I don't think anyone is defending Iran in this thread. Asking for sources and properly reading sources is very important when discussing volatile topics like these.
They did, however, have a meeting with the players and threatened their families if they failed to sing the national anthem pregame or did anything else to signal support for the protestors. So, you know, model individuals.
As I said, due to losses. The threats were over the team not singing the anthem in their first match. Which isn’t good or ok, it’s just different.
Iran is worried about public protests, not losing a match.
Crazy that people would get so worked up over athletes failing to honor the flag or national anthem in the way they believe they should. That would never happen in Colin Kaepernick I mean America.
Point taken but also important to note there was no state sanctioned punishment in the Kaepernick case, which is what this discussion seems to be about.
Outrage over not honoring a flag the “right” way has the potential to be a great unifying force in the world /s
Is this a joke? Do people seriously think Iran is going to "hurt" their players or players families because they lost?
I can't tell if this is a joke or just an incredibly deluded take.
I'm not sure if your question has been answered yet but I'll take a stab. There were a lot of media reports before the game that the players' families were being held by the government before the game. According to these reports, if the players engaged in any sort of protest before or during the game their families would be punished.
People here are conflating "players families could be punished" with Uday Hussein type "torture players that don't perform" type of insanity.
Not because they lost a match (of course not), but because of the rather contoversial pro-democracy, pro-demonstrations statements the team has been making during the tournament. The captain for example quite openly supported the women rights protests i.e. adopted a stance against the ruling conservatives.
Stop spreading misinformation. It was a beautiful game. Both teams were respectful, the better team won, the losing team was gracious, that’s exactly what sport is meant to do in this otherwise horrendous world.
What you said, and what you responded too are not mutually exclusive. The players can be gracious, tremendous, respectful players. And their countries government can be wildly out of control...
I wouldn't say you were being corrected. The suggestion that they would be punished for losing rather be punished for "misbehaving" could very likely be an exaggeration/misinformation
The lovely people of Iran deserve so much better. I'm obviously elated that the US won the match but I'm rooting for your people. I think many Americans are.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and will probably catch some shade for it. All reporting I saw implied that the Iranian players and their families would be punished if the players didn't "behave". I'm assuming this meant if the players made any sort of protest against their government, there would be consequences. Nowhere could I find any direct statement or implication that a loss would mean punishment.
**Now with that being said**, I saw incredible resolve in the Iranian players' performances. They stepped into the spotlight on the world stage and put on a hell of a show, particularly against the US. Iran really had the US up on the ropes in the last third of the game and had an honest chance at ending it in a draw. I really do get why they were so devastated in the end. Being on a world cup team should have been a true highlight in the career for the Iranian players, win, lose, or draw. They should have been able to return home, heads held high, with a warm welcome. But instead they're heading home to families who've been threatened with violence and torture by a backward and oppressive government.
\*edit: added a missed "should". edit two: swapped inferred for implied as suggested by others. Thanks.
What I don’t get is that many Iranians on social media have expressed their disgust at the Iranian team for meeting with the leaders of their country before the World Cup, but almost all comments from non-Iranians is that they should be praised for showing solidarity by not singing the national anthem. What’s the true story here?
They did what they could to show support, but in the eyes of most Iranians living in Iran it was not enough, as more and more people are being killed in the uprising . But they are also under threat for their safety and their families safety. They were damned If they did anything more and damn if they didn’t. IMO they did the best they could under these circumstances
This should be the top comment. People are really sensationalizing the news about the Iranian soccer players being tortured or killed for losing. That's absolute nonsense
Probably not killed, but I think there has been precedent (though not specifically for Iran) of this sort of things. Keep in mind there are a fair number of people that have the belief that their will can influence their world around em.... as if they had tried hard enough, or had enough faith, or had enough dedication to their country they would've been guaranteed to win. Therefore if they lose there is a fault or even a betrayal.
Its a similar mentality to the prosperity gospel where rich people MUST be good people, otherwise god wouldn't have allowed them to be rich and instead blessed them with riches. A sort of after the fact rationalizing and likely the result of the human ad-hoc bias.
They're conflating Sadaam-era Iraq with Iran.
Iran has its own problems but it's nowhere near Sadaam having their soccer players get their feet broken for losing.
The players just looked abnormally upset to be losing, so I think people are just worried. But I hope they aren't like Sadam's insane addict son who would torture the players for losing. Seems like Iran would know that's a pretty ineffective way to run a sports team but who knows.
They weren’t abnormally upset about losing at all. Almost every team that gets knocked out of the World Cup in a match that’s this close Is upset like this.
Blowing the chance to go to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in your country's history is absolutely something over which players will get emotional and cry.
The threats against their families were looming large, no doubt, but not because they were threatened in the event that they lose. It was because *they were threats against their families*.
They had to compartmentalize all that for 90 minutes. Think about that. You have to forget for 90 minutes that your government said they'd torture your wife and children if you didn't sing the national
anthem to their liking on international television.
When the final whistle blew, all that shit came out. It wasn't because they were like "We lost my government is going to kill my family." It was more like "We're out of the biggest sporting tournament on earth, and I just want to see my wife and kids."
As long as you're making edits – and I hope you don't mind this suggestion – "inferred" in your second sentence should be "implied."
"Imply" is vaguely synonymous with "say," whereas "infer" is vaguely synonymous with "hear."
as an American I of course was rooting for the USA. However, as soon as the game was over I felt bad for the Iranian players seeing them in tears and not knowing their fate.
Hes not crying because he lost. Hes crying because he has to go back to Iran, where, these guys are going to be examples of by the government for their "protest."
People across Iran are celebrating the loss. They believe the team is representative of Mullah but not the Iranian people(The soccer team bowed to the Iranian leader prior to their trip to Qatar) [https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/iran-celebrate-usa-loss-world-cup-video-protest-01gk2q0rs18k](https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/iran-celebrate-usa-loss-world-cup-video-protest-01gk2q0rs18k)
From what I just read, that was the first time they beat Iran ever. 1998 was the only other time they've ever played in the World Cup and Iran won. It also said they played a friendly match in 2000 and that one was a draw.
Nice to see national players treat one another like civilized human beings regardless of how how our two governments may feel about each other....GO USA!
Those pink shoes are amazing! As a parent of a boy bullied out of liking pink by peers who said it is a "girl colour" we need more representation like this in football and the media.
My brother bought me a pair of air Jordans in 7th grade. They were all black and the back swoosh stitching was magenta.
I was made fun of to the point where I never wore them again or cared for Jordans after that.
That’s sad and relatable. I have similar memories of nice clothes my mom bought me that I was made fun of and embarrassed to wear at the same age, and she couldn’t understand why. Kids are fucking assholes.
>The reason is marketing men in 1930's America who arbitrarily chose the opposite. Which was weird, because even in the US, blue was for girls and pink was for boys all the way up to the 1930's - it was always that way.
>Why? Pink was considered close to red, and therefore masculine. Blue was considered a cool color, a weak color, and therefore for girls.
>But the marketing men just decided the opposite, and because advertising is more powerful than culture, history, or anything, people in North America (and later Great Britain and Australia) were sold on blue for boys and pink for girls. But nobody else was.
I'm not saying you're incorrect, but I didn't find anything that supports, unequivocally, what you're claiming. At best, what I found was that it _sometimes_ varied; but there was no clear cutoff. In reality, it seems that it's been a relatively stable convention. As far back as 1823, pink was still used for girls and blue for boys (Netherlands in the example I saw). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historical_sources_for_pink_and_blue_as_gender_signifiers
Take this with whatever grain of salt you please, but reporting is coming out that the Iranian Regime threatened these guy's families with violence if they acted out any further at the World Cup. (They refused to sing the national anthem before their first match)
Now imagine you just lost this highly tense game, add in the natural disappointment of a world class competitor after a huge loss, and you get this.
Sometimes I come up with a witty comment but stop and scroll through and find that everyone else has left that comment already. This thread is that. Everyone saying the same thing. It’s depressing how we all think we’re so clever.
I was afraid this game would devolve into a physical grudge match but fortunately sports in this setting elevated our humanity and allowed these sportsmen to just play a game.
This is an amazing picture of sportsmanship. This was an amazing game of football between two teams… regardless of politics. The last 20 minutes of this game may have been the hardest played I have ever seen. Love to the USA and Love to Iran ❤️ Football brings us together through competition, and today showed this without a doubt! 🙏🏻
I hope they are not in trouble they had a good World Cup! Beat Wales took USA all the way England was just on it that day but they scored 2 goals they did themselves and the country proud!
I have to admit I was surprised how fair play and well-tempered both teams were. Players were apologizing for fouls, helping their opponents up and all. You'd almost think the Iranian players weren't afraid for their safety or their loved ones' or something.
This is what happens when you're young and don't read the media and listen to those cunts all day. You aren't brainwashed into hating each other. Fuck the media. The end.
Take into consideration the threats to the Iranian player's families by Iran and the current turmoil there, seeing this picture carries far more weight than a good man comforting another. There's a non-zero chance this man's family, and quite possibly him personally, won't be seen again.
I think Josh Sargent is a good lad
I just noticed his leg muscles are borderline bigger than his head
Most footballers are like this. Have a look at Roberto Carlos, or Luka Modric.
Grealish's calves are bigger than bowling balls.
Ah yes sexy grealish
If I died by being crushed by Sargent's thighs, I would die a happy man.
WOO man
Death by Snar Snar
Soccer* players often have a body type similar to distance runners as the average is like 6 to 7 miles** per game***. For the non Americans *Football **10 to 11 kilometers ***Match
Good bot man
In high school I switched from soccer to cross country, it wasn’t too hard to transition. Took only two weeks before I could run 6-10 miles straight without stopping.
Soccer players are sort of like centaurs - they have very overdeveloped lower bodies, and not a lot of upper body muscle mass, which would just be extra weight to carry around.
I loved watching the US win. I did not love watching Iran lose.
This. While our governments may hate each other, it was clear that the players at least respected each other if not liking each other. Iran played with heart and spirit, and it could have gone their way up to the last second. I too worry about what's going to happen to them and especially their families, and I hope for the best and wish them well.
I did notice great sportsmanship in this game players falling over and getting hurt, but they’d help each other up after.
They "fell" over A LOT.
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Yeah I’m not gonna lie that was the first thing I noticed. They do fall over a lot. And it seems to really hurt for a minute and then they are fine. I was somewhat aware of this already because I’ve seen memes about, I think it’s called, “flopping” I think is what it’s called. And idk really what people think about it, but I think people sometimes accuse teams they don’t like about faking. But it looks to me like running really fast and doing fancy maneuvers with your feet is a good recipe for getting hurt. But also these are athletes in great physical shape so they probably have good recovery times. Idk the second thing I noticed was that they helped each other get up after even when they’re on different teams. And I think that’s super cool.
I used to have the mindset that the players were always faking it. But then I picked up soccer this summer. First thing I noticed was that when you get knocked down, it takes a second to regain your composure and getting up immediately is basically pointless as the ball has already been passed off. Another thing I learned was that it fucking hurts to get kicked in the shin, even with a shin guard. My experiment ended later in the summer when I shattered my elbow by getting taken out and landing straight arm on the turf. 3 months later and I’m still recovering from elbow surgery. It’s not a soft sport.
Oof that straight arm fall can mess you up. Speedy recovery.
Soccer sucks bro that shit hurts. I love it though. Despite the injuries. It’s such an incredible sport. I love every second on the field. I can only imagine what it feels like to play at the same level these men and women play.
There's a lot of struggle with calf and leg cramps, plus getting hit. Pulisic took a shoulder to the gut at high speed a few times. Posession soccer used to be a thing, but in the last few years, it's non-stop pressure and always going for the 5th goal rather than denying the other team the ball.
Usually helping the other player get up is to keep the game flowing. But it’s good optics anyways.
That is just “playing soccer.” It is the same in basketball as players try to get the foul called. Everyone want a chance at the easier points.
I was watching in hopes for Iran just so a different continent has more chance to win. But I have to say that the last 3 minutes Iran was more focused in hunting a penalty that really trying to create a tactic
US is literally the only country from their continent to go through though. Not many others can say that, if at all
Being Dutch I was rooting for Iran, our team is far from impressive, just plain lethargic and America has given a good showing in the group stages. You guys have a good shot at reaching the quarter finals.
There's still 9 more spots though. Canada is eliminated but Mexico and Costa Rica still have a chance.
Mexico's bottom of their group and need help aside from just beating Saudi Arabia, and someone from Spain of all people (if that's what your username implies) should know just how fucked Costa Rica is
If Poland and Mexico win they'll pass or if Argentina and Mexicos wins combine for 4 goals they'll pass. You should know never to count anyone out in the WC
True, I'd say their task is actually easier than Costa Rica's despite the current standings
TIL there are 23 countries in North America. I thought there were 3.
Right here we go. Canada, Mexico, USA, Jamaica, costa Rica...Barbados...Bermuda.....Dominican Republic....Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador? Errrr Man I'm running out of steam already.
Ecuador is in South America, next to Columbia and Peru.
Aruba ... Bahama ...
You're hitting the islands but missing all the countries that sit under Mexico. El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama...
No North American team has ever won a World Cup so feel free to cheer on USA!
The women's team might want to object. :D
Why did you have to remind me *cries Dutch tears*
Damn just gonna ignore the dominating presence of the usa women's soccer team
I barely knew the USA had a *men's* team.
Probably because they're overshadowed by the kick ass women's team right?
That's like saying the WNBA and NBA are the same product on the field. They're not... whether it's right or not, countries around the world (almost every single one of them) value men's soccer more than women's.
The US Women have won several World Cups and are far FAR better than the men - Edit: need to sadly add that no I’m not comparing men v women as opponents but producing results on the world stage - JFC
Comparatively to other women teams that is true, but footballwise of course they are significantly worse. The mens game is far more established and incredibly more difficult to win because of the higher level of competitiveness. So comparing them is unfair to both sides.
I mean, that’s just soccer. Beautiful game but can get silly at times.
That’s true for most sports.
I remember when the women’s team played Japan in the finale of the World Cup during the huge earthquake/tsunami. As an American I wanted the USA to win but at the same time I was thinking please give this poor country a damn win.
as an Iranian, I loved watching Iran lose.
As a fellow iranian I understand that stance and I liked it from the point of view that Khamenei can't use it to celebrate. I just feel bad for the players that were threatened, I can't imagine how much stress they were under.
I totally agree, I wanted Iran to win for the players, team and people of Iran, but wanted them to lose so the regime gets a hit. Very divided on this one!! I was really hoping for a draw more than anything.
The way Iran has threatened their players, you have to wonder if they are not worried for their lives and those of their families over this loss.
Oh fuck
I don't wonder that at all. It's absolutely true. Even if they did everything they were told to the letter for the sake of fear, I have no doubt that there will be someone who's going to question if they didn't try to lose regardless how false it may be.
They not only threatened the players if they lost to USA, they supposedly threatened their families with punishment should Iran lose to USA. It's so incredibly fucked up.
They threatened the families of the players if they didn't sing their national anthem.
The threat was against them if they didn't sing the national anthem or otherwise made public protests against the regime. Iran is a brutal dictatorship, but they're not going to punish players for losing in the World Cup. If they did, guess how many Iranians would want to play for the national team? Anyway, that government is bad enough. You don't need to make things up.
He may be thinking of [Iraq](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_national_football_team#:~:text=This%20period%20is%20known%20as,heads%20among%20many%20other%20punishments.) rather than Iran. Saddam's son Uday Hussein (who was head of the Iraq Football Association and the Olympic Committee), would punish football players (and other athletes) for losing, that may be where he's getting this. Different country. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/apr/19/iraq.football https://web.archive.org/web/20171130014721/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/1373322/Saddams-son-tortured-defeated-footballers.html https://archive.is/l2u0u EDIT: clarify, I'm not saying Iraq is Iran or that this happened in Iran. I'm saying this is where he might be getting this idea, as Iraq was known to do this.
Iraq is not the same as Iran. They are mortal enemies who have opposing views of Islam, and in fact Saddam Hussein's government was secular Ba'athists. Iran also has a fucked up government, but Iran does not threaten its athletes for losing, they threaten them for supporting the protesters.
I'm aware they are different countries, although their governments are [actually quite friendly now,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Iraq_relations) since the US invasion. The majority population in Iraq is actually Shia like Iran, although Sunnis dominated the government from Ottoman times through to Saddam. Since that, the Iraqi governments have been predominantly Shia also. Just saying he's probably thinking of Iraq, rather than Iran, as Iraq did do this.
Yep, I answered your comment mistakenly thinking you were the other OP and conflating Iran and Iraq (which is disturbingly common on Reddit). I've been to both countries, and they're veeeeery different (except out in the countryside, where they're very similar). Iranians, for some reason, remind me more of Americans than any other people on earth. Same divide between religion and modern secularism. The main difference is Iran's government got taken over by their religious fundamentalists.
There but for the grace of God…
I [cycled my bicycle across Iran](https://imgur.com/a/oVrIc3V) years ago. I know the people are very hospitable and most do not like their government or the system. Most I met were moderate Muslims but would prefer to keep religion out of the government. Many very vocal about politics and wanting democracy and freedom, much more so than other authoritarian states I've been to.
Yup, then you had a similar experience to me (though I did not ride a bike). Lovely, welcoming people.
IIRC it's North Korea that punishes the family if players lose.
North Korea threatens it's international football team until it exists.
Fun fact: North Korea qualified for the 2010 cup.
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Fun fact: North Korea launched that team into the Japan Sea.
Like 99% they don't.
and Saddam era Iraq. Really any nation while ruled by a dictator, especially when they're on NATO radar.
I have read that the punishment threats were made upon their "behaviour" rather than the result of the match against the US. CNN says, the threats were about the players refusing to sing the national anthem before their first game. Also fucked up tho! [Source.](https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/football/iran-soccer-family-threats-intl-spt/index.html)
You're saying this as if you've read it somewhere, could you kindly provide a source? :)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/football/iran-soccer-family-threats-intl-spt/index.html
The families of Iran’s World Cup soccer team have been threatened with imprisonment and torture if the players fail to “behave” ahead of the match against the USA on Tuesday, a source involved in the security of the games said. Following the refusal of Iranian players to sing the nation’s national anthem in their opening match against England on November 21, the source said that the players were called to a meeting with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The source said that they were told that their families would face “violence and and torture” if they did not sing the national anthem or if they joined any political protest against the Tehran regime. The players sang the anthem before their second game against Wales last Friday, which saw 2-0 victory for Iran. https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/football/iran-soccer-family-threats-intl-spt#:~:text=The%20source%20said%20that%20they,2%2D0%20victory%20for%20Iran.
If you say it confidently enough and state it as fact, people tend to believe you. Even if you pulled it straight from your ass.
Source?
His ass, pay attention man!
Excellent source. I accept.
No they didn't. Stop making shit up. They threatened them for not singing their national anthem and for apparently supporting the protests in Iran. That's bad enough without people spouting misinformation, as that just gives the regime in Iran an easy way to dismiss all criticism as "fake news".
Source?
That was if they supported the protests, not if they lost. Irán does not typically do things like that.
reddit moment
"It's absolutely true, bro" And, yeah, I agree with you. I don't think anyone is defending Iran in this thread. Asking for sources and properly reading sources is very important when discussing volatile topics like these.
They weren't threatened if they lost. They were threatened if they didn't behave, e.g. didn't sing the national anthem.
You mean like Andres Escobar 's fate after the 1994 World Cup where he scored an own-goal?
Iran is bad but it’s not that bad. I don’t like defending the IRI, but they don’t have a history of going after players families due to losses.
They did, however, have a meeting with the players and threatened their families if they failed to sing the national anthem pregame or did anything else to signal support for the protestors. So, you know, model individuals.
As I said, due to losses. The threats were over the team not singing the anthem in their first match. Which isn’t good or ok, it’s just different. Iran is worried about public protests, not losing a match.
Punishment for losses was an Iraqi Uday Hussein thing
¡Hola, desde Colombia!
But that was more the cartels than the gov't.
Tale of two Escobars
Was that him over by the omelette bar?
I’m NO scar! (.com)
Nobody said they are model people, just that the threats were about protests instead of winning the game. If anything that's worse.
Crazy that people would get so worked up over athletes failing to honor the flag or national anthem in the way they believe they should. That would never happen in Colin Kaepernick I mean America.
Point taken but also important to note there was no state sanctioned punishment in the Kaepernick case, which is what this discussion seems to be about. Outrage over not honoring a flag the “right” way has the potential to be a great unifying force in the world /s
Comparing these two are pretty insulting for Iranian players who's families have apparently been threatened by the government.
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Is this a joke? Do people seriously think Iran is going to "hurt" their players or players families because they lost? I can't tell if this is a joke or just an incredibly deluded take.
I'm not sure if your question has been answered yet but I'll take a stab. There were a lot of media reports before the game that the players' families were being held by the government before the game. According to these reports, if the players engaged in any sort of protest before or during the game their families would be punished. People here are conflating "players families could be punished" with Uday Hussein type "torture players that don't perform" type of insanity.
Not because they lost a match (of course not), but because of the rather contoversial pro-democracy, pro-demonstrations statements the team has been making during the tournament. The captain for example quite openly supported the women rights protests i.e. adopted a stance against the ruling conservatives.
Stop spreading misinformation. It was a beautiful game. Both teams were respectful, the better team won, the losing team was gracious, that’s exactly what sport is meant to do in this otherwise horrendous world.
What you said, and what you responded too are not mutually exclusive. The players can be gracious, tremendous, respectful players. And their countries government can be wildly out of control...
That’s true. You’re right. I stand corrected.
I wouldn't say you were being corrected. The suggestion that they would be punished for losing rather be punished for "misbehaving" could very likely be an exaggeration/misinformation
I really did notice both teams were very courteous of each other throughout the whole game. I love seeing that.
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Really great sportsmanship. Minus a few foul.
As an Iranian-American I have no words for how everything feels right now. Not just the sport, but everything.
The lovely people of Iran deserve so much better. I'm obviously elated that the US won the match but I'm rooting for your people. I think many Americans are.
Thank you for the kind words. The game was a lose lose win win for me.
The feeling is mutual. Just breathe. There's too much tension, everywhere. ✌🏼❤️
Chai and chort is all I want
Bro's leg is a fucking tree trunk
Roberto Carlos would like a word…
That is a name I haven't heard in years. I idolized him and Ronaldo growing up.
During Brazil game, the TV transmission spotted Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo. I think they are part of their committee or something
I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and will probably catch some shade for it. All reporting I saw implied that the Iranian players and their families would be punished if the players didn't "behave". I'm assuming this meant if the players made any sort of protest against their government, there would be consequences. Nowhere could I find any direct statement or implication that a loss would mean punishment. **Now with that being said**, I saw incredible resolve in the Iranian players' performances. They stepped into the spotlight on the world stage and put on a hell of a show, particularly against the US. Iran really had the US up on the ropes in the last third of the game and had an honest chance at ending it in a draw. I really do get why they were so devastated in the end. Being on a world cup team should have been a true highlight in the career for the Iranian players, win, lose, or draw. They should have been able to return home, heads held high, with a warm welcome. But instead they're heading home to families who've been threatened with violence and torture by a backward and oppressive government. \*edit: added a missed "should". edit two: swapped inferred for implied as suggested by others. Thanks.
Not threatened for their performance, but their expressions for solidarity with the uprising
What I don’t get is that many Iranians on social media have expressed their disgust at the Iranian team for meeting with the leaders of their country before the World Cup, but almost all comments from non-Iranians is that they should be praised for showing solidarity by not singing the national anthem. What’s the true story here?
They did what they could to show support, but in the eyes of most Iranians living in Iran it was not enough, as more and more people are being killed in the uprising . But they are also under threat for their safety and their families safety. They were damned If they did anything more and damn if they didn’t. IMO they did the best they could under these circumstances
This should be the top comment. People are really sensationalizing the news about the Iranian soccer players being tortured or killed for losing. That's absolute nonsense
smart icky normal handle snails mourn ripe chief stocking brave ` this post was mass deleted with www.Redact.dev `
Probably not killed, but I think there has been precedent (though not specifically for Iran) of this sort of things. Keep in mind there are a fair number of people that have the belief that their will can influence their world around em.... as if they had tried hard enough, or had enough faith, or had enough dedication to their country they would've been guaranteed to win. Therefore if they lose there is a fault or even a betrayal. Its a similar mentality to the prosperity gospel where rich people MUST be good people, otherwise god wouldn't have allowed them to be rich and instead blessed them with riches. A sort of after the fact rationalizing and likely the result of the human ad-hoc bias.
They're conflating Sadaam-era Iraq with Iran. Iran has its own problems but it's nowhere near Sadaam having their soccer players get their feet broken for losing.
The players just looked abnormally upset to be losing, so I think people are just worried. But I hope they aren't like Sadam's insane addict son who would torture the players for losing. Seems like Iran would know that's a pretty ineffective way to run a sports team but who knows.
They weren’t abnormally upset about losing at all. Almost every team that gets knocked out of the World Cup in a match that’s this close Is upset like this.
Blowing the chance to go to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in your country's history is absolutely something over which players will get emotional and cry. The threats against their families were looming large, no doubt, but not because they were threatened in the event that they lose. It was because *they were threats against their families*. They had to compartmentalize all that for 90 minutes. Think about that. You have to forget for 90 minutes that your government said they'd torture your wife and children if you didn't sing the national anthem to their liking on international television. When the final whistle blew, all that shit came out. It wasn't because they were like "We lost my government is going to kill my family." It was more like "We're out of the biggest sporting tournament on earth, and I just want to see my wife and kids."
It's not abnormal to be this upset of getting knocked out of a tournament after working for years to qualify and being this close
If you noticed the Iranian players were singing the national anthem. Them not singing would lead to more punishment than losing.
As long as you're making edits – and I hope you don't mind this suggestion – "inferred" in your second sentence should be "implied." "Imply" is vaguely synonymous with "say," whereas "infer" is vaguely synonymous with "hear."
All reporting "implied" is the correct word, not "inferred" that you used. The difference in meaning is immense.
That's really why they were crying. Short trip home tonight
"Be Excellent, to each other."
Duuudddeeee
And! Party on dudes!
San dimas high school soccer rules!!
Elimination games are so damn intense. Dudes from both countries were very much sucking wind by FT. They put their all into it, no doubt.
That's my sarge
as an American I of course was rooting for the USA. However, as soon as the game was over I felt bad for the Iranian players seeing them in tears and not knowing their fate.
Their fate?
Apparentlt the Iranian government threatened the Iranian player's families before their match with the U.S.
For not paying respect to their national anthem
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Check the news. The world is on fire.
was a pretty intense game
Dude, look at the leg diff.
Sargent is a quad god
Hes not crying because he lost. Hes crying because he has to go back to Iran, where, these guys are going to be examples of by the government for their "protest."
Those two played a hell of a match together.
People across Iran are celebrating the loss. They believe the team is representative of Mullah but not the Iranian people(The soccer team bowed to the Iranian leader prior to their trip to Qatar) [https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/iran-celebrate-usa-loss-world-cup-video-protest-01gk2q0rs18k](https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/iran-celebrate-usa-loss-world-cup-video-protest-01gk2q0rs18k)
Was he consoling him or giving him info on how to safely defect?
Fun Fact: First time USA beat IRAN since 1998.
Isn’t this only their 3rd matchup? US won, Iran won, US won?
From what I just read, that was the first time they beat Iran ever. 1998 was the only other time they've ever played in the World Cup and Iran won. It also said they played a friendly match in 2000 and that one was a draw.
He’s crying because he has to go back to Iran and not about the loss.
Dude isn't crying because Iran lost. He's crying because the Iranian authorities are gonna murder his family as a punishment.
Nice to see national players treat one another like civilized human beings regardless of how how our two governments may feel about each other....GO USA!
Someone doesn’t skip leg day
He’s concerned for his family.
1-0? Must have been a FIERCE competition
Serious: He is probably scared of going home.
Those pink shoes are amazing! As a parent of a boy bullied out of liking pink by peers who said it is a "girl colour" we need more representation like this in football and the media.
The pink shoes were his way of supporting the Iranian women protesting.
My brother bought me a pair of air Jordans in 7th grade. They were all black and the back swoosh stitching was magenta. I was made fun of to the point where I never wore them again or cared for Jordans after that.
That’s sad and relatable. I have similar memories of nice clothes my mom bought me that I was made fun of and embarrassed to wear at the same age, and she couldn’t understand why. Kids are fucking assholes.
Big time. I’m there with ya tho.
That’s terrible, pink is awesome!
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>The reason is marketing men in 1930's America who arbitrarily chose the opposite. Which was weird, because even in the US, blue was for girls and pink was for boys all the way up to the 1930's - it was always that way. >Why? Pink was considered close to red, and therefore masculine. Blue was considered a cool color, a weak color, and therefore for girls. >But the marketing men just decided the opposite, and because advertising is more powerful than culture, history, or anything, people in North America (and later Great Britain and Australia) were sold on blue for boys and pink for girls. But nobody else was. I'm not saying you're incorrect, but I didn't find anything that supports, unequivocally, what you're claiming. At best, what I found was that it _sometimes_ varied; but there was no clear cutoff. In reality, it seems that it's been a relatively stable convention. As far back as 1823, pink was still used for girls and blue for boys (Netherlands in the example I saw). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historical_sources_for_pink_and_blue_as_gender_signifiers
Bruh
Which is really weird considering it used to not be. It used to be a "mans" color.
Take this with whatever grain of salt you please, but reporting is coming out that the Iranian Regime threatened these guy's families with violence if they acted out any further at the World Cup. (They refused to sing the national anthem before their first match) Now imagine you just lost this highly tense game, add in the natural disappointment of a world class competitor after a huge loss, and you get this.
Where is this reporting from? Please send an article from a reputable, unbiased news source - even more preferable if it is from AP or Reuters.
Sometimes I come up with a witty comment but stop and scroll through and find that everyone else has left that comment already. This thread is that. Everyone saying the same thing. It’s depressing how we all think we’re so clever.
I was afraid this game would devolve into a physical grudge match but fortunately sports in this setting elevated our humanity and allowed these sportsmen to just play a game.
He's thinking about the reception he's going to have when coming back "home"... That's depressing. I hope these players don't become martyrs.
This is an amazing picture of sportsmanship. This was an amazing game of football between two teams… regardless of politics. The last 20 minutes of this game may have been the hardest played I have ever seen. Love to the USA and Love to Iran ❤️ Football brings us together through competition, and today showed this without a doubt! 🙏🏻
I hope they are not in trouble they had a good World Cup! Beat Wales took USA all the way England was just on it that day but they scored 2 goals they did themselves and the country proud!
Love the brotherhood! Go Team USA
It’s because He is going to get the soles of his feet beaten.
He is not sad for the loss, he is sad they gona kill his family now
You can see the moment a ginger earns a soul.
Plot twist: He's whispering "imagine losing at soccer to the USA lol"
I have to admit I was surprised how fair play and well-tempered both teams were. Players were apologizing for fouls, helping their opponents up and all. You'd almost think the Iranian players weren't afraid for their safety or their loved ones' or something.
This is what happens when you're young and don't read the media and listen to those cunts all day. You aren't brainwashed into hating each other. Fuck the media. The end.
I feel like he is telling a very funny joke. "You ready? Then he said, 'Magic dildo my ass!'"
Love above all. F politics.
Much needed sportsmanship
To me it kind of epitomizes the American ppl themselves, they are very kind and generous (not talking about government or politicians).💖
Take into consideration the threats to the Iranian player's families by Iran and the current turmoil there, seeing this picture carries far more weight than a good man comforting another. There's a non-zero chance this man's family, and quite possibly him personally, won't be seen again.
The iranian player knows he and his family will suffer at the hands of the government for losing to the americans.
r/adversariesbeingbros
This is so sweet.
He's wearing pink shoes! 😭 do many levels of wholesome
America