Amid economic woes, soccer team performance rallies Iranians around flag
Iran’s national soccer team made history in the World Cup by tying Portugal and defeating Morocco, injecting hope and reviving pride in the midst of economic turmoil.
Iran was filled with pride and praise for its national soccer team, known as Team Melli, as it raised eyebrows by holding former European champion Portugal to a tie in the World Cup on June 25.
Prior to the tournament, few Iranians would have predicted a win and a draw in the "Group of Death." With a last-minute score to defeat Morocco 1-0 in a tight opener, Team Melli pushed the bar up. After a 1-0 defeat to former World Cup champion Spain, the Iranian "Cheetahs" aspired for even more and spoke of dreams that could come true in their third battle, this one against Portugal, whose superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, had proven more than ready following his hat trick against the Spaniards.
Even though the June 25 game ended the Iranian team’s stay in Russia, the dramatic draw against Portugal was what the nation needed amid a torrent of bad news. Both newspapers and social media were inundated with acclamation for the “epic” overall victory. It made Iranians happy, even if they lamented the elimination in a "glorious closure."
Soccer in Iran has never ceased to remain interwoven with society and politics. To many, the result was an impetus to enliven confidence at a time when the country is being pushed toward economic crisis amid mounting US pressure.
