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Tag Archives: flag
BSF deployed in Amritsar after twin blasts; Police, Rapid Action Force hold flag march | Watch – Hindustan Times
- BSF deployed in Amritsar after twin blasts; Police, Rapid Action Force hold flag march | Watch Hindustan Times
- Third blast in a week near India’s Golden Temple, five arrested Al Jazeera English
- India: Five arrested in Punjab after third blast near Golden temple within a week | WION News WION
- Amritsar blasts: 1.1 kg explosive, radical literature seized from 5 arrested; Punjab Police probing motive, foreign links The Tribune India
- Blasts near Golden Temple, Amritsar: Probe on to track explosives’ source The Tribune India
- View Full Coverage on Google News
John Rich Removes Bud Light From His Restaurant (And His Bar’s Beer Can Flag) Amid Kid Rock’s Budweiser Boycott – Billboard
- John Rich Removes Bud Light From His Restaurant (And His Bar’s Beer Can Flag) Amid Kid Rock’s Budweiser Boycott Billboard
- Bud Light’s woke marketing exec roasted as company loses billions after partnership with trans influencer Fox News
- CNN’s Don Lemon dismisses Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light controversy as ‘crazy’ and ‘ridiculous’ Fox News
- Cameron Smith: Bud Light’s biggest problem isn’t courting the transgender community AL.com
- Bud Light is terrible, but you don’t have to shoot it | Sheneman NJ.com
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Novak Djokovic’s dad, Srdjan Djokovic, responds to Putin flag video
Novak Djokovic’s dad will not be courtside for his son’s Australian Open semi-final against Tommy Paul on Friday night in the fallout to posing with pro-Putin demonstrators earlier in the week.
The tournament has been tossed into scandal after police detained four men outside Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night following Djokovic’s quarter-final win over Russian Andrey Rublev.
Spectators inside Melbourne Park were seen with pro-war signs and flags featuring the face of Putin as they chanted outside the stadium.
A video posted on YouTube now appears to show Djokovic’s dad, Srdjan, posing with a group of men who were also seen waving the Russian flags which have been banned from the Australian Open.
Newsagency inews.co.uk first reported the video which appears to show Srdjan telling one of the demonstrators “Long live the Russians” in a loose translation.
Those translations were corrected by Serbian journalist @ozmo_sasa who noted that Srdjan said “Živeli, ljudi”, meaning “cheers, guys”.
In a video posted on the YouTube channel Aussie Cossack, the father of the nine-time Australian Open champion was seen alongside a man who was wearing a T-shirt that prominently featured the pro-war ‘Z’ symbol.
The video also shows that the group of Russian activists was able to stage its demonstration for an extended period of time before security intervened.
Tennis Australia earlier confirmed four spectators were detained by police and were further questioned.
A statement from Victoria Police has confirmed all four men were evicted from the event.
But rather than pretend like nothing happened, Srdjan will sit out his sons semi-final, releasing a statement on Friday.
“I am here to support my son only,” the statement read. “I had no intention of causing such headlines or disruption.
“I was outside with Novak’s fans as I have done after all of my son’s matches to celebrate his wins and take pictures with them. I had no intention of being caught up in this.
“My family has lived through the horror of war, and we wish only for peace.
“So there is no disruption to tonight’s semi-final for my son or for the other player, I have chosen to watch from home.
“I wish for a great match and will be cheering for my son, as always.”
The statement also said Novak did not wish to make any comments.
The images sparked plenty of backlash including from Nine commentator Sam Smith who said Novak would “devastated” by the images.
Former Aussie tennis star turned Victorian member of parliament Sam Groth tweeted: “Acts of incitement have no place in our state and no place at our major events.
“The Australian Open must be a welcoming, safe and inclusive event for all, not an opportunity to express a harmful and offensive agenda or deliberately intimidate others.
“Melbourne and Victoria are on the world’s stage and our reputation as a major events capital is on the line. It isn’t good enough for the State Government to avoid responsibility and buck pass to others.
“The State Government and event organisers must today explain what actions they are taking to put an end to these unacceptable behaviours.”
Former Ukrainian tennis star Alexander Dolgopolov called for the supporters, including Djokovic’s dad to be banned over the drama.
“Absolutely disgusting. Politics should be kept out of sports they said. These people have absolutely no business in being on tennis tournaments, including @DjokerNole father, if they openly praise a genocidal regime,” he wrote.
Afghan opposition groups outraged at UN employees photographed under Taliban flag
The U.N. has apologized after employees took photos under Taliban flags during a visit to Afghanistan.
“We are aware of this photo which was taken while the Deputy Secretary-General was meeting the de facto leaders in Afghanistan,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general, told Fox News Digital. “Her security had taken her to that meeting and were waiting next door.”
“The photo should never have been taken,” Dujarric stressed. “It was a mistake, and we apologize for it.”
The pictures first surfaced on social media Thursday night, showing U.N. personnel in Kabul taking a picture under Taliban flags.
9 AFGHAN MEN LASHED IN PUBLIC FOR CRIMES UNDER COUNTRY’S NEW RULERS
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammad, the U.N.’s most senior female official, had visited Afghanistan in an effort to address concerns over women’s rights in the country – particularly access to higher education and limits on women in the workplace.
The delegation is the most senior group of officials to visit the country since the Taliban took power in 2021.
Mohammad looked to speak with senior Taliban leaders to convince them to reverse direction on the restrictions, which have imperiled humanitarian operations since women cannot participate, according to the BBC.
PENTAGON DODGES QUESTIONS ON DETENTION OF AFGHAN ALLY WHO ILLEGALLY CROSSED BORDER: ‘THIS IS AN EMBARRASSMENT’
Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, posted the photos and denounced them as “insensitive.”
“The U.N. personnel in Kabul taking a photo with a terrorist group’s flag brings the United Nation’s impartiality & integrity into question,” Nazary wrote. “We kindly ask Antonio Guterres to investigate this matter & for UNAMA News to prevent such insensitive actions that can tarnish its reputation.”
Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi meets with U.N. delegates, in Kabul, Afghanistan, in this screen grab taken from a video released on Jan. 18, 2023.
(Taliban Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
Nazary separately told Fox News Digital that the photos were “unfortunate” and reiterated concerns over U.N. impartiality and integrity.
“This comes as the Taliban terrorists are allowing Afghanistan to become a hub for international terrorism, and they are increasing their oppression on citizens, especially women,” Nazary said. “Such acts cause us to question the U.N.’s impartiality and integrity in Afghanistan, and we kindly ask Secretary-General Guterres to investigate this matter and prevent any biased move on the part of U.N. personnel visiting Afghanistan in the future.”
FORMER AFGHAN FEMALE LAWMAKER FATALLY SHOT BY GUNMEN IN KABUL HOME
Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s chosen representative to the U.N. and former spokesman for the Taliban, told Fox News Digital that the words on the Taliban flag belong to “Muslims all over the world.”
Suhail Shaheen, Afghan Taliban spokesman, speaks during a joint news conference in Moscow.
(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool, File)
“The words written on the white cloth are words that Muslims all over the world believe in, i.e. there is no God but Allah, Mohammad (pbuh) is the prophet of Allah,” Shaheen said. “It belongs to all Muslims, not one nation or government.”
“Anyone who doesn’t believe this are not called Muslims, or say something against it, commits blasphemy,” he added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The U.N. delegation met with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who stressed the need for international recognition to help empower the government, along with the removal of sanctions that limit the government’s funding.
Fox News’ Chris Massaro contributed to this article.
Dolphins coach – Thought we had 1st before delay flag on 4th-and-1
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel offered an explanation for a critical delay of game penalty his team incurred on its final offensive possession in a 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Facing fourth-and-1 from their own 48-yard line with 2:28 remaining in the game, the Dolphins failed to get a play off in time and were flagged for delay of game. The penalty pushed them back to fourth-and-6, and they were unable to convert on a Skylar Thompson pass attempt to tight end Mike Gesicki.
McDaniel said afterward it was communicated to him that the Dolphins had picked up a first down on the prior play, and he didn’t immediately have a fourth-down play ready.
“There was some communication that we’d gotten first down,” he said. “So then we were deploying a group of players for the first-and-10 call. Then it was articulated that no, it was fourth down … I had gotten conflicted information that it was a first down; I don’t really know exactly who it was from. It’s probably the first time all year that that had happened. You try to do your best. As it was, I thought we had a fourth-and-6 opportunity we were unable to come up with.
“You just have to adjust to any variables out there, and I thought we had a chance at fourth-and-6, as well.”
The Dolphins entered Sunday’s contest 14-point underdogs but held a one-score lead midway through the third quarter. The Bills answered with 14 straight points to take a 10-point lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Miami cut its deficit to three points after a Jeff Wilson Jr. touchdown run with 11 minutes left in the game and got the ball back with four minutes remaining with an opportunity to tie it or take the lead.
Thompson completed a 14-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle on second-and-15 to bring up third-and-1, but Salvon Ahmed’s rushing attempt did not result in a first down. McDaniel said he believes someone on his headset communicated to him that Ahmed had converted, however, and the coach said he called a play to reflect that before realizing the actual down and distance.
The Dolphins did not have any timeouts remaining and could not stop the clock after the Bills took over on downs.
Sunday’s contest was the Dolphins’ first playoff appearance since the 2016 season. The five-year playoff drought marked the third-longest in franchise history.
Skull Session: A Peach Bowl Trailer With Incredible Vibes, Brian Hartline is B. Rabbit from “8 Mile” and Michigan Memorialized A Photo of Its Flag Plant at Ohio State
The gray sleeves are back, folks.
playoff threads #gobucks pic.twitter.com/nmhhOnueep
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 15, 2022
Those threads are b-e-a-ufitful. Now, please, Ohio State – please, please, please… please – make these a part of the permanent uniforms for both the scarlet and gray jerseys. The school’s colors are scarlet and gray, so let’s act that way.
I conclude my brief but necessary rant.
Let’s have a good Friday, shall we?
FIND A BRICK WALL. On Thursday, I came across a trailer for the battle between Ohio State vs. Georgia in the Peach Bowl created by Buckeye Productions and good gracious, good heavens, great googly moogly – whatever other phrases I can use to explain my astonishment – it is phenomenal.
Find a brick wall. You’ll need to run through it as soon as the trailer ends.
The Peach Bowl is 15 days away. An official trailer will be released by the Ohio State football media team on one of those days. However, until that trailer is released (and maybe after that point), I will be watching the Buckeye Productions video on repeat until Dec. 31 arrives.
New Year’s Eve can’t come soon enough.
JIMMY SMITH. As I said at the start of Thursday’s Skull Session, Brian Hartline is an animal, constantly exceeding the already-large expectations Buckeye Nation has for wide receiver recruiting and adding yet another five-star wideout on Wednesday.
However, what I did not say Thursday is that Hartline is also an incredible troll, something I learned a few hours after the Skully posted yesterday.
A few minutes after Hartline snatched now-Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Opa Locka, Florida, on Wednesday, a distraught commenter on a Miami (FL) message board was beside themselves that Hartline could come into south Florida and snatch Smith desire the 2024 prospect attending high school in the Hurricanes’ backyard.
The following morning, Hartline had a perfect response for the Miami commenter, but of course, it wasn’t on the message boards. Hartline sent his message on Twitter in the most Twitter way possible: a subtweet.
pic.twitter.com/ontnkSkf4N
— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) December 15, 2022
Just an incredible showing from Hartline. First, he secures a five-star receiver from South Florida that was heavily recruited by Miami and its offensive coordinator Josh Gattis –Michigan’s former OC that called Ohio State soft in 2021. Second, he won Twitter for the day with an incredible subtweet of a saddened Hurricanes fan.
It was a great day to be the wide receiver coach at The Ohio State University, and it may be even greater to be a fan of the Buckeyes as they will see a flurry of top receiver commits come to Columbus over the next two years:
| NAME | YEAR | HT | WT | STARS | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEREMIAH SMITH | 2024 | 6-3 | 185 | FIVE | 0.9982 |
| BRANDON INNISS | 2023 | 6-0 | 190 | FIVE | 0.9859 |
| NOAH ROGERS | 2023 | 6-2 | 195 | FOUR | 0.9799 |
| CARNELL TATE | 2023 | 6-2 | 180 | FOUR | 0.9717 |
| BRYSON RODGERS | 2023 | 6-0 | 175 | FOUR | 0.9011 |
That’s what I call an embarrassment of riches.
It doesn’t get any better than this, folks.
HATE TO SEE THAT. After Michigan’s 45-23 win over Ohio State in The Game this season, a few players for the Wolverines ran around the turf at the Horseshoe with a maize and blue flag flying through the wind. They even planted it on the scarlet Block O at the 50-yard line.
It looked a little something like this:
Flag planted. pic.twitter.com/vBHd0ICliQ
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) November 26, 2022
And now, the Michigan football program has added pictures of that moment to the Schembechler Hall practice facility in Ann Arbor. It looks a little something like this:
New artwork at Schembechler Hall pic.twitter.com/ajcb4gl5yo
— Larry Lage (@LarryLage) December 15, 2022
Look, I know Michigan has won the last two meetings in the rivalry, and I don’t have much room to comment on the stuff the Wolverines do these days because of that fact, but it’s pretty funny to me how quickly they put up a mural of their win in Ohio Stadium and their win last year in the Big House.
It appears that is what a program does after being dominated for two decades. But what do I know? I’m countin’ down the days until Nov. 25, 2023, because I neeeeeeeeed to see the Buckeyes back on top in The Game. I also wouldn’t mind seeing The Rematch in the national championship, but that’s just me.
ALL-AMERICAN MEN. Ohio State is America’s team. That’s a claim I think most readers at Eleven Warriors would agree with, or maybe not. I don’t know. I also don’t think that claim would go over too well outside of Buckeye Country.
However, I can make this claim comfortably: Ohio State was led by its All-Americans to be one of the best teams in America this year. Here are all of the All-American awards the Buckeyes have received after the regular season:
- C.J. Stroud: Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports, AFCA (second team)
- Marvin Harrison Jr.: AP, Walter Camp Football Foundation, PFF, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, FWAA, Sporting News, AFCA (first team)
- Emeka Egbuka: PFF (third team)
- Paris Johnson Jr.: Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, FWAA, AFCA (first team); CBS Sports, AP (second team); PFF (honorable mention)
- Dawand Jones: PFF and CBS Sports (first team); AP, Sporting News (second team)
- Luke Wypler: PFF (third team)
- Tommy Eichenberg: PFF, Bleacher Report (first team); Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports, FWAA, AP, Sporting News (second team)
- Ronnie Hickman: PFF, AP (second team)
As far as the Associated Press All-American honors are concerned – and, to be honest, that’s kind of the only All-American awards that matter to me, I don’t know why and I won’t be taking questions at this time – the Buckeyes lead the way with five recipients: Harrison, Johnson, Jones, Eichenberg and Hickman.
@OhioStateFB leads the way with 5 AP All-Americans on their roster!
Which team on this list is the most surprising? pic.twitter.com/YcIohzPsjd
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 15, 2022
If Ohio State wants to move past Georgia and accomplish its goal of winning a national championship, those five Buckeyes, and players like C.J. Stroud, Miyan Williams, JT Tuimoloau and Zach Harrison, among many others, will need to be at the top of their games.
Actually, everyone will need to be at the top of their games. But I expect these Ohio State players to be at the forefront.
Let’s ride, Buckeye Nation. Bring on the Bulldogs. Ohio Against the World.
SONG OF THE DAY. “She’s A Rainbow” by The Rolling Stones.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Messi carries the weight of Argentina into World Cup final… TikTok’s challenges keep leading children to their death… Two men and a sailboat lost at sea found after 10 days… Giving your child a screen may hinder emotional regulation, study says… Thousands drink at SantaCon NYC.
Gregg Berhalter, Tyler Adams address Iran flag changes on social media
Since arriving here more than two weeks ago, Berhalter and U.S. men’s national team have navigated topics such as Qatari workers’ rights and LGBTQ+ issues. And on the eve of a must-win proposition against Iran in the Group B finale, he and captain Tyler Adams fielded questions fueled by a controversy created by their own governing body, the U.S. Soccer Federation.
In recent graphics posted to social media, the USSF removed a symbol in the middle of the flag associated with Iran’s clerical leaders — its way of supporting “women in Iran fighting for basic human rights,” it said. By the end of the day on Sunday, the federation had backtracked, deleting the posts and saying that, going forward, it would display the official Iranian flag.
Blowback was fierce in some international circles and there were calls in Iran for FIFA to punish the United States. When Berhalter and Adams appeared at a tense news conference Monday, they were forced to answer — uncomfortably at times — a series of questions from mostly Iranian reporters that weren’t focused on soccer.
Berhalter said the coaching staff and players had no advance knowledge of the USSF’s plans to alter the flag. He and Adams seemed bothered not by the questions, but that they had been put in this position by the federation.
“All we can do … is apologize on behalf of the players and the staff,” Berhalter said. “It’s not something we are a part of.”
Adams, who is Black, was questioned about representing a country where discrimination against minorities is prevalent, the reporter said. He was lectured by the same reporter about how to pronounce “Iran.”
Seemingly unrattled, Adams, a 23-year-old midfielder who was voted captain by his teammates, handled the questions, apologized for mispronouncing “Iran” and didn’t shy from discussing racial issues in America.
“One thing I’ve learned, especially from living abroad the past years and having to fit in in different cultures and assimilating to different cultures is that, in the U.S., we’re continuing to make progress every single day,” Adams said. “I grew up in a White family with obviously an African American heritage and background. So I had a little bit of different cultures. And I was easily able to assimilate in different cultures. Not everyone has that ease and ability to do that. It takes longer to understand and, through education, it’s super important.”
Directing his comment to the reporter, he added: “Like you just educating me now on the pronunciation of your country. So yeah, it’s a process. As long as you see progress, that’s the most important thing.”
Berhalter was asked about support for his team back home amid economic problems in the United States and his reaction to Iranian citizens being unable to enter the United States.
“I don’t know enough about politics,” he said. “I’m a soccer coach. I’m not well versed in international politics.”
The 30-minute session also included a number of soccer topics: How will the United States solve its scoring problems? Will Iran play defensively? Is it up to the task of beating Iran and claiming one of the group’s two slots in the round of 16?
The flag kerfuffle, though, threw a curveball at a team that, at this critical juncture, would have preferred to focus exclusively on soccer.
“A lot of other constituents have another feeling toward it, but for us, it’s a soccer game against a good team,” Berhalter said. “And it’s not much more than that. … I don’t want to sound aloof or not caring [about Iranian human rights issues] by saying that, but the guys have worked really hard for the last four years.”
Later in the news conference, he reiterated that point, saying: “What I see from the group is this tremendous amount of focus. There is no real distractions. I know there’s a lot going on here, but the group is focused on: How do we get a win?”
The United States (0-0-2, two points) sits in third place, a point behind Iran (1-1-0). First-place England (1-0-1, four) will face Wales (0-1-1, one) in the other group match.
“We support Iran’s people and Iran’s team, but we’re laser-focused on this match, as they are as well,” Adams said. “We continue to show our support and our empathy for what’s obviously happening to the Iranian team and the people.”
In solidarity with government protesters back home, Iranian players did not sing the national anthem before their opener against England last Monday. They did sing before their second game against Wales.
“We know they are going through things right now,” U.S. defender Walker Zimmerman said Sunday night. “They are human. We empathize with that human emotion. We can feel for them.”
Before Berhalter and Adams took questions, Iranian Coach Carlos Queiroz took the high road. Given multiple opportunities to criticize the USSF, he spoke at length about the importance of the match and the harmony sports can often to promote.
“We are about solidarity with all — all — humanitarian causes all over the world, whatever they are, who they are,” he said. “Human rights, racism, kids that die in schools with shootings — we are in solidarity to all those causes, but here our mission is to bring the smiles for the people at least for 90 minutes.”
Queiroz, who is Portuguese, is an international soccer sage. His travels have taken him to the United States, where he coached the MLS’s New York/New Jersey MetroStars, now the New York Red Bulls, in 1996, and was a USSF consultant who nearly became the U.S. national team coach in the mid-1990s.
He has coached Real Madrid and assisted Manchester United, guided Portugal at the 2010 World Cup and spent eight years running the Iranian squad before returning this fall for a second tour.
Queiroz spoke highly of the U.S. team — “the most consistent in the group” — and marveled at the growth of MLS. He also played down using the flag controversy to motivate his players.
“If after 42 years in this game as a coach I still believe I could win games with those mental games, I think I did not learn nothing from the game,” he said. “This is not the case. Those events surrounding this World Cup, I hope will be a good lesson for all of us in the future.”
Even without the flag dust-up, the United States-Iran match carried political overtones. The countries do not have formal diplomatic relations and have been at odds since the 1979 Iranian revolution.
Tensions were high when the teams met at the 1998 World Cup in Lyon, France. With a 2-1 victory, Iran eliminated the United States from knockout-round contention.
At the time, Berhalter was a pro player in the Netherlands. For that match, he served as an analyst on Dutch TV.
“That game just sticks in my mind and burns in my mind,” Berhalter said. “What I saw from the opening whistle is one team that really wanted to win the game and one team that didn’t really want to win the game. Iran wanted to win the game with everything. They played really committed, really focused. For us to have a chance to advance tomorrow, that’s going to have to be the mind-set of our group.”
After US Soccer changes Iranian flag on social media, Iran calls for US to be kicked out of 2022 World Cup
CNN
—
Iran state media has called for the US to be kicked out of the 2022 World Cup after the United States Soccer Federation changed Iran’s flag on its social media platforms to show support for protesters in Iran.
The federation had temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag on its official Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. A now-deleted graphic of the Group B standings posted on Saturday displayed the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors.
US Soccer told CNN on Sunday that it wanted to change the official flag for 24 hours to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights” but always planned to go back to the original flag.
The change “was a one-time graphic,” US Soccer told CNN. “We have the main flag on our website and other places.” The emblem is currently back on the flag on US Soccer’s social media channels.
A spokesperson for the State Department told CNN it did not coordinate with US Soccer in the sporting body’s decision to change Iran’s flag on its social media accounts to show support for protesters in Iran.
“We look forward to a peaceful and competitive match on the field. The United States continues to find ways to support the Iranian people in the face of state-sponsored violence against women and a brutal crackdown against peaceful protestors,” the State Department told CNN.
Iran state media reported Sunday that the United States should be immediately kicked out of the tournament and suspended for 10 games for a “distorted image” of the country’s flag.
“By posting a distorted image of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US football team breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is the appropriate penalty,” Iran state-aligned Tasnim news agency wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “Team #USA should be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Iran and the US play each other on Tuesday in a crucial Group B match. It is a must-win tie for the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) if it is to progress to the knockout stages.
On Monday, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said the team “had no idea what US Soccer put out” but did apologize for the display.
“The staff, the players, we had no idea … Our focus is on this match and I don’t want to sound aloof or not caring by saying that,” said Berhalter in a regularly scheduled news conference on Monday.
“Of course are thoughts are with the Iranian people, the whole country, the whole team, everyone. But our focus is on this match.
“Sometimes things are out of our control,” added Berhalter. “We believe that it’s going to be a match that the result will depend on who puts more effort in and who executes better on the field.
“We’re not focused on those outside things and all we can do is apologize on behalf of the players and the staff, but it’s not something that we were a part of.”
Berhalter insisted any noise surrounding Tuesday’s match was not impacting the preparation of the US players.
“What I see from this group is this tremendous amount of focus,” said Berhalter. “There is no real distractions. I know there is a lot going on here but the group is focused on how to get a win.”
Iran is appearing at this World Cup under the shadow of domestic turmoil. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, has said that the country is in a “full-fledged human rights crisis” as authorities clamp down on anti-regime dissidents.
Protests, referred to by experts as the most significant since the establishment of clerical rule following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and violence have rocked Iran in recent months and threatened the very nature of the country’s regime, which has been in power for more than 40 years.
It was sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died after being detained by Iran’s morality police, allegedly for not abiding by the country’s conservative dress code. Iranian security forces have unleashed a violent response.
The latest controversy comes after a day of issues ahead of the two teams’ Group B clash in Doha at the Al Thumama Stadium.
US Soccer’s decision came on the same day the former USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said he will try to speak with Iran’s manager, Carlos Queiroz, to “calm things down” after Klinsmann’s comments about Iran’s culture were branded “outrageous remarks.”
Following Iran’s 2-0 victory over Wales on Friday, Klinsmann discussed Iran’s attitude toward the game of soccer, led by Queiroz, during a panel discussion on the BBC.
“That’s their culture and that’s their way of doing it and that’s why Carlos Queiroz, he fits really well in the Iranian national team,” Klinsmann said.
“He struggled in South America. He failed with Colombia to qualify then he failed with Egypt to qualify as well and then he went back right before the World Cup now and guided Iran where he worked already for a long, long time.
“This is not by coincidence. This is all purposely. This is just part of their culture. That’s how they play it and they work the referee.
“You saw the bench always jumping off, always working the fourth, the linesmen and the fourth referee on the sideline, constantly in their ears. They’re constantly in your face on the field.”
The 1990 World Cup winner continued: “This is their culture and they kind of make you lose your focus and make you lose your concentration and what’s really important to you.”
In a tweet on Monday, Klinsmann clarified that his comments were “purely football related.”
“Unfortunately, this was taken out of a footballing context,” he added. “I have many Iranian friends and was always full of compliments for their people, culture, and history. I wish them only the best for the tournament.”
On Saturday, Queiroz responded to Klinsmann’s comments on the BBC in a series of tweets.
“Even not knowing me personally, you question my character with a typical prejudiced judgment of superiority,” Queiroz wrote. “No matter how much I can respect what you did inside the pitch, those remarks about Iran Culture, Iran National Team and my Players are a disgrace to Football. Nobody can hurt our integrity if it is not at our level, of course.”
Queiroz added: “As American/German, we understand your no support. No problem. And despite your outrageous remarks on BBC trying to undermine our efforts, sacrifices and skills, we promise you that we will not produce any judgments regarding your culture, roots and background and that you will always be welcome to our Family.”
The Iran Football Federation, in a statement, demanded Klinsmann apologize and resign from his Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group position with FIFA. Iran said it has asked FIFA “for immediate clarification on this matter.”
CNN has reached out to FIFA for comment but did not get a response at time of publication.
On Sunday, Klinsmann said on BBC Breakfast: “There was stuff really taken out of context. I will try to give him a call and calm things down. I have never criticized Carlos or the Iranian bench. Some even thought I was criticizing the referee because he didn’t do anything about the way they were behaving on the bench.
“All I described was their emotional way of doing things, which is actually admirable in a certain way. The whole bench lives the game. They’re jumping up and down and Carlos is a very emotional coach. He’s constantly on the sidelines trying to give his players all his energy and direction.”
The federation invited Klinsmann to visit Team Melli Camp in Doha and “for a lecture on the millennial Persian culture and the values of football and sport.”
U.S. Soccer social accounts briefly alter Iran flag in World Cup posts
The alteration, which was visible on U.S. men’s national team social media accounts, removed a symbol in the middle of the flag associated with Iran’s clerical leaders.
The banner image on the team’s Twitter account Sunday morning featured a flag that includes Iran’s colors — red, green and white — but did not include a symbol that was added after the 1979 revolution, depicting a stylized rendering of the word for “God.” A similar image was included in a recent tweet about Group B standings. By Sunday afternoon, the official flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran replaced the altered image on the U.S. team’s Twitter account.
Iran faces the United States on Tuesday, the final match of group play for both teams.
In a statement early Sunday, the USSF, which oversees all of the national teams, said the decision was made in recent days to “show support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.” The changes were temporary, the federation said.
A State Department official said the decision wasn’t a coordinated effort between the department and the USSF. U.S. men’s national team players also weren’t looped in.
“We didn’t know anything about the posts, but we are supporters of women’s rights — we always have been,” U.S. defender Walker Zimmerman said at a news conference.
Protests in Iran broke out in September after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died in police custody. They have since grown into a nationwide uprising channeling an array of complaints against Iran’s clerical leaders. Hundreds of people have been killed during a crackdown on protests by the authorities, according to human rights groups.
During Iran’s previous two matches, tensions surfaced between supporters and opponents of the government, including over the flag, with some anti-government critics waving a pre-revolutionary flag or concealing the symbol on the current flag with black tape. Vigorous debates have occurred within the protest movement over which flag should be displayed.
The changes appeared on the men’s national team’s social media accounts but not on the USSF website. For instance, the page that features the upcoming schedule displays the Iranian flag with the post-revolution symbol.
FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, declined to comment on the flag’s alteration.
The USSF has previously taken steps to show support for marginalized groups at this World Cup. In a media room at the team’s training center outside Doha, a large USSF logo on a wall features rainbow colors instead of red and blue, in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The display comes amid concerns over treatment of LGBTQ fans in Qatar, a conservative Muslim nation that criminalizes homosexuality, as well as efforts by FIFA to downplay the rainbow symbol, including by saying it would penalize players who wear rainbow armbands.
There was no immediate reaction from the Iran’s government to the altering of the flag. A commentary posted Sunday on the website of Iran’s semiofficial Mehr News Agency called the removal of the symbol a “strange and insulting action that was undoubtedly aimed at creating tension and destroying the focus of Iran’s team.”
The United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Iran but is engaged in a number of delicate negotiations with the country through third-party intermediaries, including an effort to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.
John Hudson contributed to this report.