What was supposed to be a straightforward World Cup group-stage match between Iran and New Zealand quickly became far more complicated. While the fixture was officially listed as Iran v New Zealand, much of the attention surrounding the opening game centred on divisions among Iranians themselves.
Outside the Los Angeles Stadium, hundreds of Iranian-Americans gathered to protest both FIFA's decision to ban the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag inside stadiums and what they viewed as a national team representing the Islamic Republic rather than the Iranian people.
