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Game on Iran to play United States, Mexico in California
Posted: Saturday December 25, 1999 02:42 PM
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's national soccer squad will travel to the United States next month to play friendly matches against the U.S. and Mexican national teams, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported Friday. While the games were previously reported, Iran said on Wednesday it would play only if U.S. officials waived a requirement to fingerprint the Iranian players, which Tehran has denounced as offensive. Quoting the head of the Iranian federation, IRNA said travel plans were in place after Iran and the United States agreed on all the arrangements. The team will leave Tehran for California on Jan. 5 to prepare for its first match against Mexico, Mohsen Safaie Farahani said. One week later, Iran will play the United States. The Jan. 16 game at the Rose Bowl will be the first meeting between the teams since Iran beat the United States 2-1 at last year's World Cup. Washington cut diplomatic ties with Iran after militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and took 52 Americans hostage. In January 1998, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami appealed for 'a crack in the wall of mistrust' between the two countries and proposed exchanges of scholars and artists. Several U.S. academics and sports teams have since visited Iran. Iran's soccer team is scheduled for Asian Cup qualifying March 31-April 4 in Damascus, Syria, and April 7-11 in Tehran. Besides Syria, Iran faces Bahrain and Maldives in its qualifying group. Mexico and the United States will be preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Miami, Los Angeles and San Diego, Feb. 12-27.
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