There are those who believe that the national team is the regime's team and that Iran should be kicked out. Others claim that the national team belongs to the people and that World Cup participation will bring joy in these tough times. A bit into the World Cup, we can state that the championship was used as another platform for the Iranian people to protest. In the first match, the Iranian fans booed during the national anthem, the self-praising national anthem imposed by the Islamic regime. After national team captain Carlos Queiroz asked the fans not to boo the team, they instead stood in silence for match number two. As if the political situation in Iran were not enough, they have also ended up in a group where they are pitted against the United States. The nations have a history of conflict, with the USA actually being involved in the Islamic revolution, although they were not happy with the outcome. The football then? Iran stood for a weak performance and was completely overrun by England in the premiere, 2-6. They were then involved in one of the championship's most dramatic matches when they scored twice in added time against Wales to win 2-0. The USA has delivered two draws, 1-1 against Wales and 0-0 against England. The match against England can be seen as a step forward, especially considering that they made such a good team look weak. I was impressed with Iran's game against Wales, and think this feels like an open story. Considering that the USA is made disproportionately big favorites, we choose to bet on Iran not to lose here. The USA will have to go for victory, so Iran can hurt them with counter-attacks.