No time. The Iranian defensive midfielder could do nothing as the Al Tumama Stadium referee blew the final whistle, declaring a 1-0 victory for the United States.
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He sat on the lawn in the middle of the dark Qatari night, his head in his hands, and he let the tears flow.
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United States forward Josh Sargent struggled in the first half, keeping the Americans in search of a goal until Christian Pulisic scored after 38 minutes.
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The sergeant knelt beside him and held Ejatolahi as he spoke kindly and sympathetically. Soon, USA noticed the condition and pain on the Iranian player's face
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He was replaced by Brendan Aaronson. So did DeAndre Yedlin.Tim Weah adios with them too. Veeh lit up with joy as she approached something more serious.
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Weah grabbed Ezatolahi by the hands and helped him to his feet as he struggled to gather himself. They then hugged and whispered in each other's ears.
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Weah said to me as he exited the arena to head back to the team's Doha headquarters, "I think it's more than just football.
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I just wanted to spread peace and love and show him we come from various backgrounds and we grew up differently.
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"I think the United States and Iran have had so many political conflicts, and I just wanted to convey that we are all human beings and we love one other.
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He is still a member of my family, my brother, and I still adore him in the same manner as the boys I spent my formative years with.
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The depth of the political subplot surrounding the Iran match, which decided second place in Group B, sent Greg Berhalter's side into the round of 16 against the Netherlands.
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It's probably something you've noticed unless you've been camping, hibernating or technology detoxing for the past week.
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