Tyler Adams, Gregg Berhalter Put Iranian 'Reporter' In Their Place After Question About 'Black Discrimination' In The U.S.
An Iranian reporter seems to be looking to get into the heads of the USMNT ahead of its pivotal World Cup match against Iran on Tuesday, but U.S. captain Tyler Adams isn't letting that happen.
During Monday's press conference, Adams pronounced Iran in a way that one reporter didn't appreciate. After scolding Adams for the way he pronounced the country's name, the reporter proceeded to ask him how it felt to play for the United States "where so many black people are discriminated against."
Adams, the first black man to captain the U.S. at the World Cup, gave a phenomenal response to the reporter's ridiculous question.
"There's discrimination wherever you go," Adams stated after apologizing for the mispronunciation of Iran. "One thing I've become aware of having lived abroad, we have continued to make progress."
"Education is super important. It's a process and as long as you see progress, that's the most important thing."
Iranian Reporters Trying To Play Mindgames With The USMNT
Iranian 'journalists' weren't done there in trying to put the United States in a bad light by asking questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the World Cup.
One journalist asked USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter about how inflation in the U.S. is negatively affecting American supporters.
Berhalter not so subtly put the reporter in his place by pointing out the fact that Americans are not welcome in Iran.
"You are welcome in our country, but we are not ," Berhalter stated. "Nineteen million people watched the last game back home, they usually get behind us at big international tourneys and we hope that continues...I don't know enough about politics, I'm a soccer coach."
The Iranian media's pettiness comes on the heels of the country calling on FIFA to kick the United States out of the World Cup over a social media post.
JURGEN KLINSMANN CATCHES FLACK FOR COMMENTS ABOUT IRAN NATIONAL TEAM
The US Soccer Federation Twitter account posted — then deleted — an image of the Iranian flag. The flag, however, was missing the emblem of the Islamic Republic. This was done to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.”
Iran responded by filing a complaint with FIFA's Ethics Committee - which could be the most hypocritical committee in all of sports - to have the U.S. be hit with a 10-game ban for "offending the dignity" of the nation.
Iran mentioning human rights and then feeling offended about a flag is beyond ludicrous, obviously.
The Islamic Republic has a deplorable human rights record. At this very moment, the Iranian regime is brutalizing protestors throughout the country fighting for basic human rights.
Hundreds are believed to have been killed and roughly 15,000 people have been arrested by the regime for taking to the streets. The protests started after a young Iranian by the name of Mahsa Amini died while in custody by the morality police for not wearing her hijab properly.
Tensions were already high between the U.S. and Iran ahead of their pivotal matchup on Tuesday with the winner advancing to the knockout stage. The Iranian media talking negatively about the United States as a whole only adds more emotion to one of the biggest matches in U.S. soccer history.