Goodwill abounded when Iran met the U.S. on the field, showing another way to play the Great Game

By BILL SAPORITO

f a victory for Iran will ensure world peace, then why not?" said American reserve fullback Alexi Lalas last week before Iran's 2-1 triumph over an ill-starred American side.

No world peace yet, Lexi, but the win certainly brought an evening of joy for Iran, and--who knows?--perhaps a small step toward peace between two long-time political antagonists. Lyons' Stade Gerland was buzzing a half-hour before the match with drumbeats and cries of "Eee-ran, ee-ran," that never let up. Iranian supporters had spent the weekend riding and walking through Lyons' steamy streets slugging Cokes (aha, an American victory!) and singing, their energy unabating, often joined by Americans, happy to be there.

The U.S.-Iran game was one of the first sellouts in the World Cup, a fact that had U.S. soccer officials a bit worried. French authorities were worried, too, because the stands were filled mostly with thousands of dissident expatriate Iranians. Hundreds more traveling from Germany and the Netherlands had been turned back at the border by French police for "reasons of public order."

But neither political dissent nor rigid security could dampen the goodwill of the crowd. And when the whistle blew--after both teams had posed together for a picture--all but football was forgotten.

Purists will call it a contest between two second-rate teams, which is true enough, but the passion in the stadium and the flow of the game made it worthy of any Mondiale. The Americans pressured the Iranians relentlessly, with Brian McBride raising hopes by hitting the crossbar early on. But Iran, led by an experienced trio in Ali Daei, Khodadad Azizi and Karim Bagheri, defended well and awaited its chance. It came in the 42nd minute, with Hamid Estili finishing a four vs. eight Iranian break with an unreachable header past U.S. keeper Kasey Keller. "We had a chance, we score goal, we win," said Iranian coach Jalal Talebi in spare English that said all that needed to be said.

Forced to press forward in the second half, the Americans took more and more chances, raising the ante as well as the noise level--the tension augmented by the American proclivity to hit the framework rather than the netting.

The frantic final minutes featured an exchange of goals--Iran on the counter, natch--and an explosion of joy on the Iranian side when the final whistle sounded. The Americans, crushed, sat on the field for a long time before finally exchanging shirts with their opponents. American coach Steve Sampson, who faces uncertain prospects, was resolute. Other than actually putting the ball in the net, said he, "I wouldn't do anything differently." Neither would anyone else who watched.