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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — <\/span>Iran took another step toward advancing in the World Cup on Sunday, but once again the off-the-field play dominated<\/a> the conversation.<\/p>\n At the match’s conclusion, at least one attendee wearing a pre-revolutionary flag shirt was detained for trying to run onto the pitch. And afterward, though demonstrations were quieter than Monday’s, an Associated Press reporter observed a fan who got into a scuffle with protesters being loaded into an ambulance. <\/p>\n But before the match had even kicked off, U.S. Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said Sunday that the Iranians had \u201ctried to get somebody in yesterday\u201d who had direct ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In a statement, the soccer federation vociferously pushed back.<\/p>\n \u201cThe claim that an official representative of the Iranian Football Federation attempted to board a flight to enter the United States yesterday and was prevented from doing so is an outright and undeniable lie,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Mullin told Fox News that most teams travel with around 120 people, but the U.S. had accepted 53 in Iran’s case.<\/a> He said the rest of the people Iran had tried to secure visas for had \u201cdirect ties to the IRGC and aren\u2019t their normal traveling group.\u201d The federation called Mullin’s claims \u201ccompletely unsupported by any evidence or documentation, but also represent a clear attempt to cover up discriminatory behavior and unreasonable restrictions.\u201d <\/p>\n That statement echoed Iran’s complaints throughout the tournament that politics have infringed on soccer, even as U.S. Vice President JD Vance<\/a> said there was an opportunity to \u201cturn over a new leaf\u201d with talks beginning in Switzerland on the interim deal to end the war. Iran\u2019s players and coach have complained about shuttling<\/a> to and from Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona, and the barring of some officials and staff, and the federation has said it would pursue a complaint against FIFA.<\/p>\n Iranian national team player Alireza Jahanbakhsh said after the match that he doesn\u2019t want to keep focusing on the challenging situation, and that players are now focused on recovery and preparing to travel to Seattle for the next game, against Egypt. He said he hopes the team can head there as soon as possible to adapt.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams,\u201d he said. \u201cHopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us.\u201d<\/p>\n At the stadium near Los Angeles, fans wearing green-and-red scarves, stickers and T-shirts were mixed on the impact of the team’s shift to train across the border in Mexico<\/a>. Some said the team was unfairly burdened, while others who followed the team to Tijuana were thrilled to get closer access to the players.<\/p>\n Shamira Ghaemmaghami, 66, of nearby Orange County, said she was supporting the players from her native Iran and also from Belgium. She said she respects the right of protesters to voice their opinions but feels sports should unite people, not separate them.<\/p>\n \u201cFighting over these things, sports and politics should not be mixed,\u201d she said. \u201cThey worked so hard to get where they are, both sides, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside the stadium, a few hundred people demonstrated against Iran’s government. Aside from some verbal altercations and the scuffle after the match, the protests were smaller than at Iran’s first game and featured more security from the outset. Inside, some fans carried the red-and-green flags emblazoned with a golden lion and sun that predate the 1979 Islamic Revolution \u2014 a flag that seemed at least as visible as the official flag of Iran itself. They were also joined by a sizable crowd of Belgium fans wearing red and yellow and those donning jerseys from countries including Argentina, the U.S. and Mexico.<\/p>\n Gerald Martinez, 66, of Tucson, wore a green Iran scarf. While not Iranian, he and his son decided to support the team when they initially announced they’d be training in their hometown. <\/p>\n \u201cI wish they were all here. I wish they were welcome,\u201d Martinez said, adding he felt the team was suffering a disadvantage.<\/p>\n Stefan Arts, 42, traveled from Antwerp, Belgium, and said he’s met many people who were Iranian but supporting his country\u2019s team instead. That’s how Arman Sharif, 40, of Los Angeles, feels. He was outside the stadium to protest and said he feels the players are allied with the government in Tehran. <\/p>\n \u201cWhoever it is, we’re a fan of the opponents,\u201d Sharif said. <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Associated Press reporters Ty ONeil, Gregory Bull and Andrew Dalton in Inglewood, California; Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego and Thomas Strong in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP World Cup coverage: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n