U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter insisted his team is focused only on Tuesday's Group B showdown with Iran as he sidestepped the political fracas around the game caused by decades of enmity between the nations.
In a tense and unusual news conference on Monday, Berhalter was questioned about U.S. immigration and naval policy while U.S. captain Tyler Adams was asked about discrimination in the United States and chided by an Iranian reporter for mispronouncing the country's name.
Washington and Tehran severed all formal diplomatic ties in 1980 after the Islamic Revolution and bilateral relations were hostile when their soccer teams clashed in the 1998 World Cup group stage.