According to ESPN.com, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team was not involved in the US Soccer Federation’s offensive social media posts in which the central image was removed from Iran’s flag.
The two nations are set to square off Tuesday in a crucial Group B affair.
“The players and the staff knew nothing about what was being posted,” said US coach Gregg Berhalter. “Sometimes things are out of our control. We believe that it’s going to be a match that the result will depend on who puts more effort in, who executes better on the field.