However, on Monday night at Gold Coast Stadium, the team took the unprecedented step of standing silently instead of singing the state’s national anthem before kick-off.
And on Wednesday, one tentative question led to another.
They defended so bravely against South Korea. Where does that spirit in the team come from?
“All the players know it will be a tough game for all of us, but players are more motivated and excited to play against Australia, which is one of the top Asian teams,” said Didar, who was not in the Iran side that played the Matildas in Perth in 2023. “We are very eager to play against Sam Kerr. We love the players and also Sam Kerr.”
Mary Fowler and Sam Kerr during the Matildas’ Olympic qualifier against Iran in Perth in October 2023.Credit: Getty Images
What does it mean for them to see so many Iranian-Australians supporting their campaign?
“In other countries, we see so many Iranians supporting us,” Didar said. “It’s really encouraged us. It’s really given us a very good feeling, and we appreciate that. For tomorrow’s match, I know that tickets were sold out. And [from] what I have seen, Australia really support their national team and it’s very valuable for me. I hope we will have a very good atmosphere inside a full stadium.”
And then …
“I know that you’ve been building towards this tournament and training very hard for a long time,” a journalist ventured. “But given what’s going on at home this week, I’m sure many of you are concerned about your friends and family. How much of a distraction has that been for the team?”
Iran’s Asian Cup squad train at Pizzey Park on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night.Credit: AAPIMAGE
The coach answered first.
“Obviously, we have so much concern regarding the health of our families and people in Iran,” Jafari said. “Nobody loves war. And we have so much concerns regarding our family or the loved ones and all other people, Iranian people who are inside the country now, who we are fully disconnected with. But here, we are coming to play football professionally, and we do our best to concentrate on our football and match ahead.”
Even after Didar’s heartbreaking response had followed, it felt like a moment that could lead to more. That this might be the time to ask about the national anthem protest, and if they planned to repeat it on Thursday night. But then the press conference was shut down.
That evening, at the team’s official training session, Iran and AFC officials were perplexed to see a video drone hovering over the pitch during the warm-up. Security later confirmed the drone was operated by some children in the neighbouring park, and did not constitute a sequel to Canada’s Paris 2024 drone-spying scandal.
Iran team staff film a drone spotted overhead during training at Pizzey Park on Wednesday night.Credit: AAPIMAGE
In Australia’s press conference, and coach Joe Montemurro opted out of discussing Iran except for expressing compassion and respect for their opponents, with whom they are sharing a Gold Coast hotel.
His main focus was on his own squad, and he foreshadowed heavy rotation from the starting XI that beat the Philippines 1-0 in Perth. The Matildas are on a four-day turnaround between Sunday’s opener and the Iran fixture, and will then have three days before facing South Korea in Sydney.
“Logic says that there will be some rotation, obviously in preparation for tomorrow night’s game, but also in preparation for what’s to come to make sure that the squad’s in good shape,” Montemurro said.
“Obviously we haven’t played together a lot, and it probably showed a little bit on Sunday, so you want to keep a little bit of continuity. So we will be looking at partnerships … looking forward to the Korea game … but it’s a great opportunity also to give [other] players the opportunity to play our football.”
Sam Kerr trains with the Matildas on Wednesday.Credit: Getty Images
Sam Kerr has been training, but the striker also played the full 90 minutes on Sunday and was spotted wearing a compression sleeve on her left calf on Tuesday, suggesting she could be rested on Thursday with Sunday’s decisive third group game in mind.
Montemurro also hinted that Chloe Lincoln, who within 24 hours went from Australia’s third-choice goalkeeper to starting the opening game, might start again. He said Mackenzie Arnold, who had been nursing a tight calf, had been training well.
“It’s really to just look forward now, seeing what we believe we need to get out of tomorrow night’s game but also also looking forward,” he said. “And it’s one of those, ‘you give it more time, we know it’s going to be perfect’.”
