Iran's 2-2 draw with lower-ranked New Zealand on Monday left the players more consumed by off-field turmoil than by fixing tactics for their next match, captain Mehdi Taremi said. 

Taremi said the squad's planned training and recovery session was scrapped when it was abruptly told to leave the U.S. and head back to its Tijuana base right after the final whistle, without ever specifying who gave that order, and added that the disruption, layered on top of 11 federation staff (including the team's media officer) still being denied U.S. visas, has weighed heavily on players and remaining staff alike. 

CGTN's Mark Niu has this report.

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