COACH PLEDGES COURTESY : U.S. VS. IRAN.Byline: Anwar Faruqi Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Yes, says Iran's World Cup coach, his team will play hard against the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . No, says Jalal Talebi Jalal Talebi (Persian: جلال طالبی, born 1945 in Tehran, Iran) is a retired Iranian football player and manager. , his players won't be rude to the team from a country their government has vowed to destroy. Talebi said Thursday his players will accord the same kind of courtesy to the Americans as they would to other teams. And the coach, who has a home in California where his wife and three sons live, had praise for Secretary of State Madeleine Madeleine (măd`əlĭn, Fr. mädlĕn`) [Fr.,=Magdalen, i.e., Mary Magdalen], large church of Paris, in the Place de la Madeleine. It was originally planned by J. A. Albright's remarks that the United States was ready to start normalizing ties with Iran after 20 years of bitter separation. Albright's comments were ``good news for us,'' Talebi said. ``I am really happy to hear that.'' On the field Sunday, both teams will be fighting to get at least a draw and maintain slim hopes of making it to the second round. Otherwise, Talebi, said, it's just a game, to be treated like all others in every respect. Asked if his players would be concerned with standing for the American national anthem anthem [ultimately from antiphon], short nonliturgical choral composition used in Protestant services, usually accompanied and having an English text. The term is used in a broader sense for "national anthems" and for the Latin motets still used occasionally in , he said: ``I can guarantee there is no problem with that.'' Asked if players were hostile toward the American team, he said: ``100 percent, no.'' Hard-line opponents of improved ties with the United States have demanded that the government instruct in·struct v. in·struct·ed, in·struct·ing, in·structs v.tr. 1. To provide with knowledge, especially in a methodical way. See Synonyms at teach. 2. To give orders to; direct. v. players not to exchange T-shirts with the Americans after the game, a long-standing World Cup custom. ``If an American player comes up to an Iranian player after the game and wants to exchange T-shirts, I don't think we'll say no,'' Talebi said. ``We'll be more than happy to do that.'' Iran lost 1-0 to Yugoslavia and the United States fell 2-0 to Germany in their opening matches. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: The U.S. team, getting ready for Iran, goes through exercises. Mark Lennihan/Associated Press |
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