For those of you who agonized over the United States Soccer team’s crushing loss against powerhouse Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final, I have two words of advice for you: be thankful. As you watched Landon Donovan effortlessly dribble the ball up the pitch or Tim Howard gracefully yet controversially rob Kaka of a game-tying goal, there lies a national team thousands of miles away whose future is likely not as bright. This team’s focus doesn’t revolve around a future trip to South Africa in 2010 or around the idea they will have a chance to compete against the elite of international competition any time soon. Their fight is a fight for something much greater: a chance to compete and represent their country, a country whose vengeful political structure reigns supreme.

In the weeks that have followed Iran’s controversial re-election of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, we all have witnessed the quick sound bites on CNN or stood in awe as YouTube videos depicted the chaos that has ensued in the streets of Tehran. Yet as time has passed, the reality remains that the sports fan in all of us has probably lost interest in a cause that’s not our own, and instead filled our lives with the latest NBA trade rumors, MLB All-Star selections, or even the USA’s improbable journey to the final versus Brazil. However, in the wake of controversy and cover up, there is a sport that lies at the heart of the Iranian culture which is in utter disarray.

In 2006, while most national teams were preparing for the World Cup in Germany, the Iranian Soccer team was forced to watch from the sidelines. Their years of training, competition, and hard work were rewarded by a one-year ban from international national competition by FIFA for the petulant behavior of President Ahmadinejad. The ban was surprisingly later lifted after Ahmadinejad agreed not to interfere with the team’s affairs and not make an appearance at the competition. The team had lost months of preparation, but was given the opportunity to compete.

It turned out, however, to be an unbearable trip from start to finish. Not only did they lose two matches, score two goals in three games, and flat out get embarrassed on the pitch, but they were bombarded throughout their stay in Germany by angry protesters who detested their anti-Semitic president. While their trip was short lived, it inspired them to revive the game of soccer en route to a spot in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

After their failures in the 2006 World Cup, the Iranian team focused its attention on overseas talent. Out of all the Asian teams vying for a sport in the 2010 competition, per quota, they had the second highest amount of overseas players. Budding superstars were formed with the likes of Ali Karimi (Bayern Munich) and Mehdi Mahdavikia (Einrecht Frankfurt). This team was full of experienced veterans, savvy young talent, and a unified heart that could not be destroyed by politics and power. This year was going to be their year to show the world they belonged in South Africa, a year that started out with so much promise, but has since become nothing short of disastrous.

Just two months ago, the national team played their biggest rival Saudi Arabia in a cup qualifier match in front 100,000 passionate fans at Tehran’s legendary Azadi Stadium. Although the Iranian team led most of the match, a late onslaught of shots from Saudi Arabia helped secure the 2-1 upset. This match would not decide the fate of Iran’s World Cup chances, but was the last resemblance of the team they had sought to become. While the players and coaches had vowed that this year would be the rebirth of soccer in the country, it appeared that nothing had changed under the rule of Ahmadinejad. While the team had hoped to represent the country with grace, flair, and passion for competition, they still were nothing more than a symbol of politics under the corrupt regime of a menacing president. Following the loss to the Saudis, a loss that had more to do with political pride than athletic result, head coach Ali Daei was fired with the blink of an eye. A former national star of the Iranian team, Daei often butted heads with the government, for their refusal to let him run the team as he saw fit. In a proverbial standoff between head coach and president (an avid soccer fan I might add) the blame for the lackluster effort in front of the home fans fell on the obvious shoulders.

In the months that have followed since Daei was canned as head coach, the team no longer appears to be a reflection of the team that began the year with so much promise and confidence. Two weeks ago, much to the surprise of soccer experts, the team was disqualified from World Cup competition in 2010, after a series of losses and draws in pool play. As if the sting of failure amidst political turmoil was not enough for the Iranian footballers following their final match against South Korea, the punishment their government sent down to four of their most prized members was simply crippling.

As Americans we take for granted the right of free speech and freedom to peacefully protest. Our athletes can be adorned with tattoos, shoes, wristbands, headbands, and other accessories which can in some way or another signify a profound message, whether it be personal or political. Just ask Steve Nash, who during an All-Star Game a few years back, subtly wore a “Shoot for Peace, Not War” shirt protesting the Iraqi invasion. Even our professional leagues utilize symbols on uniforms for such things as Breast Cancer Awareness, Latino American Night, or Black History Awareness Month. But the truth is, while we as Americans have grown accustomed to seeing our professional athletes adorned with these symbols, they are rare in international sports. So when six players of the Iranian soccer team decided to compete against South Korea with green wristbands on both arms, a gesture intended to support the “defeated” opposing candidate for president, Mir Hossein Mousavi, their actions garnered national attention.

For those who shared the players’ views, the gesture was seen as a powerful message to a ruthless government who seeks to censure all acts of protest. Unfortunately for these athletes, while the bands were meant to silently protest the controversial election, they may cost them their international careers. Through the IRNA, a pro-government newspaper in Iran, four players this past week have been sentenced to a lifetime ban from the Iranian Soccer team. These players include: the aforementioned Ali Karimi and Mehdi Mahdavikia, as well as Hosein Ka’abi and Vahid Hashemian. While the names likely are unfamiliar to the American sports fan, international soccer in the country of Iran is like international basketball in the United States. Imagine losing Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, and Deron Williams for the upcoming Olympics, and then you can begin to realize how significant this lifetime ban is. In the U.S. our athletes excel on a multitude of different athletic stages, soccer in Iran is the ultimate playing field, and truthfully the only one that matters to its rabid sports fans.

This story unfortunately does not have a happy ending. While the protests and media coverage have dwindled recently in light of several notable deaths in American pop culture, the reality in Iran is as bleak as it was three weeks ago. And for a country  afflicted by political turmoil, sports would have made for a beautiful distraction, if only for a few hours. While it is hard to find a silver lining in a story that exposes the ugliness of a man whose enthrallment for power and control even extends to the game of soccer, the bravery and unheralded stand these players took is commendable to say the least. In a society dictated by government imposed censorship, to see athletes utilizing their competitive stage as a platform for protest, despite knowing the likelihood it may cost them their spot on the team, is something of which we should all take note. These four courageous young men may never step foot in a World Cup game, they may never score a goal again with the name of their homeland on their uniform, but their bold yet silent gesture pays tribute to everything that is right with sports and competition. Despite the efforts of an autocrat, the game of soccer through this bold demonstration of defiance was able to transcend its intended role as a national political symbol, to represent the idea of hope, unification, and a dream for a better tomorrow.

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Dave Dulberg is, was, and always will be a diehard Cardinals fan. He wears so much Cardinal’s paraphernalia he’s often asked if he gets paid for advertising. Dulberg is an undergraduate at the University of Southern California and is currently an intern at ESPN Radio affiliate KTAR 620 in Arizona.

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