Sean O'Connor

We should be talking about the game.

We should be talking about the football and how well Iran played, given the pretty disgusting treatment they've received so far here in terms of having to move their training camp.

11 staff members of their team were denied visas, including Iranian journalists, I should say.

How is any team meant to prepare for a World Cup properly without 11 of their staff members?

It's just remarkable.

So it's just a pity...

We should be talking about the football, but so much of the story around that game was on events away from the pitch.

I did a lap of the stadium just to get a mood of the protest.

They were quite considerable.

There was no major trouble, I had to say, from what I saw.

Well, I say I tried to do a lap of the stadium.

How...

I think from what I saw, there was kind of three elements.

There were pro-regime Iranian supporters, anti-regime Iranian supporters, and the anti-regime ones were mostly the ones with the sun and lion flag.

People may have seen them being banned by FIFA and actually survived a last-minute lawsuit here.

Well, I'm in Dallas now, but back in LA.

just hours before kickoff.

Oh, loads.

Absolutely loads.

From what I saw, there was no issue.