June 27 (Reuters) - Iran left a notein their locker room following a 1-1 draw with Egypt on Friday, thanking Seattle for its hospitality during the World Cup, and appeared to express disappointment over the result that left their place in the knockout stage in limbo.
Iran seemed to have booked an automatic spot for the round of 32 when Shoja Khalilzadeh netted the ball in stoppage time, sending supporters in the stands into a delirium.
They were left heartbroken moments later, as the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
"Perhaps a team can advance from a group, but only through fair(n)ess and honor can one stand tall before history," the handwritten message by the side and releasedby Iran's football federation read.
"Fairplay is not just a line in football's rules, it is the soul of the game."
"Thank you, Seattle for your hospitality and thank you to all Iranians... who gave their hearts, their voices and their whole being for Iran," it added.
The team left a similar note in Los Angeles following their draw with Belgium in their second game. With three pointsin Group G, Iran have to wait until the end of group-stage games on Saturday to see if they are one of the eight third-best-placed teams to advance.
Iran had to travel from Mexico to the U.S. for all their games due to the restrictions on their movement imposed by Washington, although some restrictions were eased ahead of the game. Tensions between the two countries continue to simmer following a months-long war.
After the game against Egypt, Iran's coach Amir Ghalenoei and captain Mehdi Taremi minced no words in their criticism of the restrictions, with both calling the conditions "unfair".
"I urge FIFA: don't let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups," Ghalenoei said.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge)
