Iran opened its World Cup with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand on Monday in Inglewood, California, then was told hours later to leave the United States and return to its training base in Tijuana. For Amir Ghalenoei, the point was quickly overtaken by the travel order that cut into the recovery time his players expected after their first game of the tournament.

Mohammad Mohebbi forced the equalizer in the 64th minute, and Ramin Rezaeian had already scored Iran’s first goal and set up the second. The match drew a large crowd at SoFi Stadium, near Los Angeles, where several hundred Iranian Americans protested the government outside while many others turned their backs during the national anthem before later backing the players once the match began.

Ghalenoei said the team had expected to spend the night in California as part of its normal recovery routine, but instead was told to board a plane immediately for Tijuana. He said the squad was given no time to recover and that the sudden trip created problems for players already coming off a demanding opener.

The disruption fits a wider tournament that has been overshadowed by politics from the start. Iran chose to compete after FIFA rejected its request to move its three group-stage matches out of the United States, and the team had already shifted its training base during the tournament from Arizona to Tijuana. The move left the players operating out of a camp about 200 kilometers from where they played their opener, then sent them straight back after the final whistle.

What remains unresolved is who issued the order to leave so quickly and why the team was not allowed the recovery night it expected in California. For Iran, the first result in the tournament was respectable; the answer to the travel question is the part that still explains how much of this World Cup is being played off the field.