Iran Win Over U.S. Worth $7,000 a Man

First came the big win. Now come the big bucks.

Because they beat the United States in one of the most politically charged World Cup games ever, each player on the Iranian team will get a $7,000 bonus.

The payment, from the government in Tehran, is on top of a $1,500 reward for losing, 1-0, to heavily favored Yugoslavia in Iran’s first World Cup match in 20 years, team spokesman Khosrow Valizadeh said Tuesday.

Bonuses are not rare at the Cup, and the combined $8,500 pales next to the $100,000 and a Mercedes Benz that each Saudi player received from their oil-rich government four years ago when they qualified for the World Cup.

But it’s a small fortune in Iran, where a good monthly salary is about $200 and most of the players have day jobs.

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Another coach was fired Tuesday, the third dismissal before the opening round is finished.

Henry Kasperczak was axed as coach of Tunisia a day after the team was eliminated from further rounds.

The Tunisian soccer federation said Kasperczak would be replaced by assistant coach Ali Selmi.

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Thousands took to the streets in joyful celebrations after Chile qualified for the second round for the first time in 36 years.

During the match, however, four men took advantage of a state of national idleness to rob a downtown bank. According to police, the men were wearing the national squad’s red jerseys as they walked into the bank, threatened a teller with a handgun and quickly made off with $4,400.

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Yugoslavia isn’t thinking about merely a victory against the United States. It’s thinking rout.

The Yugoslavs want to score enough goals to edge favored Germany for first place in Group F. Apparently, they are conceding a victory for Germany against Iran.

“I think we can score more goals against the United States than Germany can against Iran,” midfielder Slavisa Jokanovic said today. “A simple victory may not be enough for first place.”

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Daniel Nivel, a French policeman whose head was bashed in by German fans, remained in a coma, and doctors said his condition was “still very worrying.”

A second suspect, meanwhile, was identified in the attack. Judicial officials said the man was among 15 Germans already detained for suspected involvement in the melee, and among six who were going to be deported.

French President Jacques Chirac called the violence swirling around World Cup stadiums “unacceptable.” Prime Minister Lionel Jospin denounced the “cowardice” of “these showoffs.”