Since December, when FIFA officialdom had carried out the World Cup'98 draw in Marseille, one first round match leapt up above all others as the potential tie of the round: lran's mouthwatering tussle with America scheduled for Lyon on June 21.

The long record of political differences between the two nations' governments was what made the fixture enticing for the world's media, and once all the teams had arrived in France, the hype machine cranked into overdrive billing the match as the "mother of all football matches".

Caught in the middle of the hype were the players.

"People talk about this being a massive football match for both teams but for us it is no more important than the games against Yugoslavia or Germany," said a puzzled Mohammad Khakpour before the tournament began.

"We get asked 'You must really want to win this game' but what do people expect? Of course we want to win this game - we want three points and nothing more," Khakpour added, summing up the mood in the Iranian camp.

Together in harmony: Iranian and American fans mix freely before the game.

Iran's apparent indifference to the political significance of the game was mirrored by their American counterparts. "All the political stuff and history between the two countries has nothing really to do with us," said America's popular centreback Alexi Lalas. "It's about three points and it's about one team scoring more goals than the other that's it for us," he added.

Khodadad Azizi admitted politics might be a factor in the match but insisted the game would be played in the right spirit. "Iran has been disappointed by American politics in recent years. This is the most important match of my life but we'll still see a friendly spirit between the two teams on the pitch."

By and large Azizi's assessment was proved right in the utterly intoxicating drama that was eventually played out in the Stade Gerland.

Those who went to the game expecting or hoping to see an illtempered grudge match were disappointed. The political football match never materialised. What they got instead was a full-blooded, cleanly-contested scrap played in an exemplary spirit between two highly disciplined sets of players. A fact that had often been overlooked during the build-up to the game was that it was a match neither side could afford to lose. With each team losing their opening fixtures the previous week, defeat here would mean an early exit from the competition.

The tone of the match had been set before kick-off when the two sides inter-mingled for a joint team photograph, swapping flowers and mementos as they did so. in the United States, President Bill Clinton had given a televised address to the nation, speaking of the power of sport to bring peace and improve relations between nations. He would not have been disappointed in Lyon.

The electric atmosphere in Lyon's Stade Gerland had been simmering since early evening. By the time of the 9pm kick-off, it was at boiling point, with the overwhelming majority of the crowd roaring their support for Iran.

To their credit, both teams appeared unfazed by the almost hysterical atmosphere on the terraces. America started brightly, sweeping forward with wave after wave of attack, and for a while had looked the likeliest to score first.

That honour went to Iran, however, when Harnid Estili's header looped into the net over Keller. A tense second half saw Mehdi Mahdavikia extend tran's lead with a splendid goal before America staged a late charge which almost saw them snatch a draw. The final whistle sparked memorabie scenes; tran's players rushed to the bench for riotous celebrations as the Americans trudged off disconsolately.

In a final twist to a dramatic night, the massed ranks of Iranian supporters demanded the American players return to the pitch to accept their applause. One by one, coach Steve Sampson's men re-emerged on to the pitch, looking somewhat surprised at the warm reception given to them by the Iranian fans.

Victory was sweet for Talebi and his team. "It was amazing for us, and amazing for the Iranian nation," Talebi said. "tt was important that we win, not because we were playing America but because Iran has never won a game in the World Cup before. It is just a shame that one team had to lose," the coach added.

Mehd in heaven: Mehdi Mahdavikia secured the win with Iran's second killer goal.

"In the changing rooms we were all crying," said an emotional Mehdi Mahdavikia after the game. "All I can think about was what it must be like in Teheran with all the people in the streets. When I scored and I saw the ball going into the net I thought about my people," he added.

The most fitting epitaph on the match was to come from America's coach Steve Sampson, however. "This was a game played between two attack-minded teams who wanted to win. The score was 2-1 but it could easily have been 4-3 ... we hit the woodwork ... they created a lot of chances ... it was just an amazing game to be part of.

"If anybody who saw tonight's game goes away not being very excited about soccer, then maybe they should get into another sport. Because this was the game at its very best."