The Classified Soccer Plan to End the Iran Hostage Crisis

At the height of the Iran hostage crisis, the US government devised a daring rescue plan that relied on soccer. This week, on the 45th anniversary of the release of the hostages, we examine this long-forgotten plan. Plus, we remember a classic team from Maryland, look into a real estate clash in Oakland, and more.

This week’s stories:

• 🦀 Old Bay Soccer

• 🔧 New Tool To Find Any Jersey

• 🪖 The Classified Soccer Plan to End the Iran Hostage Crisis

• 🏟️ Port of Oakland Face-Off

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

OUR HISTORY
Old Bay Soccer

This one reminds me of home.

The Maryland Bays of the APSL were one of the best professional teams in the country during the late 1980s and early 1990s, at a time when the outdoor game had nearly vanished from our shores.

Unfortunately, on a day like today in 1992, the team folded, but their impact is still seen today.

Bays forward and APSL Most Valuable Player Philip Gyau coached a few of my friends in the area while we were growing up, and coincidentally, Gyau’s wife, Amina, was my health teacher in middle school.

If you played in Maryland, chances are you knew about the Gyau family, and I’ve always found it pretty cool how so many icons of day’s past are usually still making an impact in their soccer communities today.

Here’s the story of this overlooked team.

TECH
New Tool to Find Any Jersey

We've all been there: the late-night hunt, scrolling through dozens of websites looking for that one jersey, to no avail.

But now, there’s finally a solution.

This community-powered search tool brings the offerings of the world's most trusted vintage soccer retailers together in one place and helps you easily find anything you’re looking for. And I mean anything.

I’ve tried it for the past few weeks, thanks to a tip from a reader, and it’s truly a miracle. I was even able to find a jersey of the team I support in Peru, from the year I was born, in my current size.

Try it right here!

COVER STORY
The Classified Soccer Plan to End the Iran Hostage Crisis

On January 20, 1981, the 52 American captives held at the US embassy in Tehran, Iran, were released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis.

But did you know, just a few months prior, the US military had developed an audacious plan to liberate the hostages through a soccer stadium?

With increasing pressure to solve the crisis, it was time to get creative, and that’s how Operation Credible Sport came to be.

The plan involved landing a modified C-130 Hercules cargo plane at Amjadieh Stadium (an iconic soccer venue) across the street from the US Embassy and airlifting out Delta Force soldiers and the rescued hostages.

The operation would call for the cargo plane to essentially land and take off from the soccer field almost straight vertical, an extremely difficult task considering the stadium had 33 ft walls and seating stands around it, and offered less than 500 ft of area for pulling this whole thing off.

In the end, the operation was terminated in November 1980, when the Iranian parliament accepted an Algerian plan for the release of the hostages.

Still, despite the operation not being put into practice, it’s amusing to think our government probably watched footage of the 1968 AFC Asian Cup, Iran Pro League games, and other countless soccer competitions played at that stadium to see how they could pull off this brave rescue plan.

Interestingly, it also underscores how deeply soccer is woven into daily life elsewhere that US government leaders have to account for it and, at times, incorporate it into their plans. It’s something I suppose we’ve seen in previous stories explored here (i.e., Kissinger the soccer fan, Nixon in Ecuador, etc).

REAL ESTATE
Port of Oakland Face-Off

The dream of having an Oakland Roots stadium by the water is so close to becoming a reality.

But, there is just one final hurdle to clear:

Beat one other finalist in the bid for the location. Things could get interesting.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Let us know your count and your favorite jersey you own! We’ll highlight your best answers next week.

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Money Moves: She never misses! Check out Alex Morgan’s latest business venture.

Shark Tank: And speaking of business, you won’t believe who will be on Shark Tank this Wednesday.

Libertadores: Could Inter Miami and Messi play in the mythical Copa Libertadores? Maybe…

No Fly Zone: Seems like FIFA and local governments are tightening up security ahead of the World Cup.

Unexpected: But awesome. The Seattle Sounders and Reign FC will play a few games this season at an unusual venue. It’s an awesome partnership.

BUSINESS
Big Investments Coming to SKC

There’s been an important shake-up in ownership over at Sporting Kansas City, and there are two major takeaways:

There is zero chance the team is moving cities, and there is going to be a “significant increase” in team spending next season.

(Never forget SKC held Ronaldo’s “discovery rights” and almost signed him, so we’ll see if they try to go after some superstars.)

Here are all the details on this change.

TV
Mark Your Calendars

It was so much fun watching all the schedule release videos from across the NWSL last week!

Here is the league-wide schedule.

My personal suggestion is to try to catch the Denver Summit and Boston Legacy whenever they roll into your city. There’s nothing quite like being able to say you saw a team during their first-ever season!

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: Where is the best place to watch the World Cup? Here are some of your answers:

• “Local pub/restaurant. I’m guessing many fans will most likely be priced out of the tournament, so pubs and restaurants are probably where you’ll find a lot of great fans gathering.” - Jose

• “Local pub/restaurant. The ‘work from home’ during the summer is gonna hit different.” - BT

In the poll, “Local pub/restaurant” won pretty handily with 76% of the vote.

UP NEXT
Photo Contest Finalists

We’ll be announcing the finalists of our North American Soccer Photo Contest in the coming days!

Keep an eye out here.

And lastly, it seems like we may be embarking on a pretty sweet football adventure next week. We’ll keep y’all posted!

Enjoying This?

Make sure to forward this email to a friend and help us spread the soccer gospel far and wide! We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo