DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. men’s national team secured a vital 1-0 win over to Iran to finish second in Group B and advance to the knockout rounds. Christian Pulisic scored the game’s only goal in the 38th minute, finishing from close range.
Pulisic suffered what looked to be a lower abdominal injury on the play, and had to be substituted at halftime, and the U.S. rarely looked as fluid in attack again.
The U.S. was made to suffer in the game’s latter stages, but ultimately it did enough to secure a win that sees the Americans reach the knockout stages for the fourth time in the last five World Cups in which it has qualified.
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Rapid reaction
1. Pulisic the hero, but pays a price as Americans advance to knockouts
Pulisic hasn’t always looked comfortable being the face of this U.S. team, and despite setting up Tim Weah’s goal in the opener against Wales, his play had blown hot-and-cold in this World Cup. His execution during transition opportunities hasn’t been good enough, and his set pieces oftentimes failed to clear the first man.
Tuesday’s match looked to be more of the same in the early going, as the U.S. struggled to break down Iran’s defensive wall. But no one could question Pulisic’s commitment or bravery in putting the U.S. on top in the 38th minute. Weston McKennie pinged a ball to Sergiño Dest on the right wing, and Dest threaded the ball across goal to the on-rushing Pulisic to convert from close range.
Pulisic paid a price for the tally, colliding with Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand, and suffering a injury that left him wincing in pain. The gamely carried on for the rest of the half, but eventually had to be substituted, with Brenden Aaronson coming on.
The U.S. will be praying Pulisic recovers, as the Americans lost something with him no longer on the field — though part of that was due to Iran taking a more aggressive posture in attack.
The substitutions made by U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter seemed designed to see the match out, rather than control the tempo. The insertion of Walker Zimmerman, who was surprisingly moved to the bench after starting the USA’s first two games, saw the Americans go with five in the back.
The U.S. certainly didn’t close out the game in textbook fashion, as there were plenty of anxious moments at the end. Zimmerman’s late clearance in stoppage time defused a scary situation when a ball got behind goalkeeper Matt Turner. But the U.S. got the job done.
The match was seen as something of a referendum for this U.S. squad — and Berhalter. A group stage exit would have been seen as a failure given the talent in this U.S. side, and questions still remain about the effectiveness of the U.S. attack, which scored just two goals during the group stage.
But thanks to continued stellar play by the U.S. defense, this is a moment to celebrate, and the Americans can now approach the knockout rounds with an attitude that it has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
2. The USA defense, and especially Dest, excels
Berhalter made a pair of changes with his starting XI, putting center back Cameron Carter-Vickers alongside Tim Ream, while up top, Josh Sargent was preferred at center forward in place of Haji Wright.
The insertion of Carter-Vickers was a gamble given that not only was it his first game in the tournament, but it was also the first time he and Ream had ever played together. Yet the duo looked like they had been playing together for years, with one providing cover for the other on the rare occasion that one of their teammates got beaten.
Ream was once again exceptional while Carter-Vickers was steady. When the U.S. looks back on this group stage campaign, it will remember how the defense was breached only once time with goals conceded from the run of play.
But perhaps the most effective defender on the night was Dest for what he did on the attacking end.
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After a tepid opening by the U.S. when it seemed to have few ideas on how to break through the Iran defense, it was Dest’s ability to get forward that gave the U.S. a spark with his hard, low cross in the 17th minute causing some chaos in the Iran box, and a mazy run in the 30th minute was blocked, but seemed to give the U.S. more confidence in attack.
All told, it was a difference-making performance from Dest.
3. Iran can’t repeat heroics of 1998
Matchups between the USA and Iran are always politically charged. One of those was in the 1998 World Cup, when Iran recorded a famous victory against the U.S. that eliminated the Americans from that tournament.
The political angle was ratcheted up ahead of this match after social media posts by the U.S. Soccer Federation displayed the Iran flag with the emblem of the Islamic Republic removed. While the posts were intended to support protesters in Iran pushing for more equal treatment of women following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a furor erupted. The offending posts were eventually removed and replaced with the actual flag displayed, but the pre-game temperature had already reached the boiling point.
The Iranian players were facing massive pressure as well given their show of support for the protesters earlier in the tournament by not singing the national anthem. The announced crowd of 42,127 was firmly behind Team Melli as well, ratcheting up the expectations.
Yet Iran’s manager, Carlos Queiroz, will be questioned about the way his team started the match, delivering an oddly passive display in the first half.
Needing only a draw to advance, Team Melli’s plan of sitting back and striking on the counter made sense, but it seemed to rob Iran of the aggression it showed in the 2-0 win over Wales. Sardar Azmoun was often stranded up top, and Iran’s transition game struggled to string together the kind of passes that would threaten the U.S. defense.
It wasn’t until the 52nd minute that Iran so much as registered a shot, with substitute Saman Ghoddos’ close-range header going over the bar. Ghoddos threatened again in the 65th minute, but his curling effort just missed the target.
Desperate to find an equalizer that would send them through, Iran pushed forward more, and came close on a stoppage time header from Morteza Pouraliganji went just wide. That was followed by Zimmerman’s vital clearance. Ultimately Team Melli couldn’t find a way past the U.S. and now find themselves eliminated from the tournament. Whether the players will face repercussion at home will be a story worth following.
Player ratings
USA: Turner 6, Robinson 5, Ream 7, Carter-Vickers 6, Dest 7, Musah 6, Adams 6, McKennie 7, Pulisic 6, Sargent 6, Weah 5.
Subs: Aaronson 5, Acosta 5, Wright 3, Zimmerman 6, Moore 5
Iran: Beiranvand 6; Rezaeian 4, Pouraliganji 6, M Hosseini 6, Mohammadi 4; Gholizadeh 6, Noorollahi 5, Ezatolahi 5, Hajsafi 6; Azmoun 4, Taremi 5.
Subs: Karimi 5, Ghoddos 6, Torabi 5, Jalali 5, Ansarifard 5
Best and worst performers
BEST: Sergino Dest, USA
It was Dest’s attacking play on the right flank that provided the best attacking moments for the U.S., and his assist set up Pulisic for the vital goal.
WORST: Sardar Azmoun, Iran
Azmoun, so dynamic in the win over Wales, was way off his game. He provided nothing in the way of an attacking threat and was subbed at halftime.
Highlights and notable moments
All the danger throughout the first half was in Iran‘s end as the Americans went toward goal repeatedly. (The half ended with Iran generating 0.00 xG, or expected goals, an advanced stat measuring the likelihood of a team scoring.)
The breakthrough finally came in the 38th minute as winger Christian Pulisic ran onto a cross from right-back Sergino Dest.
NOTHING WAS STOPPING PULISIC FROM SCORING 😤
Take another look at his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal for the @USMNT 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/s6tKehRLg2
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
The celebrations quickly turned to concern, however, as Pulisic stayed down on the play, wincing in pain and clutching his lower abdomen area.
After medical evaluation on the sideline while the game continued, Pulisic did return to the field, but he was eventually subbed off at halftime for Brenden Aaronson.
Pulisic is helped off the sideline after scoring for the USMNT pic.twitter.com/6C2z6sKNAZ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
After the match: What the players and managers said
U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter: “In the first half, we showed what we could do soccer-wise with a really a good first half. The second half, we showed what we could do determination-wise. The guys grinded and have every single ounce of energy, and we’re undefeated going into the next round.”
Berhalter on Pulisic: “No update on his status, but I’ve been saying all along, it’s a wonderful thing when one of your best players is one of your hardest working, and he’s certainly that. I can’t say enough positive things about Christian.”
Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)
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Since making his debut for the U.S. vs. Guatemala on March 29, 2016, Christian Pulisic has contributed to 33 goals (22 goals and 11 assists) — the most of any other player in that span.
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The USA completed 11 passes in its sequence that led to Pulisic’s goal, the team’s longest sequence of passes leading to a goal in a World Cup game played since ESPN’s dataset starts in 1966.
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The USA’s starting line-up had an average age of 24 years and 321 days, which is the youngest starting line-up to take the field yet at the 2022 World Cup. It’s the fourth-youngest starting lineup for the USMNT at a World Cup.
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This game was defender Cameron Carter-Vickers’ 12th cap, and the first time Carter-Vickers and Tim Ream have ever started a match together or played on a match at the same time with each other.
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The USA starting line-up featured no players from MLS for only the second time since the league was formed in 1996. (The other time was the lineup to face Jamaica at the 2011 Gold Cup.)
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In the first half, the USA gave up zero shots in any half for the first time in their World Cup history since 1966.
Up next
USA: With their win over Iran, the U.S. finishes second in Group B behind England and advances to the round of 16, where they will face the Netherlands on Dec. 3.
Iran: With their loss, Iran is out of the World Cup.