US hold on aS Iran go home

The only goal in the game came from America’s Christian Pulisic, robbing Iran of its round of 16 berth

CHRISTIAN Pulisic supplied the decisive strike of an absorbing contest for USA to break Iran hearts and set up an intriguing FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 last-16 encounter with the Netherlands on Saturday.

Pulisic’s 38th minute goal proved enough for the Americans to advance at the expense of their geopolitical rivals in an eagerly awaited rematch of their 1998 World Cup group stage meeting, which Iran had won 2-1.

With the win, the unbeaten US (10-2) finished second to England in its group and will meet Group A champion the Netherlands in the Round of 16 on Saturday. Iran, meanwhile, go home short of the knockout stages for the sixth time in as many visits to the World Cup.

But the Iranians didn’t make it easy on the Americans battling to the final minute of stoppage time that left the U.S. win in jeopardy until the final whistle. The U.S. weathered two prime scoring opportunities by the Iranians in a chaotic finish to punch their ticket to the next round.

The only goal the U.S. needed came in the 38th minute when Pulisic got a half-step on Iranian defenders Majid Hosseini and Ramin Rezaeian, allowing him to redirect a headed cross from Sergiño Dest into the net from inside the six-yard box.

The US started at express pace, swarming all over Carlos Queiroz’s team and working Alireza Beyranvand with a header from Pulisic and Sergino Dest’s fizzing low cross. Beyramvand should have been further extended after 28 minutes but Tim Weah wasn’t aware he lacked company in the penalty box and lobbed a tame headed attempt into the goalkeeper’s gloves.

Iran didn’t muster a corner, let alone a shot, in the opening 45 minutes. And the US capitalised on their dominance seven minutes before the break. Weston McKennie spread a ball to Dest, speeding behind the Iranian defence, and the outstanding right-back’s first-time header across goal was met by the onrushing Pulisic to turn home from six yards. The forward was hurt colliding with Beyramvand, as he scored, and Pulisic ultimately succumbed to his injury at half-time.

Coach Gregg Berhalter’s team were ruing the offside flag that spoiled a big moment for Weah, who applied a lovely finish when clean through, by that stage. And Iran, knowing a point was enough to advance, returned from the break a different beast. Saman Ghoddos, sent on for the second 45 minutes, headed over from a good position, then whistled a strike past the upright, albeit IR Iran were penalised for a foul as the ball travelled to Ghoddos. That wouldn’t have counted. But a diving header from Morteza Pouraliganji in the third minute of stoppage time would have, had the ball flown inside goalkeeper Matt Turner’s post and not half-a-yard wide. That’s how close this match was, this group in fact. Three games and nine days It lasted – and the USA, just, snared second spot behind England.

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said, “The first half was US, the second Iran. We should have scored but now the dream is over.”