After Senegal and the Netherlands qualified earlier in the day, it was Group B’s turn to deliver their verdict. Thus, if the English were rather well on their way to validating their ticket for the round of 16 of the World Cup, the match between Iran and the United States would decide who could go further in the competition. A victory or a draw for the Iranians sent Taremi and his teammates to the round of 16, a victory for the USA, on the other hand, allowed Pulisic and his team to continue the adventure. From the first moments of the game, we really felt this dynamic since it was the Americans who attacked the game with their feet firmly on the ground.
But McKennie and his teammates all too often missed each other in the final act. On the Iranian side, we tried somehow to counter, but Taremi and Azmoun were far too alone to worry Matt Turner. Finally, as we felt the American pressure mounting, Greg Berhalter’s players were going to find the fault. On a long opening, Weston McKennie found Sergiño Dest at the far post. The AC Milan player put away towards the far post where Christian Pulisic sacrificed his body to propel the leather into the back of the net (0-1, 38th). An opening of the deserved score. And the score could have been saltier if Sargent and Weah did not play it too altruistic (45th), or if the Lille resident was not offside with a tip of his knees at the very end of the first period (45th +7 ).
A tense end to the match
Upon returning from the locker room, Saman Ghoddos entered the game and the debates were much more balanced. The former Amiens was not very far from allowing his people to pick up the score, but his head was flying in the air (52nd). The pace had dropped from the first half and the impression was that the USA players were waiting patiently, that one small goal allowed them to join the English in the next round. But the danger was becoming more and more pressing and, following a very nice combination on the right side, Saman Ghoddos sent a recovery from the penalty spot which was close to the right upright of the American goalkeeper.
But the more time progressed, the lower the American players moved on the ground, Zimmerman, a central defender, even returned in place of Timothy Weah to consolidate this rearguard, however little taken by default until then. Contacts were increasingly rough and American penetrations into the Iranian side increasingly rare. However, the Iranians struggled to speed up the game to be really dangerous. Despite nine minutes of additional time and two last scares, a header from Morteza Pouraliganji (90th +3) and a slight foul on Taremi (90th +9), the USA won a goal to nil and joined the Netherlands in eighth World Cup final.
