The USA are in the World Cup Round of 16. That’s 1-0 against Iran in the light of great political explosiveness is not a victory like any other. Match winner Pulisic experienced a memorable day.
The exhausted US kickers cheered with their fans with relief on reaching the round of 16, Iran’s internationals were inconsolable after losing in the preliminary round and left the big football stage with tears in their eyes.
With a painful goal, Christian Pulisic led the United States into the knockout stage of the World Cup in the explosive group final. The former Borussia Dortmund professional scored the acclaimed winning goal on Tuesday (38th minute) to make it 1-0 (1-0) in a politically charged duel that attracted a great deal of attention from the global public.
Even US President Joe Biden was happy with the team of national coach Gregg Berhalter. “They did it! God, love them,” Biden said Tuesday on the sidelines of a speech on his economic policy in Michigan. He had previously shouted with his fist clenched: “US one, Iran zero. The game is over!”
The USA, runners-up in their group, meet the Netherlands in the round of 16 on Saturday, who won their group after beating tournament hosts Qatar 2-0. “It’s a dream come true for us. We’re a family and we want to win,” said forward Timothy Weah.
In the heated stoppage time, however, the Americans had to tremble and survive some tricky situations. “The end of the game was amazing. We were tired and lost a lot of balls. But I’m proud of the team,” said Berhalter. “We’re satisfied with our performance and don’t have to be afraid of any opponent.”
After the final whistle, the Iranians had a lot to discuss with the referee team, as they felt they had been robbed of a penalty shortly before the end. “We were missing a goal. The dream is over,” said coach Carlos Queiroz.
24 years after Iran’s 2-1 victory at the 1998 World Cup, the Americans celebrated a prestigious victory after a dramatic finale. After missing out on the World Cup in Russia four years ago, the USA are back in the knockout stages, as they were at Brazil 2014.
But then the goal scorer Pulisic threatens to fail. The 24-year-old threw himself into the ball after a beautiful combination via Weston McKennie and Sergino Dest in the scene of the day, crashing into Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand. He limped onto the pitch at Al-Tuhmama Stadium five minutes later in front of a crowd of 42,127 but was unable to continue after the break with a stomach injury. An examination at the hospital should provide information about the severity of the injury.
The Chelsea pro’s energetic shot on goal was emblematic of the passion with which the two rivals tackled a fast-paced knockout game. There had already been a lot of trouble in the days before the important group duel, which was very intense from the start. On the one hand, the incomplete depiction of the Iranian flag by the US association or ambiguous statements by the former US national coach Jürgen Klinsmann caused resentment. On the other hand, Berhalter and captain Tyler Adams had to put up with provocative questions at the pre-game press conference.
On the pitch, despite the game’s overwhelming importance, the focus was on the sport due to the serious political differences between the US and Iran – as desired by Berhalter and his Iranian counterpart Queiroz. Despite the frenetic cheering by shouts, drums and horns from the vast majority of Iranian fans, his selection for the two-time tournament goalscorer Mehdi Taremi had a hard time against the more structured and calm Americans – but turned up the heat after the break.
In the midst of the worst protests in Iran for decades, however, the great importance of the game was always present; it started with the anthem. After the national team hadn’t sung along before the 6-2 win against England at the start of the World Cup, they joined in as they did in the game against Wales – but all in all quite dispassionately. Iranian activists had interpreted the silence before the England game as a gesture of support for the nationwide protests in the country. As a result, threats of government sanctions were reported.
The team around midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, who ran onto the field with his arms outstretched and then put his hands in front of his face, braced themselves against the World Cup with a lot of dedication. Not much was missing, and Saman Ghoddos, who came on for the ineffective Leverkusen Sardar Azmoun, would have headed in to equalize (52′). Ezatolahi also sniffed the 1-1 with his shot (70th). “The World Cup is over, but life goes on,” said Ezatolahi. “I just hope that the Iranians will forgive us.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
