By RONALD BLUM (AP Sports Writer)
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Christian Pulisic scored whereas crashing headfirst into the goalkeeper within the thirty eighth minute and the United States superior to the knockout spherical of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran on Tuesday in a politically charged rematch of their well-known assembly a quarter-century in the past.
Pulisic sprawled on the sphere and was mendacity within the objective for about three minutes as he acquired therapy from the U.S. employees. He reentered the sport however was changed firstly of the second half.
Back within the World Cup after lacking the 2018 match, the U.S. opened with attracts in opposition to Wales and England and wanted a victory to maneuver on to the spherical of 16.
The Americans completed second in Group B with 5 factors, two behind England, and can play the Netherlands on Saturday with the possibility to achieve the quarterfinals for the primary time since 2002.
“I always say it’s us against the world,” ahead Tim Weah mentioned. “No one believed the U.S. could play good football.”
Iran completed third with three factors. The workforce has did not advance in all six of its World Cup appearances.
There was heightened stress surrounding the match due to the strained relations between the United States and Iran’s Islamic authorities. Iran had famously upset the U.S. 2-1 within the 1998 match in France, eliminating the Americans.
Pregame protocols had been regular, not like the 1998 sport, when Iranians offered the Americans with white flowers and the groups posed for a joint photograph.
Raucous Iranian followers with horns and drums within the crowd of 42,127 stuffed the decrease bowl behind one objective at Al Thumama Stadium and had been far louder than the red-white-and-blue U.S. supporters on the different finish and behind the American bench.
The U.S. outshot Iran 9-0 within the first half however didn’t break by way of till Pulisic got here up with the large second {that a} rising and more and more demanding fan base again residence had been pining for.
Weston McKennie lofted a go from simply previous the middle circle to Sergiño Dest on the fringe of the 6-yard field. Dest headed the ball in entrance of the online on a bounce as Pulisic charged up the middle of the sphere previous Ramin Rezaeian and Majid Hosseiniand.
Turning his physique to let the ball hit his proper foot, Pulisic knocked the ball for his twenty second worldwide objective and first in World Cup play. His momemtum carried him into goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, and Pulisic wanted to be helped to his toes earlier than going again in.
“Obviously we’re very thankful that he threw his body there,” McKennie mentioned. “At the end it was a heart-drop sinking moment, but we got it done and we’re excited to still be here.”
Weah, who scored the Americans’ objective within the opening 1-1 draw with Wales, practically doubled the lead within the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time however was dominated offside.
Brenden Aaronson changed Pulisic firstly of the second half.
With England forward of Wales, Iran knew if wanted solely a draw to advance and eventually acquired its first shot at goalkeeper Matt Turner when Saman Ghoddos put a header over the crossbar within the 52nd minute. Saeid Ezatolahi put an open shot excessive and huge within the seventieth and Morteza Pouraliganji’s diving header within the third minute of 9 minutes of stoppage time went simply huge and Walker Zimmerman cleared a free ball in entrance of the open internet within the ninth minute after Cameron Carter-Vickers acquired a slight hand on Mehdi Taremi.
“I hope that our fans and our people in Iran forgive us. I am just sorry,” Taremi mentioned.
LINEUPS
Cameron Carter-Vickers, a son of former NBA participant Howard Carter, made his World Cup debut rather than Zimmerman and gave the U.S. a wholly Europe-based lineup for the primary time ever in World Cup play.
YOUNG AT HEART
The U.S. lineup averaged 24 years, 321 days, the youngest of any workforce on the match to date and the youngest within the World Cup for the Americans since 1990. Yunus Musah turned 20, the primary American to seem in a World Cup match on his birthday.
LOOKING AHEAD
The U.S. is 1-4 in opposition to the Netherlands, all friendlies, overcoming a two-goal deficit to win 4-3 at Amsterdam in 2015.
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AP World Cup protection: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Source: www.bostonherald.com”