Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States takes a cornerkick during a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between England and USMNT at Al Bayt Stadium on November 25, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.
The GIST: A record-setting 15.3 million viewers rose from their turkey comas to watch the red, white and blue hold England to a 0–0 draw on Friday. Now sitting third place in Group B, the USMNT must beat Iran tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET in order to advance to the knockouts. Already nervous.
The matchup: The U.S. has never beaten Iran at the World Cup, but Iran has never made it to the knockout round, so history will be made either way.
- And while the stakes couldn’t be higher on the pitch, there’s some added tension off it. In a show of support for Iranian women and with protests ongoing in their opponent’s country, U.S. Soccer briefly displayed the Iran flag without the Islamic Republic emblem online, reportedly infuriating the Iranian government.
- The posts were created without any of the players’ knowledge, but defenseman Walker Zimmerman said his teammates are “supporters of women’s rights. Always have been.” Same.
Keys to success: Despite relinquishing possession most of the game, Iran beat Wales (a team the USMNT played to a 1–1 draw) with a pair of super late stoppage-time goals. That possession imbalance gives the formidable U.S. midfield the chance to control the tempo from the get-go.
- And maybe that will help the offense find the back of the net. Reminder: the U.S. has only scored once in two games in Qatar. Superstar forward Christian Pulisic could be the answer — he’s still searching for his first World Cup goal after hitting the crossbar against England. It’s a game of inches.