Pulisic goal advances US in World Cup with 1-0 win over Iran

By AP and published by US News & World Report

Doha, Qatar – Christian Pulisic gave his body for his country, scoring the goal that advanced the United States in the World Cup while crashing into the goalkeeper.

Pulisic’s 38th-minute goal lifted the US over Iran 1-0 on Tuesday in a politically charged rematch of their famous meeting a quarter-century ago. The American star was replaced at the start of the second half and taken to a hospital for an abdominal scan, the US Soccer Federation said.

Pulisic scored and was sprawled on the field and lying in the goal for about three minutes as he received treatment from the US staff. He tried to continue playing but was substituted and later taken to the hospital.

Back in the World Cup after missing the 2018 tournament, the US opened with draws against Wales and England and needed a victory to reach the round of 16.

The Americans finished second in Group B with five points, two behind England, and will play the Netherlands on Saturday with the chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.

“I always say it’s us against the world,” forward Tim Weah said. “No one believed the US could play good football.”

Iran finished third with three points. The team has failed to advance in all six of its World Cup appearances.

“The dream is over with this result,” Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said. “The US started the game much better than us, more quick with better control of the game.”

There was heightened tension surrounding the match because of the strained relations between the United States and Iran’s Islamic government. Iran had famously upset the US 2-1 in the 1998 tournament in France, eliminating the Americans.

Pregame protocols were normal, unlike the 1998 game, when Iranians presented the Americans with white flowers and the teams posed for a joint photo.

Raucous Iranian fans with horns and drums in the crowd of 42,127 filled the lower bowl behind one goal at Al Thumama Stadium and were far louder than the red-white-and-blue US supporters at the other end and behind the American bench.

The US outshot Iran 9-0 in the first half but didn’t break through until Pulisic came up with the big moment that a growing and increasingly demanding fan base back home had been pining for.

Weston McKennie lofted a pass from just past the centre circle to Sergiño Dest at the edge of the 6-yard box. Dest headed the ball in front of the net on a bounce as Pulisic charged up the centre of the field past Ramin Rezaeian and Majid Hosseiniand.

Turning his body to let the ball hit his right foot, Pulisic knocked the ball for his 22nd international goal and first in World Cup play. His momentum carried him into goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, and Pulisic needed to be helped to his feet before going back in.

“Obviously we’re very thankful that he threw his body there,” McKennie said. “At the end it was a heart-dropping moment, but we got it done and we’re excited to still be here.”

Weah, who scored the Americans’ goal in the opening 1-1 draw with Wales, nearly doubled the lead in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time but was ruled offside.

Brenden Aaronson replaced Pulisic at the start of the second half.

With England ahead of Wales, Iran knew it needed only a draw to advance and finally got its first shot at goalkeeper Matt Turner when Saman Ghoddos put a header over the crossbar in the 52nd minute. Saeid Ezatolahi put an open shot high and wide in the 70th and Morteza Pouraliganji’s diving header in the third minute of nine minutes of stoppage time went just wide and Walker Zimmerman cleared a loose ball in front of the open net in the ninth minute after Cameron Carter-Vickers got a slight hand on Mehdi Taremi.

“I hope that our fans and our people in Iran forgive us. I am just sorry,” Taremi said.

Lineups

Cameron Carter-Vickers, a son of former NBA player Howard Carter, made his World Cup debut in place of Zimmerman and gave the US an entirely Europe-based lineup for the first time ever in World Cup play.

Young at heart

The US lineup averaged 24 years, 321 days, the youngest of any team at the tournament thus far and the youngest in the World Cup for the Americans since 1990. Yunus Musah turned 20, the first American to appear in a World Cup match on his birthday.

Looking ahead

The US is 1-4 against the Netherlands, all friendlies, overcoming a two-goal deficit to win 4-3 at Amsterdam in 2015.

England advances after beating Wales 3-0 at World Cup

Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden got their chance and made their point.

Rashford scored twice and Foden added the other as England changed up its attack and beat Wales 3-0 on Tuesday at the World Cup to advance to the round of 16 at the top of Group B.

“Moments like this, this is what I play football for. The biggest moments, the best moments,” said Rashford, who came off the bench in the first two matches in Qatar. “I’m happy we are going through to the next round of the tournament because I have massive ambitions for this team and I think we can play even better than we did today.”

England will next face Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday.

Both Rashford and Foden had come on as substitutes in the opening win over Iran, and Rashford did so again in the match against the United States, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

On Tuesday, England coach Gareth Southgate opted to drop Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling to the bench and give Rashford and Foden a chance from the start.

“We were a little bit disappointed after the USA result,” said Rashford, who also scored in the 6-2 win over Iran. “I thought we could’ve played a lot better and it was important to have a good performance in the next game.”

England had the game wrapped up just after halftime with Rashford scoring from a free kick in the 50th minute and Foden adding another in the 51st. Rashford got his second after a weaving run in the box in the 68th.

Wales captain Gareth Bale was forced off at halftime with an injury.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Christian Pulisic scored in the 37th minute against Iran on Tuesday. Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images and published by Deadline

Insert: England’s Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the World Cup group B soccer match between England and Wales, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan , Qatar, Tuesday, on Nov. 29, 2022. Photo: AP Photo/Frank Augstein and published by US News & World Report

Front Page: United States’ Yunus Musah, right, Aaron Long, centre, and United States’ goalkeeper Sean Johnson celebrate after defeating Iran in the World Cup group B soccer match between Iran and the United States at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, on Nov. 29, 2022. Photo: AP Photo/Ashley Landis and published by US News & World Report

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