It was tense, it was nervy, and it was gut-wrenching at times for U.S. fans, but the United States advanced to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup by defeating Iran 1-0 in a must-win match.
Needing simply a victory to advance, Christian Pulisic delivered the biggest moment of his USMNT career, scoring in the 38th minute and injuring himself in the process. The U.S. star put his body on the line to deliver the moment the U.S. needed to advance, taking a knee from Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to the gut in the process.
Pulisic was replaced at halftime, and the U.S. hung on for dear life the rest of the way, with Iran throwing numbers forward as time ticked off the clock.
Nine added minutes at the end of regulation time made things even more tense, but Iran failed to produce the goal they needed.
The victory affords the U.S. a chance to play in the Round of 16, where they will meet Group A winners Netherlands on Saturday. Advancing past the group stage was the minimum goal for the USA, and with this gutsy win, they’ve cleared that bar.
There are still plenty of questions to ask about the U.S. attack, which produced just two goals through the three group-stage matches, but defensively, they were sensational to concede just one goal, and none from open play.
The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights for USA vs. Iran at the 2022 World Cup. Follow below for complete results from the Group B match in Qatar.
MORE: Best bets for USA vs. Iran
USA vs Iran final score
1H | 2H | Final | |
USA | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Iran | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals:
USA — Christian Pulisic (38 mins)
Confirmed lineups:
USA (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Turner (GK) — 2. Dest (Moore, 82'), 20. Carter-Vickers, 13. Ream, 5. Robinson — 8. McKennie, 4. Adams, 6. Musah — 21. Weah (Zimmerman, 82'), 24. Sargent (Wright, 77'), 10. Pulisic (Aaronson, 46').
Iran (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Beiranvand (GK) — 23. Rezaeian, 19. Hosseini, 8. Pouraliganji, 5. Mohammadi (Karimi, 45') — 17. Gholizadeh, 21. Nourollahi (Torabi, 71'), 6. Ezatolahi, 3. Safi (Jalali, 71') — 20. Azmoun (Ghoddos, 46'), 9. Taremi.
MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)
FINAL Group B standings, scores
Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.England | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 |
2.USA | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
3.Iran | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | -3 |
4.Wales | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 |
FINAL SCORE:🏴 England 3(Rashford 50', 68';Foden 52')🏴 Wales 0
USA vs Iran as it happened, highlights from 2022 World Cup
FULLTIME: USA 1-0 Iran
It's absolute mayhem at the end, as Iran scream again for a penalty, but there's no call, and instead the referee blows the final whistle. The United States advance to the knockout stage! Meanwhile, Iran are eliminated.
Christian Pulisic provides a tournament-defining moment, scoring the winner but injuring himself in the process. The rest of the team hung on by the hairs on their chinny chin chin, and pulled out the 1-0 win. It's the biggest moment of Pulisic's career, as Gregg Berhalter engineers the minimum goal for this team at the World Cup, snapping a five-match winless streak in the process.
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022They won, and they're in 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
THE @USMNT IS HEADING TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGE pic.twitter.com/AEmmUPUprB
90+9 min:Haji Wright has the ball on the break, but instead of going straight for the corner he tries to shoot and it's weak, straight to Alireza Beiranvand.
90+8 min: Chance, Iran!WOW! It's a mess in the penalty area, and the ball squirts through Matt Turner's legs, but eventually it's cleared before it rolled slowly over the line. Iran is screaming for a penalty on Cameron Carter-Vickers, who seemed to drag down Mehdi Taremi with a hand on his shoulder, but the VAR check is over with no review.
90+6 min:Abolfazl Jalali gets a clear yellow card for dragging Yunus Musah back after the U.S. midfielder had won the ball and was looking to break. There's still at least three minutes of added time to go.
90+2 min: Chance, Iran!Iran has a very dangerous set-piece chance from the left flank after a foul. The ball is incisive, and Morteza Pouraliganji gets his head to it on the dive, but his effort goes JUST wide of the near post. That was an excellent chance, and he probably should have scored.
89th min:The U.S. milk a few free-kicks in midfield. NINE minutes of stoppage time coming. Hang on.
Nine minutes of stoppage ahead, in case you're scheduling a short-notice therapy session after #IRNUSA.
— Jeff Rueter (@jeffrueter) November 29, 2022
87th min:Wow, the U.S. comes very close to a big chance, as Brenden Aaronson does well to get free on the left down by the end line, but his lifted looper in front of net goes just over the head of Haji Wright, and Shaq Moore's follow-up is off the mark.
86th min:This is TENSE. Iran controlling the ball, U.S. clinging on for their lives. Iran isn't able to work a shot, but they have the ball in dangerous areas. The U.S. defenders are standing tall so far. Tyler Adams makes a great tackle at the top of the area.
82nd min:YIKES! The ball pops high into the air right on the goal mouth, and Matt Turner has it after what seems like forever. Iran players are calling for a handball, but replays show there's nothing there. A yellow card is shown to a player on Iran's bench.
Watch in the USA:
Iran gets a huge chance but Matt Turner handles it 🔒 pic.twitter.com/Kc1VvKFD4Z
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
80th min:The game has devolved into a very physical battle. Josh Sargent has tears in his eyes as he comes off the field, which is terrible to see. More subs are being readied for the USMNT, with Walker Zimmerman and Shaq Moore about to come on for Tim Weah and Sergino Dest. Gregg Berhalter is going to push for a 1-0 result. This is going to be a final 15 minutes that feels like an hour.
74th min:Josh Sargent is down after landing on the ball awkwardly, holding his ankle. He receives lengthy treatment and limps off the field. Looks like he'll have to be replaced, as Haji Wright will come on. Majid Hosseini gets a yellow for a clearly late tackle on Brenden Aaronson.
70th min:Iran's Saeid Ezatolahi takes aim from distance but fires wide. It's squeaky bum time for the U.S. as Iran begins to build pressure with time running out.
There's a pair of subs, as Mehdi Torabi and Abolfazl Jalali both come on to replace Haji Safi and Ahmad Nourollahi.
#USMNT pic.twitter.com/bP7er7QvsT
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) November 29, 2022
68th min:The United States has an opportunity on the set-piece, from a central area atop the box as Brenden Aaronson is fouled. They have their best free-kick taker in Kellyn Acosta on the field, but it's Yunus Musah who calls him off, and he fires it over. In fairness, it was very tight to the 18-yard box from a central area, which is one of the toughest spots to get on goal.
65th min:Chance, Iran!THE GAME SHOULD BE LEVEL, BUT SAMAN GHODDOS MISSES!It's a defensive calamity for the U.S. as a few unlucky bobbles fall to white jerseys, and Ghoddos has a window to take aim at the top-right corner, but misses wide. Not enough curl. That's a huge letoff for the U.S.
Watch in the USA:
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022😳😳😳
Iran was this close to tying things up pic.twitter.com/m1hnKgu1wf
Kellyn Acosta now comes on for the United States, with Weston McKennie off. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford scores again for England, who will win the group.
62nd min:Neither side has threatened on goal in the past 5-10 minutes, with both sides looking for openings. Tim Ream makes an important clearance after Iran had countered down the right.
Gregg Berhalter is readying Kellyn Acosta to come in off the bench, probably for Weston McKennie, who looks spent. Meanwhile, Ramin Rezaeian goes down screaming in pain, but then pops up after the referee calls his bluff. His reaction made it look a nasty one, but it's all a bluff.
55th min:Mehdi Taremi nearly gets past Cameron Carter-Vickers along the end line, but the ball ends up in Matt Turner's arms. Carter-Vickers had initially walled Taremi off, and did well to get good positioning, but then just...stopped, allowing Taremi to worm his way back onto the ball, but it was just too late.
52nd min: Chance, USA!Sergino Dest nearly gets onto one in front of goal, but his header goes over! Great defending from substitute Saman Ghoddos, who came on at halftime for Sardar Azmoun.
48th min:Josh Sargent has a good hit from a tight angle, but Alireza Beiranvand has the space covered and the shot is right into his belly.
Watch in the USA:
Sargent forces a save to get things started in the second half 😤@USMNT pic.twitter.com/XBH7PW7il2
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
The FOX broadcast gives an update on Christian Pulisic, who has an abdominal injury. Not surprising watching the knee of Alireza Beiranvand go right into his gut on the goal.
47th min:Both teams have a half-chance early in the half, but it's cut out on both ends.
In the other match, England has gone in front on a Marcus Rashford goal just after halftime, then minutes later Phil Foden added a second.. They're almost surely through to the top of the group. Gareth Bale went off at halftime for Wales.
46th min:There's one change for the United States, and it's not the one you want to hear if you're a U.S. fan. Christian Pulisic is coming off, replaced by Brenden Aaronson as the second half gets set to start.
Pulisic made his impact, and now it's everyone else's turn to stand tall.
HALFTIME: USA 1-0 Iran
This game is far from over, but the United States have grabbed the all-important breakthrough and look the better side through the opening 45 minutes. The goal from Christian Pulisic is a watershed moment, as the U.S. attacker put his body on the line to score a career-defining goal.
Still, the U.S. have to maintain the lead and maybe even grab another. The U.S. has been better in the first half under Gregg Berhalter, but worse after the break. This will be a big test for this young USA team.
For Iran, they were well beaten in that first half, and will need changes to make the most of their few attacking moves. There's sure to be plenty of pressure from them as the game moves on if they don't find an equalizer.
USA vs. Iran: First half
45+6 min: USA GOAL DISALLOWED!Tim Weah has the ball in the back of the net, but he's offside! It's EXTREMELY tight, as the through-ball from midfield was spectacular. The replay shows he was justinchesoffside, it's so so tight, but play is waved on meaning the technology confirmed the decision.
This close to a 2nd for USA pic.twitter.com/Wwb1UZxajj
— Stu Holden (@stuholden) November 29, 2022
Watch in the USA:
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022So. Close.
An offside call rules out a potential second goal for the USMNT 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mKGnvpQi0m
Watch in Canada:
Timothy Weah thought he'd finished it off with otherworldly precision, but the flag is raised and the match remains 1-0. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/I6136gL3aE
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 29, 2022
45+3 min:Iran have been forced into a change, as left-back Milad Mohammadi has to come off after stretching for a ball and clearly pulling something. He's replaced by Ali Karimi.
45th min: Chance, USA!They blew a two-on-two! Sprung by Tyler Adams, it's Josh Sargent and Tim Weah who are free with just two defenders, but they can't open up space and the final pass from Weah is cut out. It's spectacular defending from Iran on the break.
43rd min:Still down a man, Tyler Adams draws a yellow card for barging over Haji Safi to stop a counter. It's his first of the tournament.
Pulisic returns, to huge applause. It's a massive moment for the U.S. leader who is going to gut this out as best he can.
40th min:Christian Pulisic is still down inside the net. It's a massive concern for the U.S. who can ill afford to lose a player of Pulisic's quality. Play restarts momentarily with the U.S. down to 10 men. Gregg Berhalter has a HUGE decision to make. Pulisic is struggling to walk behind the goal, being helped by the team doctor. He's doing everything he can to recover and come back on. Berhalter telling his team to slow as Pulisic jogs back to the fourth official.
#usmnt playing with 10 for now as Pulisic looks like he's *really* struggling.
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) November 29, 2022
38th min: GOAL! USA!THEY HAVE THE BREAKTHROUGH! It's a stunning switch from Weston McKennie to Sergino Dest on the right, and his cross finds a streaking Christian Pulisic on the doorstep for the finish.
Pulisic is hurt, as he doesn't get to celebrate his incredible moment. Looks like he took a knee from the goalkeeper right to the midsection. It's a shame, because this is a career-defining moment from the U.S. star.
Watch in the USA:
PULISIC PUTS THE USMNT ON TOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸@USMNT pic.twitter.com/nkcQ5DDU0i
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
Watch in Canada:
Christian Pulisic fully commits to give U.S.A. the lead! Unfortunately, it's left Pulisic pretty shaken up as he's attended to by medical staff. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/bqrQL7DdCV
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 29, 2022
37th min:Christian Pulisic under hits the second USA corner of the match. He has been frankly awful taking corners for years now. He did quite well against England to provide some hope, but it's back to him being terrible. He struggles to beat the first man, driving the ball straight without enough height.
33rd min: Chance, USA!Tim Weah misses again! He's got a great chance from inside the top of the penalty area, but rifles the chance high! He hadnobodyto close him down, and should have produced a better effort. The U.S. is piling on the pressure but has nothing to show for it just yet.
Watch in the USA:
Tim Weah gets a look at goal but sends it above the crossbar 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/GIGafBZubO
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
31st min:Carter-Vickers blocks off Nourollahi to allow Turner to collect a through ball, and the Iranian midfielder is down receiving treatment. Meanwhile, Gregg Berhalter is in the ear of the fourth official to likely discuss time wasting, which Iran will be doing all game, understandably so.
30th min:A long sustained set of pressure from the U.S. has resulted in a few chances. The latest is from Sergino Dest, who created it for himself by driving in past defenders from the right flank to the top of the penalty area. His effort is from a good position but it's blocked by a defender.
Dest and Robinson have been very good so far. Best that Dest has looked this World Cup.
— Yahoo Soccer (@FCYahoo) November 29, 2022
27th min: Chance, USA!OH TIM WEAH, you have to score there! A shot from Josh Sargent pops straight into the air, and falls right to Weah with just the goalkeeper to beat. He had time to settle, but heads it right at Alireza Beiranvand. A massive chance missed.
Watch in the USA:
What a CHANCE for the USMNT 😳 pic.twitter.com/jyg1QlRAiU
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
23rd min:Christian Pulisic is so unlucky, as he's in a great position to receive a cutback from Yunus Musah, but the ball is fizzed harder than he expected and it hits him square in the face. Ouch.
20th min:EXCELLENT step by Tim Ream to stop a promising Iran attack. If he hadn't got there, Sardar Azmoun was in on goal. The elder statesman from Fulham hasn't put a foot wrong all tournament.
Watch in the USA:
This challenge by Tim Ream 😤🔥@USMNT pic.twitter.com/fp8i2P3t9E
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
17th min: Chance, USA!Brilliant ball by Sergino Dest into the box to finish a set of U.S. pressurenearlyfinds a mark, but nobody can get to meet it! Somehow, the ball squirts by both Christian Pulisic and Josh Sargent.
11th min: Christian Pulisic gets his head on a Yunus Musah cross, but his leap was off-balance and it produces a weak effort that's right at the goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Tyler Adams has words with Cameron Carter-Vickers, who was inserted into the lineup for today's match. The instruction seemed to be for CCV to step higher and not allow a ball to reach the striker. Moments later, he does just that.
— The Yanks Are Coming (@YanksAreComing) November 29, 2022Adams told Carter-Vickers to step and not let Iran turn- and CCV listened.
Oh captain my captain! #USMNT
9th min: Chance, USA!On an initial cross into the penalty area, Alireza Beiranvand produces a punch, which pops high in the air. The bobbling ball eventually ends up to Yunus Musah at the top of the penalty area, but he rushes his shot and blasts it miles high.
Watch in the USA:
The @USMNT is building up the chances early 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/4TH8Yl8MBt
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
8th min:Excellent start to this game for Tyler Adams, who first is seen on the ball out wide left in an attacking possession before tracking way back and stopping an Iran break. He's so incredibly important to this U.S. side.
lol adams is preposterous. i keep thinking iran has a counter on and there’s the little blue man scurrying into frame
— Nate Scott (@aNateScott) November 29, 2022
5th min:Nervy moments for the U.S. defense as Iran have a great possession that breaks into the penalty area, but a number of deliveries don't reach their target. Iran very lively to start the match, with the U.S. on its heels.
2nd min:Christian Pulisic has anexcellentearly chance on the counter, two-on-one with Josh Sargent in support, but instead of squaring to Sargent he stays on the ball charging forward and is dispossessed by Majid Hosseini from behind. It's a great tackle, but Pulisic has to pass that ball.
Watch in the USA:
Pulisic is applying pressure early 👀 pic.twitter.com/TYQYqdth4l
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
1st min:Iran already have a free-kick on the right flank, and the delivery's good, but it's turned away by a Tyler Adams header. Asian side holding the early possession.
KICKOFF! We're under way! Reminder: USA must win, and Iran needs a win or draw. That's it, no other tiebreakers to concern yourselves with!
USA vs. Iran: Pre-match commentary, analysis, lineups, and stats
7 mins to kickoff:The U.S. has gone winless in five straight matches. The national team hasn't gone six straight without a win since the 90's. They have to win today to advance, there's no other way to move on. Let's get this game on!
5 - The #USMNT is winless in five straight matches dating back to the pre-World Cup friendlies. They haven't gone six straight without a win since 1998-99, including three losses at the 1998 World Cup. Legacies. pic.twitter.com/GTb6MWevjB
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) November 29, 2022
15 mins to kickoff:As kickoff nears, there's one player the U.S. will need to be careful of when Iran has the ball, and that's 30-year-old Porto striker Mehdi Taremi. He's in spectacular form for club and country, with 15 goals in 21 appearances for Porto this year across all competitions, and he leads the World Cup in chances created from open play so far.
There’s one player at the #FIFAWorldCup with nine open-play chances created. It’s Iran’s Mehdi Taremi.#IRNUSA pic.twitter.com/dDjKeyHh87
— Opta Analyst US (@OptaAnalystUS) November 29, 2022
22 mins to kickoff:Fascinatingly, the United States has named just its second starting lineupeverin a competitive match without a single MLS player, and first in a World Cup, since the current iteration of the league began in 1996. Walker Zimmerman had been holding down the fort, but now, all 11 players starting for the U.S. are European-based.
It kind of makes sense, with MLS having been off since the league ended a month ago, and European players are just in better form and fitness to handle the rigors of this tournament. And, more simplistically, they're just the best choices at this point.
2 - The #USMNT has named no MLS players in its starting XI for a competitive match for only the second time since the league began in 1996 (also vs. Jamaica in 2011 Gold Cup). International. pic.twitter.com/MbYJqhQhy0
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) November 29, 2022
35 mins to kickoff:All eyes will be on Christian Pulisic today for the United States. While he's established himself as the most important attacking player for the USMNT, he has yet to have a massive moment in a U.S. shirt — at least not to the level of a goal & good performance today would be rated.
Pulisic is suffering through the worst international goal drought of his career, without a successful strike in seven straight appearances, totaling 585 minutes for the national team. One today would be easily the biggest of his young career, still just 23 years old.
Will Christian Pulisic score for Team #USA today? #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/6rKe7IpYwO
— NBC Sports EDGE Betting (@NBCSportsBet) November 29, 2022
50 mins to kickoff:While plenty of fans have been asking questions of the selection in the USMNT attack, there's been little attention payed to the defensive side of things. Yet today, Walker Zimmerman is replaced by Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Bringing on a defender who hasn't played in either of the first two matches is risky from a form perspective, but it's hard to argue Zimmerman has played well enough to keep his place, and the change appears warranted. Zimmerman was the one to give away the costly penalty vs. Wales and then looked shaky on the ball against England. Cameron Carter-Vickers has been solid for Celtic this season in Scotland.
One thing to note: Tim Ream and Carter-Vickers have never played together in a match for the national team.
🇺🇸 Good luck to Cameron Carter-Vickers and @USMNT tonight!#FIFAWorldCup #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/SBRlFhWGmW
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 29, 2022
1 hr 10 mins from kickoff:Lineups are in. For the United States, fans hoping that Gio Reyna would start will be disappointed, as there are only two changes to be made, and he's not one of them. Instead, it's Josh Sargent in at striker, with Jesus Ferreira still left on the bench. Additionally, Walker Zimmerman has come out of his defensive role after two mediocre performances, replaced by the big Cameron Carter-Vickers.
For Iran, the only change is in goal where Alireza Beiranvand returns after his awful collision in the opener against England left him with a concussion. It's quite the turnaround for him, and a big boost for Iran who are better with him in goal, especially thanks to his incredible distribution.
1 hr 25 mins from kickoff:The site of today's match is Al Thumama Stadium, whose seats...are colored the same as Iran's flag! Is that a bad sign for the USMNT?
Is it a bad omen for the U.S. that the stadium seats are in Iran’s colors? pic.twitter.com/qo86fXTQO1
— Leander Schaerlaeckens (@LeanderAlphabet) November 29, 2022
🏟 Al Thumama Stadium pic.twitter.com/mtaYe7ea9D
— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 29, 2022
1 hr 45 mins from kickoff:With the full-time results in the early matches today from Group A, the possible opponents for USA or Iran are set. The Netherlands win Group A, while Senegal finish second and advance. Ecuador and hosts Qatar are eliminated.
For the United States, win and England win/draw vs. Wales means they take on the Netherlands in the Round of 16, while a win plus an England loss to Wales means they top the group and take on Senegal.For Iran, a win and England win means they take on the Netherlands, while a win and England draw/loss means they take on Senegal. A draw would mean Iran can only top the group and face Senegal if England lose to Wales by seven or more goals, which isn't happening.
Both teams need to take care of business today first before even giving that any thought.
2 hrs from kickoff:LOVE a good crisp, clean locker room photo. The U.S. are wearing their dark blue kits for this match, with the goalkeepers in bright yellow. Lineups will be released for sure in an hour, although the U.S. have been releasing theirs about 15 minutes early in previous World Cup games.
SOON ⏳🇺🇸@USMNT pic.twitter.com/k0pkG98dIF
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
2 hrs 23 mins from kickoff:Yesterday, the U.S. national team posted an inside look into their World Cup camp as they prepare for the do-or-die match against Iran. Give it a watch!
𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁: Take a peek inside the #USMNT’s base camp in Qatar as the squad navigates the group stage 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IpWTkguCtG
— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 28, 2022
2 hrs 42 mins from kickoff:Gregg Berhalter made it clear to his players what he wants them to play for today. Obviously, playing for your country is a given, so he focused more on personal legacy. This match is a defining moment for any player's career, and players will want to tell the story of this match in a positive manner decades from now.
"'In 20 years, what do you want your story to tell?'... Tonight, this match facing elimination against Iran, it can be the beginning or the end of that story for the Americans."@JennyTaft on the message Gregg Berhalter had for the @USMNT ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/l0WGpa42sw
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
3 hrs from kickoff:If U.S. fans are looking for some good vibes ahead of this World Cup, how about giving a watch to the highlights from the 1-0 victory over Algeria in the 2010 World Cup? The U.S. faced a similar situation, against a similar opponent, requiring victory to advance. They left it very late, but Landon Donovan delivered one of the most iconic goals in U.S. history in the 91st minute to send the U.S. into the knockout stage.
FIFA doesn't allow embedding of their videos, but you can watch the highlights here.
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) November 27, 2022Wild stat I just found doing #USA vs. #IRN prep:
1️⃣ The #USMNT has played a third group stage match 8 times at the #FIFAWorldCup. They have won just 1 — the famous 2010 win over Algeria (Donovan, etc etc).
They lost all 7 others.
3 hrs 16 mins from kickoff:In what was an utterly extraordinary pre-match press conference, USMNT captain Tyler Adams proved yesterday why he was picked to lead the team on the field. His response to an aggressive question from an Iranian journalist was top drawer.
From a football perspective, Adams will be a critical player for the U.S. today. He'll have to start possessional buildups, and more importantly, he will be key to shielding the back line when Iran try to muck up the game or hit on the counter.
— Stu Holden (@stuholden) November 28, 2022Tyler Adams mispronounced Iran and was called out by an Iranian journalist - who followed up with a question on discrimination in the United States.
His response: An all time classy answer- Captain & Leader. #USMNT 👏 pic.twitter.com/pELQmBttPl
3 hrs 30 mins from kickoff:USA fans have been flooding the betting market to back their team!
— John Ewing 🦁 (@johnewing) November 29, 2022“USA is currently BetMGM's biggest liability to win the World Cup. While we're personally fans, @USMNT winning it would be a tough outcome for the book, that said, as they advance, we're seeing more betting action than ever.”
– Christian Cipollini, Sports Trader, @BetMGM
3 hrs 52 mins from kickoff:After the draw with England, former national team player and current media pundit Eric Wynalda went on a Twitter Spaces with the LA Times and made claims that there was a rift between Gregg Berhalter and Gio Reyna caused by the young Dortmund star's lack of playing time thus far. He also claimed, somewhat inflammatory, that Berhalter lied about Reyna's fitness when explaining his absence to the media, and that he asked Reyna to go along with the lie.
Wynalda went on SiriusXM radio to clarify his comments earlier this morning. While Wynalda seemingly didn't walk almost any of the information he gave back, he did clarify that Berhalter did notspecificallyask Reyna to go along with the lie, but expected him to do so. Wynalda did apologize to Berhalter for going public with his comments, saying he should have kept them to himself.
Most interesting to me, Wynalda did say that he believes the conversation between Berhalter and Reyna resulted in an understanding that he will "see the field more." Which, given that this is their last group match, seems to suggest that Reyna will start.
— SiriusXM FC 157 ⚽️📻 (@SiriusXMFC) November 28, 2022On Counter Attack, @EricWynalda clarified comments he made about #USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter on Twitter Spaces with the @latimes.
Hear the entire conversation with @KeithCostigan here - https://t.co/cv63ZlzuVl pic.twitter.com/9J2DQK2mIK
4 hrs 17 mins from kickoff:Monitoring line movement from BetMGM on this one...Vegas seems to be leaning towards a draw, which as you'll know by now is obviously not good news for the United States. Both the U.S. and Iran moneylines have closed in towards the draw figure, with the U.S. moving from -110 to +100 and Iran moving from +310 to +290. Those numbers are slight, but they're still meaningful.
The more aggressive movement has come on the game flow prediction, with the under 2.5 goal total sliding from -150 all the way to -185. Under 1.5 goals has moved from +205 to +160. One goal is expected to win this game.
4 hrs 45 mins from kickoff: This CNN report is the reality that the Iranian players have to endure. The same tactic was reportedly employed when the two teams met in the 1998 World Cup.
The families of Iran’s World Cup soccer team have been threatened with imprisonment and torture if the players fail to “behave” ahead of the match against the USA on Tuesday, a source involved in the security of the games said. https://t.co/nXwZoW0Nqu
— CNN (@CNN) November 28, 2022
USA vs Iran lineups, team news
Sporting News
The questions around the USA heading into the final group match are less to do with injuries and more about personnel decisions: Does Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna start? If not, how many minutes does he get? After Josh Sargent (vs. Wales) and Haji Wright (vs. England), is it now Jesus Ferreira's turn in the tight spaces against Iran?
Both those questions were answered with a "no" as Gregg Berhalter stuck with Tim Weah on the right flank, while Sargent comes back into the lineup.
Berhalter instead makes a change at the back, with Walker Zimmerman replaced by Cameron Carter-Vickers.
USA (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Matt Turner (GK) — 2. Sergino Dest, 20. Cameron Carter-Vickers, 13. Tim Ream, 5. Antonee Robinson — 8. Weston McKennie, 4. Tyler Adams, 6. Yunus Musah — 21. Tim Weah, 24. Josh Sargent, 10. Christian Pulisic.
Sporting News
Feyenoord winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh is suspended due to yellow-card accumulation and won't play the match for Iran. Carlos Queiroz had indicated that goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was held out of the Wales victory due to concussion protocol but that he will be available vs. USA, and that came true as he re-enters the starting lineup.
There have been injury concerns around Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun, but it was hard to see him missing out on starting what could be a historic match for his country, and indeed he's in the lineup.
Iran (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Alireza Beiranvand (GK) — 23. Ramin Rezaeian, 19. Majid Hosseini, 8. Morteza Pouraliganji, 5. Milad Mohammadi — 17. Ali Gholizadeh, 21. Ahmad Nourollahi, 6. Saeid Ezatolahi, 3. Ehsan Hajsafi — 20. Sardar Azmoun, 9. Mehdi Taremi.
MORE: Complete World Cup Round of 16 details
USA vs Iran live stream, TV channel
This final Group B match will be played at the Al Thumama Stadium. Here's how you can watch all the action in some of the major global territories.
Date | Time | TV Channel | Streaming | |
USA | Tue, Nov. 29 | 14:00 ET | Fox, Telemundo | fuboTV, Fox Sports site/app, Telemundo Deportes site/app, Peacock |
Canada | Tue, Nov. 29 | 14:00 ET | TSN 2, RDS (French) | TSN site/app, RDS app |
UK | Tue, Nov. 29 | 19:00GMT | BBC Two | BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website |
Australia | Wed, Nov. 30 | 06:00 AEDT | SBS VICELAND | SBS On Demand |
India | Wed, Nov. 30 | 00:30IST | — | Voot, JioTV |
Hong Kong | Wed, Nov. 30 | 03:00HKT | Now TV (Ch. 619, 617) | Now TV |
Malaysia | Wed, Nov. 30 | 03:00 MYT | Astro Arena 2 | Astro GO |
Singapore | Wed, Nov. 30 | 03:00 SGT | StarHub TV FIFA World Cup 2 | Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV+, MeWatch |
New Zealand | Wed, Nov. 30 | 08:00NZDT | Sky Sport 1 NZ | Sky Go, Sky Sport NOW |