The task is clear for the United States: beat Iran in a politically charged World Cup match or go home.
U.S. players have been praised as the best generation of American soccer. But they finished third behind Canada and Mexico in World Cup qualifying and now face a must-win final group-stage match.
A draw or a loss would eliminate the Americans, who tied Wales 1-1 and England 0-0. England leads the group with four points, followed by Iran with three, the U.S. with two and Wales with one. Iran famously beat the U.S. 2-1 in a 1998 World Cup match in France that eliminated the Americans and caused thousands of flag-waving fans to greet the Iranians when they returned home. In the leadup to the rematch Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation angered Iran's government by briefly displaying Iran's flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.
“I just hope we don't leave it to the 90th-whatever minute,” said Stu Holden, a midfielder on the bench that night and now a Fox commentator. “It would be pretty cool to call a last-second U.S. winner, but selfishly I'm quite OK with us just getting that done early and moving on to the round of 16 because that that would be a lot better for my blood pressure.”
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