Iran vs USA: It’s now or NEVER for the USA in must win match
It’s win or go home for the USA as they prepare to face Iran on matchday three of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Stars and Stripes come into this match having recorded a scoreless draw against England in a match that many, namely the English media, figured was going to be a comfortable victory for the Three Lions. While the draw wasn’t the worst result, the USMNT will certainly be quite frustrated with the fact that they were not able to convert their chances, as England were quite underwhelming as opposed to the dominant showing they had during their 6-2 demolition of Iran on matchday one.
As such, having picked up just two points so far, this upcoming match against Iran is a must-win one for Gregg Berhalter’s young side. It will, however, be much easier said than done. The USA have not fared well at World Cups in recent times, with just two wins from their last 14 matches (six draws, six defeats). In addition, they have suffered a “game three” hoodoo lately, with a whopping seven losses from their last eight participations; the sole win they have on matchday three was a 1-0 win over Algeria during the 2010 edition.
Iran, meanwhile, are hoping not just to win back to back games at a World Cup for the first time but also to qualify for the round of 16 for the first time in their country’s history. Arguably written of as the worst side in this quartet when Group B was announced, the Middle Eastern nation stunned everyone by beating Wales 2-0 on matchday two. While they were the beneficiaries of Wales going down to ten men, the fact remains that overall, Iran were a much improved side than the one who were humiliated 6-2 by England in their group stage opener.
This will be the second meeting between the USA and Iran at a World Cup. 24 years ago, in 1998, during a game that had plenty of political tension brimming in the background, Iran defeated the USA 2-1 to dump the Stars and Stripes out of the World Cup. This time around, there still remains those political hostilities between the two nations, and after the US Soccer Federation posted a photo of Iran’s flag without the Islamic Republic logo, Iranians have expressed their fury, calling for FIFA to kick the Americans out of the World Cup and hand them a whopping ten match ban.
FIFA have made no indication of doing any such thing, but it’s safe to say that the Iranian players will be extra fired up when the two sides meet on Tuesday evening – especially as they could secure a spot in the round of 16 should they avoid a loss.
This game could also be a huge one for American youngster Yunus Musah, who actually started out as an English youth international before switching to the USA in 2020. Musah, who plays his club football for Valencia, will turn 20 on Tuesday, and should he start, he will become the youngest starter for the Stars and Stripes since Landon Donovan did so back in 2002. In addition, even if he doesn’t feature in Berhalter’s starting XI, and gets involved off the bench, he’ll become the first American to play in a World Cup on his birthday. Certainly, fans will hope for the promising midfielder to have another strong match and perhaps even grab a goal to celebrate his milestone birthday.
It’s often said cometh the hour, cometh the man. Will Berhalter’s men rise to the occasion in Tuesday’s must win clash? Or will Iran, once again, end the USA’s dreams 24 years later just as they did back in 1998?
