'Captain America' Pulisic sends USA through in narrow win over Iran
Full Time: Iran 0 USA 1
22:08 CET: Here are the match stats from the USA victory, the biggest standout is Iran's one shot on target in the entire game. That lack of clinical finishing cost them in the end.
22:04 CET: We nearly had some late drama with an Iranian penalty claim, but it is the US who will progress on to face the Netherlands on Saturday in the round of 16. Pulisic, who was subbed off at half time following a collision after the goal, will be doubtful for the game, and he will be a primary worry for a team, that defended well in the second half to limit Iran to just two clear-cut chances. They both fell to second half substitute Saman Ghoddos, but both efforts couldn't find the target.
If you missed anything from the game, check out our full match report, written by Ryan Fisher.
Second Half
99': Play on, the referee says play on!
98': A scramble in the box is cleared by USA and Iran are claiming a penalty. WE ARE GOING TO VAR!
97': Two minutes to go. Iran throwing the ball forward out of hope rather than expectation. But they do have a free kick late on. It goes backwards. Sums up Iran's second half.
96': Jalali in the book for Iran. They have created nothing in added time and it's looking likely that USA will join England in the next round.
93': Iran go close! Morteza Pouraliganji's diving header from a free kick is just wide and had Matt Turner worried. Still time left for the Iranians.
England have beaten Wales 3-0 and they will top Group B, setting up a date with Senegal on Sunday in the round of 16.
91': Iran playing it patiently around the back - they need more urgency.
90': Nine minutes for Iran to save their World Cup.
87': At the other end, Shaquiel Moore spurns a good chance in a good position to kill the game off. But he makes a mess of it and Iranian hope continues.
85': Five minutes to go and Iran don't look any closer to grabbing that all important goal.
81': Before that Sergino Dest, who provided the assist for the goal, is off for Shaqueil Moore and Timothy Weah is replaced by Walker Zimmerman. On the pitch, that Iran free-kick is blown up for offside.
80': Ten minutes to go for Iran to find a goal to keep them in the World Cup, and they have a free kick after Yunus Musah commits a foul. What can they do here?
77': Yellow for Majid Hosseini after a bad challenge on Brendan Aaronson. The US players are going down like flies. Josh Sargent has been taken off for Haji Wright in what has become a very scrappy game.
74': That hurts! Josh Sargent lands very awkwardly on his right ankle and needs treatment. That looks really sore.
71': Saeid Ezatolahi tries his luck from range, but it's not troubling the goal as it sails over. Two changes for Iran as Ehsan Hajsafi and Ahmad Noorollahi come off for Abolfazi Jalali and Mehdi Torabi.
68': Back with USA-Iran and the US have a great position for a free kick, right on the edge of the dee. It will be Yunus Musah to strike, but he puts it over the bar.
Another goal for England from Marcus Rashford puts them 3-0 to the good and pretty much wraps up their win against Wales as well top spot in Group B.
65': Now Acosta is on for Weston McKennie.
64': Kellyn Acosta looks ready to come on for the USA. But he can only watch as the falls perfectly to Ghoddos and his right-footed strike whistles past the far post. He should have done better!
61': A good chance to get forward for Iran, but they are unable to put a good delivery into the box and USA deal with it. The game has gone a little stale, Iran could do with looking for some inspiration from their bench.
56': Pulisic may not be on the pitch anymore, but Aaronson is deputising well and he wins the US a corner. However, it flies over to the backpost and easily dealt with by Iran. Another set play is then cleared by Iran.
55': Mehdi Taremi picks up a yellow for a desperate lunge on the USA goalkeeper. He tries to get round the byline, but instead catches the keeper - an easy decision for the referee.
51': Iran looking more threatening at the start of the second half and they have their best chance of the game through Saman Ghoddos. He times his run to perfection to meet a cross from the right, but he can't keep it down and it goes over the bar.
In the other Group B contest, England have gone 2-0 up over Wales with a free kick from Marcus Rashford and a tap in from Phil Foden.
47': Aaronson already involved forcing a save from the Iranian goalkeeper.
46': Back under way and unsurprisingly we are without Christian Pulisic, who has gone off after the post-goal collision. He is replaced by Brendan Aaronson. Iran also make a change bringing on Saman Ghoddos for Sardar Azmoun.
Half Time
21:06 CET: As we get set for the second half, let's take a look at the first half match statistics.
21:00 CET: Still goalless between England and Wales, here is Pat Dempsey with the half-time update: The first-half stats (below) tell the story of this match so far. England have controlled possession and had all the good chances. Wales have been largely absent from the match in an attacking sense and have unfortunately lost Neco Williams to a head injury. On the bright side for the Welsh, if you had offered them to go into the break goalless, they would have bitten your hand off. This suits their game plan - they will hope to stay resolute and frustrate England a little longer and try to knick a goal on the break. The question is, how much longer can they deny this dangerous English attack?
20:53 CET: At the break, USA are the ones in the driving seat for qualification for the knockout rounds as they lead 1-0 over Iran. Christian Pulisic labelled 'Captain America' put his body on the line for the goal and somehow carried on despite looking worse for wear. Iran now need a goal, which has seemed, unlikely in the first half, if they are to get back in the game.
First Half
52': GOAL FOR WEAH? No, it's offside! He steals in around the back with real speed and finishes well, but the flag is up. It's tight but the right decision. He looks distraught.
48': It didn't look good for Milad Mohammadi and he's off for Ali Karimi.
46': We now have an injury to an Iranian player. Stretching for a ball, Milad Mohammadi looks to have damaged his groin. He is signalling to the bench that it is not good.
45': It should be two! USA break with three attackers against two, but they can't find the right pass and Iran can defend it. Timothy Weah with the pass that was cleared up. We will have five minutes added on at the end of the half.
44': Remarkably Pulisic is back on just minutes after barely being able to stand. It feels pretty reckless to alow him to continue after that knock. Of course it could have been an injury to another part of his body, but he doesn't look right.
43': Back on the pitch, Tyler Adams picks up the first yellow of the game for a professional foul.
42': Replays show Pulisic getting cracked on the back of the head by Alireza Beiranvand. With that, he looks very concussed and is being helped around the sidelines. It seems very unlikely he will continue.
40': However, after the goal, Pulisic collided heavily with the Iran goalkeeper and has stayed down. He is requiring treatment.
38': CAPTAIN AMERICA! USA LEAD 1-0 THROUGH PULISIC
It's been coming! A lovely ball over the top finds Sergino Dest at the backpost and he nods back across goal to find the onrushing Christian Pulisic who can't really miss. A huge goal for the USA.
34': Timothy Weah in the action again - he has a shot from inside the box, but blazes over the bar. Another good chance for the young American.
33': Ahmad Noorollahi is down injured after getting quite the body check from Cameron Carter-Vickers. He is back up but that was a large hit.
The other game in the group between England and Wales is also 0-0. Here is an update: Not much has happened in this match aside from one Rashford chance after Kane played him in with a lovely defence-spliting ball. Wales seem more than happy to sit back and watch England have the ball - off which they've had the lion's share. That's Wales' game plan it seems - to wait, conserve energy and try to hit them on the break. They won't mind playing like this deep into the match so long as they don't concede.
28': Timothy Weah won't want to see that again. After a deflected shot from Josh Sargent falls perfectly to him, he opts to head the ball whilst one-one-one with the goalkeeper instead of taking a touch and getting the ball down. The header is weak and collected comfortably. A brain fade from the US attacker.
26': The blue wave continues, but this time Pulisic can't find anyone with a corner that is cleared at the near post.
24': You feel the longer this game goes on at 0-0, the more Iran will come into it as it becomes more stretched. Timothy Weah tries to break through with a mazy run, but loses control at the key moment and the ball goes out with a goal kick.
21': Iran finally get in behind with a 2v2 situation, but the US' Tim Ream makes an important interception and gets the ball away to safety.
16': But it's not long before the US are back at it down the flanks, amd they force a smart save from Beiranvand. A half-chance there for Sergino Dest.
15': Iran finally getting forward and into a groove for the first time in the game. For them, a settled game suits them nicely as a draw will see them through.
11': More US pressure - Pulisic rises highest from a cross and gets his header on target, but can't beat the keeper, who clutches the ball tightly.
10': Yunus Musah is the next US player to have a try and he flies his shot over the bar.
7': So far, so USA - Antonee Robinson tries to find a ball into the box, but it is cleared.
4': Some more early pressure from USA as Timothy Weah fires in a cross, but can't pick out a teammate.
2': Straight after Christian Pulisic goes on a lung-busting run that only ends when the last defender gets a toe on the ball. A warning shot from the USA captain.
2': Early chance to get players forward for Iran, but the free-kick is headed away and the US can mop up. It has a tense feel to this game and given the stakes, it's not surprising.
1': All the formatlities over without incident and we are ready to go.
Pre-match
19:51 CET: Both teams are in the tunnel and we get ready for the anthems, which could provide some talking points.
19:21 CET: We are 40 minutes from kick-off in Doha, so let's set out the permutations for tonight's game and how both sides can qualify for the next stage. For USA, they must win. If they do gain all three points, it would take them to five, and guarentee them a spot in the next round no matter what the result is in Group B's other game. For Iran, a draw should be enough to get them out of the group, although their goal difference could provide a problem for them. If they win, they will have to wait on the result from the England game to see whether they will top the group with six points.
You can check out the standings before kick off right here.
Team News
US coach Gregg Berhalter recalled Josh Sargent to his starting lineup for Tuesday's Group B showdown against Iran, who were boosted by the return of first-choice goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand after his recovery from concussion.
Sargent, who started the Americans' opener against Wales, was dropped for Friday's match against England but has regained his spot from Haji Wright up front, while centre back Cameron Carter-Vickers replaces Walker Zimmerman.
Beiranvand was the only change to the Iran side that stunned Wales 2-0 after the concussion and broken nose he sustained against England last week.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz kept faith up front in Sardar Azmoun for a second straight match, with the forward having not started in their opener, as well as Ramin Rezaeian, scorer of one of Iran's two late goals against Wales.
Iran: Alireza Beiranvand, Ehsan Hajsafi, Milad Mohammadi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Morteza Pouraliganji, Mehdi Taremi, Ali Gholizadeh, Majid Hosseini, Sardar Azmoun, Ahmad Nourollahi, Ramin Rezaeian
United States: Matt Turner, Sergino Dest, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Tim Ream, Tim Weah, Josh Sargent
Introduction
A game hotly anticipated since the World Cup draw, USA and Iran are ready to do battle on the field with their World Cup fates at stake. Off the field, political difficulties between the two teams with some Iranians fearing further run-ins with stadium security or clashes with pro-government fans over raging protests back home.
The contest between the two nations that severed ties over 40 years ago will be held with increased security to prevent a flare-up of tensions over the unrest that has gripped Iran since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16.
In a show of solidarity ahead of the match, which starts at 20:00 CET the US Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran's national flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, leading Tehran to complain to FIFA, according to state media.
Now this tension is set to continue on the pitch with the added pressure of qualification on the line.
