Since 2002, the male athletes have failed to progress beyond the round of 16, whereas the United States has emerged victorious in the previous two Women’s World Cups. However, the team members contradicted this trend by successfully repelling the advances of the Iranian team and moving forward to the round of 16.
Defender Tim Ream expressed his thoughts on the pressure of maintaining the lead while the clock continued to tick and tick. He observed that everyone remained composed, with serene expressions and no signs of exhaustion or panic in their eyes.
President Biden, with a broad smile, returned to the podium to inform the crowd about the American triumph, after having concluded an unrelated event in Michigan at the time of the game’s conclusion.
“They did it, God bless them,” he said.
A 25-year-old Vigueras from the Bronx, Carlos said that the game at Legends in Manhattan Midtown was made more intense and entertaining by the raised stakes, and the drama between the flavored countries. As fans chanted “U.S.A.!” Around him, Carlos served as a server at Legends. The reactions of many fans added spice to politics rooms, living rooms, and sports bars.
The tournament in Qatar has been a crucible for the Iranian team, as their nation has been roiled by crackdowns and protests for months, causing the middle ground to shrink and making it excruciating for soccer players to navigate and try themselves.
On one side, there were millions of protesters, urging their fellow countrymen to use their platforms and voices more to support the fight for more accountability, freedoms, and rights, and to crush the unwillingness and dissent of Iran’s intolerant government.
The Iranian players had their limits tested in Qatar, as they reluctantly went through the motions before the match against Wales. They later adjusted to the days leading up to the game’s opening, but chose to decline singing their national anthem.
The posts were removed, however, this action demonstrated support for the Iranian women who have bravely protested against government limitations, according to a representative of the federation. The U.S. Soccer Federation increased the intensity by sharing a modified version of the Iranian flag on social media – featuring horizontal green, white, and red stripes without the official emblem and without any lines of Islamic script.
The United States expelled FIFA, the global governing body of soccer, from the World Cup, expressing strong disapproval and outrage at the federation’s actions and receiving a fiery response from Iran.
In the streets of Tehran, the group on stage had an emotionally charged game in which the people were dancing. Iran prevailed with a 2-1 victory, marking their first win in the World Cup. This match was politically significant, as it was only the second time the two nations had met in a World Cup.
The regime in Tehran would have held immense value for another victory over the United States on Tuesday, as it could claim its own national prestige.
Some Iranians hoped that demonstrations during the biggest sporting event in the world would bring about a transformation. The protesters aimed to use both overt and subtle methods to criticize the government and draw attention to their country, increasing their chances to jeer at stadiums and shine a spotlight on their cause.
Instead, at Shahrak Ekbatan, a sprawling apartment complex located in central Tehran known for its frequent demonstrations and intense clashes, residents and videos shared on social media showcased people rejoicing and commemorating Iran’s loss.
The Iranian soccer-loving people were so excited to support their team, the Islamic Republic, that they showed their enthusiasm by chanting “America, America” in a video posted on Twitter. The video was narrated by a man in another neighborhood, Eram, who mentioned that it was 1 am.
Videos also showed people dancing in the streets of Sanandaj and Marivan, cities with large ethnic Kurdish populations, in protest of the death of 22-year-old Amini Mahsa, who died while in police custody, sparking calls for an end to clerical rule and police morality.
The youthful American squad, a confrontation against, and a last-minute victory against Wales had been a roller-coaster ride for their competition. Their team, long a representation of togetherness in a consistently polarized country, had only required a draw to progress. Iran has never progressed beyond the initial stage in a World Cup, in contrast to the United States. The intensity might have overwhelmed the Iranian team at the tournament.
The Iranian players repeatedly pushed and separated the teams’ goal after Pulisic’s tying goal, holding their own against the Americans’ repeated thrusts.
In the knockout rounds, both the United States and Iran set their sights on securing first place in the group, while the other groups fought for second place. When England took the lead over Wales in the subsequent game, their eyes were narrowed and they were determined to secure their position in the group and move into the finals. It was no secret that England led the group going into their final two games on Tuesday.
The Americans were ahead then, as several minutes into the game, Pulisic forcefully collided with Beiranvand, the goalkeeper for Iran. However, just in time, Alireza managed to redirect the ball past Pulisic and into the goal. What Pulisic had read, was that Beiranvand was charging towards the goal. Delivering a perfect skidding cross to Pulisic, Dest, sprinting up the right wing, picked out McKennie, the midfielder. It was a sequence of incisive passes that led to the goal in the 38th minute.
Substituted by one of the team’s youthful prodigies, Brenden Aaronson, Pulisic eventually made his way back onto the pitch for the concluding moments of the initial half, having initially needed assistance merely to stand and walk. However, he did not come back for the latter half — team authorities stated that he was en route to the hospital for examinations on his wounded abdominal area.
At this competition, due to its triumph, the United States team now possesses one. However, that will remain uncertain going forward, and the team mentioned on Twitter later that they sustained a pelvic contusion. The uncertainty surrounding Pulisic’s availability for the upcoming match against the Netherlands on Saturday persisted as the game concluded.
In a different sort of political matchup, England, a 3-0 winner over Wales on Tuesday, will be joined in the knockout stage.
The arrival of the Americans here was met with low expectations, with their moment anticipated to be in 2026.
Pulisic ensured that they would not need to wait.
Reporting was provided by Farnaz Fassihi and Sarah Maslin Nir from New York and Michael D. Shear from Washington.