USMNT draws England to set up must-win match against Iran

Sunset your Revolutionary War banter — a reverse Paul Revere — and throw overboard your Boston Tea Party jokes because after Friday’s gripping 0-0 draw with England at the 2022 World Cup, it’s all in front of the United States men’s national team now. 

Come Tuesday is an all-or-nothing Group B matchup that’s much more fraught in a modern geopolitical sense and more manageable in a soccer sense. 

Get a win over Iran and the United States will book a spot in the Round of 16, matching the runs of their 2010 and 2014 squads. 

Lose — or let a well-organized but less talented Iran team drag them into a defensive stalemate of a draw — and the Americans head home to face four more years of questions and recriminations about their place in the global game, perhaps even more urgent than those that have dogged them since they missed the 2018 edition of the tournament altogether. No pressure. 

“We’re proud, but our work’s not done,” said U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter, whose team sits third in the group with two points from two draws. “We have to win on Tuesday. We know five points gets us in, we have to focus on the five points.” 

Friday’s showing against England, the No. 5 team in the world rankings, certainly bodes well. 

Aside from tentative starts to both halves, the U.S. — which entered with higher than 3-1 odds to nab a draw and higher than 5-1 odds to win — was the more assertive and energetic team, the better team, and produced the more convincing attacking moments. 

“We felt — and I think the fans felt it — we were all-in,” midfielder Weston McKennie said. “We held the ball really well, I think we had the majority of the chances. We were more dangerous, it just sucks that we couldn’t get in the back of the net.” 

Christian Pulisic, who dented the crossbar in the 33rd minute and won a series of corner kicks in the second half, deservingly was named man of the match, even if his delivery on set pieces was lacking. McKennie and Yunus Musah dominated the midfield for significant stretches. Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson were outstanding defensively in cleaning up messes. Matt Turner was equal to the moment, diving to save a shot from England’s Mason Mount in first-half stoppage time. 

Still, the U.S. has not scored in more than 150 minutes going back to Tim Weah’s curtain-raiser, and Iran — which vaulted to second in Group B with Friday’s 2-0 victory over 10-man Wales — will not be easy to break down. And there are load-management issues to consider going into what will be the team’s third game in nine days after the U.S. used 10 of the same starters as in Monday’s opener. 

“I think the team has come a very long way and I think we should be proud of the performance,” Pulisic told reporters, “but most of all it should spark confidence and give us a great feeling going into this last match that’s a must-win for us.”