Brazil, the only Latino installed in the round of 16.
The rest are still standing 7:56
(CNN) --
The decisive moment came for the United States team (USMNT) in the World Cup in Qatar: this Tuesday the only thing that will help them is a victory against Iran, in a game in which the winner takes everything .
The team that wins will reach the round of 16 at Qatar 2022, and for the US team, even a draw would eliminate them from the tournament.
It will be a match fraught with political tension as the two countries have not had a formal diplomatic relationship since April 1980 as a result of Iran's November 1979 takeover of the US Embassy following the country's Islamic Revolution. .
In the buildup to the game, Iran's state media called for the United States to be kicked out of the 2022 World Cup after the US Soccer Federation changed Iran's flag on its social media accounts to show his support for the protesters in Iran.
ANALYSIS |
Did the US team score an own goal before their game against Iran in Qatar?
Two ties have given the US team a chance to reach the round of 16 of the World Cup. (Credit: Ashley Landis/AP)
The federation told CNN that it wanted to change the official flag for 24 hours to show "support for women in Iran fighting for basic human rights," but always planned to go back to the original flag.
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US national team coach Gregg Berhalter has backed away from the underlying political controversies, saying his focus is solely on soccer.
“The thing about football is that you meet so many different people from all over the world and you come together in a common love of the sport,” Berhalter told reporters after the match against England.
“I see that the game is very close due to the fact that both teams want a place in the next round, not because of politics.
"We are footballers and we are going to compete and they are going to compete and that's it," added the coach.
So far, the US soccer team has drawn both of its games: 1-1 against Wales after losing the lead late, and 0-0 against England, a team full of superstars.
Against England, the USMNT's young “golden generation” faced their biggest test yet and appeared to be the more threatening of the two teams for much of the game before holding their own against England's late pressure.
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Timothy Weah has scored the only goal for the USA at the 2022 World Cup in the first two games in the group stage. (Credit: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
Iran, a dangerous enemy for the US that has performed brilliantly in Qatar
There were a lot of bright spots for the US in that game.
The team showed tactical flexibility by switching to a 4-4-2 formation;
his defense kept his unbeaten arc against a European opponent in a World Cup from 1950;
Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie all outperformed their English counterparts in midfield, while Christian Pulisic was the creative playmaker his team need him to be.
Although the US team is currently ranked four places above Iran in the FIFA world rankings, they will be wary of their opponent who kept their own World Cup qualification hopes alive with a dramatic 2-0 win against Wales. on Friday.
Iran scored both goals in stoppage time after Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey received a red card: the first was a brilliant 98th-minute strike from Rouzbeh Cheshmi and the second a Ramin Rezaeian shot over substitute keeper Danny Ward.
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Iran celebrates after defeating Wales. (Credit: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)
The result puts Iran's World Cup back on track after it was somewhat derailed by a 6-2 opening loss against England and showed a truer indication of the talent contained within the team looking to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup. for the first time in its history.
“Now, we have to make sure that we are good enough to go through to the second round,” Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said after the Wales game, Reuters reported.
“The USA are also a brilliant team, as we saw against Wales.
"Our preparation begins with a good rest, refresh the mind and leave all the complementary things and rubbish out of our mind and focus on our goal because what we want to do is give this gift to the Iranian fans", added the DT of Iran.
Iran appears at the tournament under the shadow of internal turmoil following widespread protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died after being detained by Iran's morality police, allegedly for failing to abide by the rules. conservatives of the country's dress code.
Since then, Iranian security forces have unleashed a violent response to the demonstrations.
During the performance of the national anthems ahead of Iran's opening match against England on Monday, Iranian players fell silent in what was widely interpreted as a show of solidarity with those protesting at home, although the players sang the national anthem on its second match against Wales, albeit moderately.
In the other Group B game, England look to seal their near-certain place in the round of 16 against Wales.
If England beat Wales, the US would qualify second in the group provided they beat Iran;
whereas if England lose, the USA would finish top of their group.
Finishing second would make his most likely opponent the Netherlands, while finishing first would likely attract either Ecuador or Senegal.
World Cup Qatar 2022
