🇺🇸 Success through suffering as the United States moves on
Biggest collective exhale from Americans since November 2020
Getting CONCACAFed is a newsletter with a regional focus. I cover everything from the teams in the knockout rounds of the men’s World Cup to teams representing some of the smallest nations in the world.
The United States did exactly what it needed to do against Iran on Tuesday. It got a win, beating Iran 1-0, scored early to take off some of the pressure and avoided a boneheaded error in defense to allow Iran back into the game.
Christian Pulisic sacrificed his body - and perhaps his future in this tournament - to get on the end of the pass from Sergino Dest and allow the Americans to take a relatively early lead, one they knew that if they could protect would mean a place in the Round of 16.
"Night of dreams,” attacker Tim Weah said. “We worked so hard as a group to be in these type of positions. Iran played a beautiful game, but thanks to Christian, he put it away and got hurt in the process, but we love him and we thank him.
“We’re through, so it’s a great feeling.”
But, man, it could’ve felt better for United States fans. That’s true even as they enjoy group stage success four years after watching the entire 2018 World Cup as neutrals because of a failure to qualify for the tournament.
There were so many nervous moments Tuesday. The entire second half, every U.S. fan was calling for a second goal to loosen the nervous feeling lodged in their chests.
Rather than give forward Jesus Ferreira his first minutes of this tournament or give Gio Reyna more burn than he did against England, U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter again went with forward Haji Wright opted to try and shut things down with Nashville SC defensive duo Walker Zimmerman and Shaq Moore, whom Iran promptly began to target with balls over the top.
After having very little pressure on Matt Turner’s goal for 80 minutes of the contest, suddenly, the Americans were defending for their World Cup lives.
Managers in Latin America often talk about their teams “learning to suffer” in these moments, coping with the stress of being under pressure from the opponent but refusing to break despite bending.
In this case, Berhalter invited the suffering onto his team, opting to ease off a gas pedal that to that point had produced a pleasant humming sound every time it was pressed down. Instead of continuing to play the match in Iran’s half and keep the pressure on the Asian squad’s defense, Berhalter took the risk of giving attackers Mehdi Taremi and Karim Ansarifard the ball at their feet. Three of Iran’s four total shots arrived in the 70th minute or later.
“We knew we could handle it.,” midfielder Weston McKennie told Fox after the match. “We love this type of stuff, we love the pressure, love the excitement because we’re a young team. We have our own swagger, we have our own style, we have our own way that we play, our own way that we connect with each other.
“You see we did it today. At the end it was a heart-drop sinking moment, but we got it done and we’re excited to still be here.”
While audiences older than the youthful and spry team members suffered through the finish, the U.S. did get the job done. It refused to make a fatal mistake and allow Iran the small chance that would’ve meant the Stars and Stripes bowing out of the competition.
“I always say it’s us against the world because no one believed the U.S. could play good football,” Weah said. “We’re just here trying to show the world.”
But Berhalter needs to believe that too.
The manager must set his team up to go toe-to-toe with the Netherlands. Goals won’t come easily against the Louis van Gaal’s stingy back three. You can’t keep red-hot Cody Gakpo off the scoresheet and lock down Frenkie de Jong by defending all game, either. The tactical plan needs to be right, but the U.S. has shown glimpses in this tournament that it’s good enough to beat a top European team.
There are lots of questions to answer before Saturday’s game: First of all whether or not the Americans’ best player will be fit to start or even play a role. But as the planning begins, the U.S. should go in believing a path is there to the quarterfinals and beyond.
The U.S. also goes in knowing that, by most measures, the tournament will go down as a success. This generation may be built for more, but the standard established during the years when the U.S. was habitually making the World Cup and by experts who follow the team before the tournament, is to get out of the group.
Is this World Cup a success for the USA? It’s too soon to say, but after a stressful and suffered win Tuesday, it can say the tournament isn’t a failure.
Yes, it’s a success. I didn’t think we could go through, not before the tournament, not before the game. Anything from here is gravy.