World Cup 2022: USA vs. Iran Preview
It’s win or go home for the U.S. Men’s National team.
USA is set to face off against Iran Tuesday at 2 p.m. and the team will need a win in order to advance into the Round of 16.
For Iran, a win or a draw will suffice, while the U.S. needs the full three points for the win.
The U.S. currently sits at third place in its group, two points behind England and one point behind Iran, and is ranked 16th overall.
Previous Matches
The red, white and blue have played against Wales and England so far, with both matches ending in a draw.
USA and Wales had a score of 1-1 while its matchup with England ended in a scoreless draw. Even though there was no score in the draw, it was still impressive considering how heavily favored England was.
The match proved that the U.S Men’s National team can go toe to toe with some of the World Cup’s best.
The team’s lone score came by way of forward, Tim Weah, in the first half of the opening match against Wales.
That score turned out to be the only shot on goal in the match. The team only had one shot on goal against England as well.
The only goal scored against the U.S. so far was the result of a late penalty kick from Welsh forward, Gareth Bale.
Iran has also played England and Wales and currently holds a 1-0-1 record. The team triumphed over Wales by a score of 2-0, but lost to England 6-2.
Iranian striker, Mehdi Taremi, was responsible for both goals against England, while Ramin Rezaeian and Roozbeh Cheshmi scored against Wales both in added time.
Keys to Victory
Time of possession will play a key factor in this match.
In its win over Iran, England was consistently on the ball with a staggering 75% possession time, which contributed to the large margin of victory.
In its two draws, the U.S. was close in possession time with 58% against Wales and 44% against England.
Being able to control the ball will certainly increase chances of victory, however, the team also needs to be aggressive.
Iran has the luxury to play for a draw, so it could potentially try to be more conservative in the match. The U.S. needs to score, so it will likely look to push the ball more than Iran will.
Although, this could prove to be a liability on defense, especially when facing an Iranian squad with such an impressive counterattack.
The U.S.’ defense has been very solid, allowing only one goal by way of a penalty kick. It’ll have to hold its ground against an Iranian attack that is averaging two goals per match.
Perhaps the biggest key is that red, white and blue need to capitalize on is set plays. The U.S. had seven corner kicks against England, but none of them led to a score.
The ability to score or draw a foul on these opportunities could prove to be the deciding factor in the match.
The U.S. has its task set in stone. Win, or go home. Will it be able to rise to the challenge?
Darian Capobianco is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dpc5734@psu.edu.
