The United States they control their fate by entering the final round of the group stage despite failing to capitalize on their chances against England on Friday at the Al Bayt Stadium.
This is what happened in the World Cup Friday and what to expect on Saturday.
Iran got their first win against a European team in the World Cup by scoring twice in extra time. Iran had been pressing all game, taking 21 shots to Wales’ 10, but when the Dragons’ goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey he was sent off in the 86th minute for a poorly timed challenge outside his box, the floodgates opened. Hennessey is only the third goalkeeper to receive a red card in a World Cup match.
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The fate of Iran is now in its own hands. A win over the United States on Tuesday (2 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App) would advance Iran beyond the group stage for the first time in history. Anything less and Iran would depend on the outcome of England-Wales.
Suffice it to say that the US should be prepared for Iran to target three points.
Senegal got back on track after their 2-0 loss to the Netherlands on Monday, but it was at the expense of the host nation, which was knocked out of the tournament with Friday’s result and a draw between the Netherlands and Ecuador. Qatar is the first host nation to be eliminated in their second group stage match.
The Netherlands should have no problem getting past Qatar and advancing to the knockout stage based on what we’ve seen from their two matches. The true duel of transcendence is Senegal-Ecuador (10 a.m. ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports App). With Ecuador only one point behind Senegal, they need a win or a draw to avoid being eliminated.
The United States had England hot on their heels for most of Friday’s game, but Gregg Berhalter’s side came within inches of upsetting the mighty Three Lions.
However, the Americans got one point, which means that a win against Iran will see them through to the knockout stage no matter what happens with England-Wales. It really is “win or go home” for young Americans.
WORLD CUP 2022: USA FEEL CONFIDENT TO HEAD INTO DO OR DIE MAIN MATCH AFTER DRAW WITH ENGLAND
GOAL OF THE DAY
The dagger in Iran’s win against Wales was an absolute beauty.
SAVING OF THE DAY
England mason assembly he sent a powerful shot toward the United States goal, but Matt Turner dove to block it out of bounds. It was the difference between a loss and a draw for the US.
ESSENTIAL MOMENT
Before Iran’s late burst, he had the worst luck in front of goal. Nothing illustrates this better than the sequence in which the ball hits the post on consecutive shot attempts. That’s the kind of thing you normally only see in video games.
Iran kept their confidence and found the back of the net not once, but twice in the last 10 minutes of the game.
SATURDAY GAMES
Tunisia vs. Australia5am ET on FS1
Australia is the only team in Group D without a point. The good news for the Socceroos is that they are all in the group, but France have one point, so a win would put Australia back in contention for a place in the knockout round. Alternatively, a loss would put them out of the tournament, even in the event of a massive upset against France.
Poland vs. Saudi Arabia8 a.m. ET on FS1
Saudi Arabia shocked the world when it beat Lionel Messi‘s Argentina 2-1 in their first group game on Tuesday. A win against Robert Lewandowski’s Poland on Saturday would not be such a surprise, but it would secure their place in the knockout phase, which no one could have predicted ahead of the tournament.
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France vs. Denmark11 a.m. ET on FS1
Denmark can re-establish themselves as one of the dark horses to go far in the tournament with a positive result against one of the favorites to win it all, France. It would also put him in a good position heading into their final group game against Australia on Wednesday (10am ET on FS1 and FOX Sports App).
Argentina against Mexico2 pm ET on FS1
Argentina’s path to the round of 16 passes through Mexico. No matter what happens in Poland against Saudi Arabia earlier in the day, or Saudi Arabia against Mexico on Wednesday, a positive result against Mexico is needed. From here, the only results that matter to Argentina are the games they play.