US tops Iran to advance in World Cup

The U.S. pulled out a 1-0 victory Tuesday over Iran to move onto the next stage of World Cup in Qatar.

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Christian Pulisic earned the U.S. its goal Tuesday at 38 minutes. He finished the first half of play before being subbed for Brenden Aaronson due to an abdominal injury, according to officials with the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team.

Coach Gregg Berhalter said after the match that he had no updates on Pulisic’s status. He praised the 24-year-old, nicknamed “Captain America” by fans, for his skill and hard work. Berhalter noted that the team had a particularly good first half.

“The first half we showed what we could do soccer-wise,” he said. “(The) second half, we showed what we could do determination-wise.”

The win on Tuesday comes after the U.S. drew its first two matches in Qatar. On Nov. 21, Wales tied the U.S. in penalty shots, ending their match 1-1 after an earlier goal by Timothy Weah. Four days later, on Friday, the U.S. and England met for what would turn out to be a scoreless draw.

Iran lost 6-2 to England — a team that is also advancing to the round of 16 — on Nov. 21. On Friday, the team claimed victory over Wales in a 2-0 match.

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The U.S. will go on to face the Netherlands on Saturday.

Typically, the World Cup is held in the summer months, however, organizers said the heat in Qatar prompted them to instead hold this year’s competition in the winter.

The final game of the tournament is scheduled to be played Dec. 18.

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