THUMAMA-UNS- US beats Iran in ‘gladiatorial’ contest in FIFA world cup on Tuesday evening. ALL roads led to Al Thumama Stadium on Tuesday night, the tension palpable in the air, the sense of occasion overwhelming. There has been so much before, there will be so much more after but this felt like the end of the world; last-16 heaven and salvation in store for the victors, end of the road for the losers.
It was a battle of attrition on the pitch between geo-political rivals Iran and the United States, 90 minutes of mayhem eventually settled by a goal by Christian Pulisic, who put his body on the line to turn in a header by Serginho Dest in the 38th minute. The 1-0 victory meant the US finished second in Group ‘B’ and advanced to a round-of-16 tie against the Netherlands while Iran’s journey came to an end.
It’s not often that football throws up fixtures so deeply interlaced with political rivalry but here, in the middle of the Arabian desert, at football’s grandest stage, teams from two countries with no diplomatic relations since 1980 slugging it out for the right to remain in Qatar.
It couldn’t have been a more compelling setting; the 44,000-seater stadium shaped like the traditional Arab cap worn by men abuzz with activity, a cacophony of noise.
The last time these two sides had met at the World Cup, 24 years ago in France, Iran’s players had given their American counterparts white roses as diplomatic tensions between them had reduced. There was no such thing this time.
Former US coach Juergen Klinsmann, a World Cup winner with Germany, had stirred up this tie when he’d said in television comments that it was in the Iranian culture to heckle the referees that forced them to lose focus, provoking a strong reaction from Iran coach Carlos Queiroz who invited Klinsmann to attend an Iran training session but only after he resigns from Fifa’s Technical Study Group.
