USA frustrates England in 0-0 draw, will advance with win over Iran

The Americans held their own Friday against a top-tier European side, always a welcome sight. They forced England to scramble and sweat far more often than oddsmakers had expected. In the end, however, their first-round World Cup match in Al Khor, Qatar, produced nothing more than massive adrenalin rush and a scoreless draw.

That frustrating result left the U.S. with two points from two matches, and facing a dire ultimatum: Beat Iran on Tuesday, or head home in defeat before the knockout round.

The permutations are now simple enough now. A victory in their Group B finale against Iran will assure advancement for the Americans. A tie or defeat will bring an unhappy close to the four-year Gregg Berhalter era.

“Both teams worked hard, gave each other difficulties at times,” Berhalter said, after the draw. “Any time you can get a shutout in the World Cup, it’s a good thing. I’d like to see goals. We’re proud, but our work is not done.”

If nothing else, this solid performance should boost the team’s confidence going into that decisive match against Iran. The Americans had faltered badly in the second half of their opener against Wales. This time, they came out of the tunnel at halftime with resolve, maintaining their shape under intense pressure. They earned corners by the bunch – seven, throughout the game – and were clearly the better team for the final 45 minutes. England labored unsuccessfully to produce the same bolts of energy.

The match began tentatively for the Americans, who chased the ball for a good part of the first half. Even then, however, they were not without their chances. Weston McKennie skied a half volley from eight yards out in the 26th minute and then Christian Pulisic rocketed a left footer from distance off the crossbar in the 33rd.

“There were a lot of positives,” said Pulisic, who played well but is still looking for his first World Cup goal. “We had stretches even in the first half when we looked dominant and created chances. We managed the game quite well. We felt we could have even won the game. We just have to be slightly more clinical and continue to be aggressive creating more and more chances.”

U.S. goalkeeper Turner didn’t have much action, until he made a critical save late in that first half on a scorcher from Mason Mount. Harry Kane, still nursing an ankle injury, was practically invisible for England until he missed a dangerous header in the final minutes of the match.

One discouraging development for Berhalter: He has yet to discover an answer at striker, which is why the Americans have scored only one goal in 180 minutes. On Friday, Berhalter started Haji Wright at center forward, replacing Josh Sargent. Wright, 24, began his professional career with the New York Cosmos in 2015 in the second-tier North American Soccer League. He has been on a scoring tear for Antalyaspor in the Turkish League. But Wright has only four career appearances for the national team, and his inexperience showed. With the exception of one harmless header, he created no real chances for himself in the box during his 82-plus minutes.

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The Americans are now undefeated in three World Cup games against England, enjoying an odd history of success against that team. Their 1-0 victory in Brazil, in 1950, is considered one of the greatest upsets in the tournament’s history. In 2010, the U.S. managed a 1-1 draw in South Africa after England goalkeeper Rob Green fumbled a seemingly harmless shot by Clint Dempsey.

But at the same time, the U.S. has now failed to actually defeat a European opponent in the World Cup in 11 straight matches, dating back to its victory over Portugal in 2002.

“I don’t think we’re really disappointed,” McKennie said, of the U.S. “We felt it today. The fans felt it. We were all in. We had a majority of chances. We were more dangerous, but we just couldn’t get it in the back of the net. That was the one thing that was missing.”

As for England, the draw did little damage to that team’s chances of advancement. Even if England loses to Wales on Tuesday, its goal-differential advantage will likely prevail.

The Americans are on a far thinner tightrope. They will face a revitalized Iran side on Tuesday. Hours before their match against England, the Americans watched as Iran upset 10-man Wales, 2-0, with two goals in stoppage time, greatly complicating the path toward advancement from the group.

“The most important thing is it’s now all in our hands,” McKennie said.

Their feet, actually. And those feet better score some goals.