U.S. Faces Iran in Key World Cup Showdown
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In the final Group B game of the World Cup, Iran and the U.S. will meet at the same time Tuesday as the match between England and Wales. In reality, any of the four teams can still go out and head through to the knockout rounds, but the statistics and odds are not favoring the U.S. before the battle with Iran.
With a tie against England and Wales already on the board, here’s our betting picks for the U.S. game against Iran.
Must-Win Game for U.S.
The Stars and Stripes are clinging onto the last bit of hope at this World Cup following a 0-0 tie against England. Although a tie against one of the favorites to win the competition deserves some credit, the result in the group table now looks very different as the U.S has to win this game. A tie will mean it finishes on three points and Iran on four points, forcing the U.S out of the World Cup.
A win, however, will put the Yanks at five points and ahead of Iran and into second round.
If Wales can beat England by a score of 4-0, it will go through with the U.S, as long as it beats Iran. It is, however, expected that England will avoid a defeat against Wales and head through, so most of the attention in Group B is going to be on the U.S.-Iran game.
The U.S did look good against England at times, especially in the offense. Breaking down the England midfield is far from easy, but Gregg Berhalter managed to figure out how to break the lines of its midfield three. Against Iran, Berhalter’s team will need to bring the same energy, because anything but a win sends the U.S home.
The U.S to win 2-1 is +750 with FanDuel Sportsbook.
U.S. Star Ready to Make His Mark
It’s been a troubling time for Christian Pulisic since his move to England in 2019. However, the golden boy of U.S. soccer always seems to turn up for his country when it needs it, and he also managed to assist the only U.S goal of the World Cup so far for Timothy Weah.
Pulisic started in a 4-3-3 against Wales but played a bit deeper in a midfield four against England, as the focus was more on defense in that game because of England's excellent attack.
Now, against Iran, the 4-3-3 formation is expected to make a comeback, and the added desperation to win only adds more emphasis on offense for Pulisic and the U.S.
If there is ever a time for the Chelsea star to put his marker down on the international stage for the U.S, it’s now.
Christian Pulisic to have one or more shots on target is -250 with FanDuel.
Iran Looks to Upset the Odds Again
Iran has already turned the odds upside down at this tournament with a sensational 2-0 win over Wales. Mehdi Taremi also managed to score twice against England, and a late rally from Iran in that loss to the Three Lions hasn’t quite been spoken about enough.
In fact, in Iran’s two games so far, it has scored twice in both. At the same time, all four goals have come within the last 25 minutes of the game, and three of them have all arrived in stoppage time.
Taremi’s first goal against England was a beauty, and the second was a penalty against the Three Lions. The Porto striker was a little more ineffective against Wales as he played on the wing, but he still managed to have a shot on target and test the Welsh defense a few times.
Mehdi Taremi to score anytime is +290 with FanDuel.
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