U.S. enters group stage finale vs. Iran in desperate need of win
Monday, November 16, 2019, 4:22 PM
U.S. midfielder Rose Lavelle, who scored against Iran in a U.S. Open Cup match at Stanford University last year, talks with teammates during a technical session. Photo: AP
Iran’s U.S. opponents have long known about their most dangerous foe.
But in the United States, the other team has rarely made much of an effort to prepare.
That’s changed as the Americans have built their roster and strategy around a game plan that has relied heavily on a high volume of goals from the attacking midfielders.
The U.S. needs to win this crucial final group clash in a desperate effort to reach the knockout stage.
After beating Portugal in an exhibition match in Portugal, the U.S. finished second to Germany in their first match of group play against Iran.
But the result was in no way a surprise.
The U.S. had the best attack in the group in the exhibition game, when it scored three goals. The U.S. has scored at least three goals in six of its seven matches, but the U.S. is one of eight teams in the knockout stage to have won a game without scoring a goal, and the U.S. is one of four teams to have scored four or more goals and not taken a point.
“This game has to be played at a high level, a level that they haven’t been able to,” said U.S. midfielder Rose Lavelle, who scored against Iran in a U.S. Open Cup match at Stanford University last year. “As far as winning these games, no, you’re not going to win every game. You need to put in the right effort and get the results that are important for you at this level.”
Iran’s best chance to score on the U.S. is attacking from the wing, where some of its key players possess impressive skills.
Iran’s two most dangerous wingers, midfielder Babak Hosseini and defender Baba Dajani, both have had success against the U.S. this year.
