was a big moment for the U.S.
Soccer program today as the
men's team won a nailbiter to
advance to the knockout round of
the world cup.
It is just the third time the
U.S. Men have advanced to the
round of 16 and it is an
important victory after the team
failed to qualify for the last
world cup.
I'm then the boss -- our
reporter looks at the drama
behind today's game.
Amna: By any measure, this is a
high stakes match.
The U.S. Stayed alive in the
world cup.
That tension was matched only by
tensions off the field.
Two geopolitical photos facing
off and Iran's team under a
white-hot spotlight as
antiregime protests continue
back home.
For more on the game, the cop,
and the politics of it all, I'm
joined by the cohost of the
soccer podcast caught outside.
I want to ask you about that
game, that glorious, hard-fought
game.
The U.S. Did pull out a win in
the end.
What stood out to you from the
match?
J.J.: The U.S. Midfield once
again, we are going to be
listing those names like the
founding fathers by the end of
the tournament.
They are the heartbeat of the
team.
We got the goal.
The second half that was
needlessly tough and turgid for
the U.S., and Iran almost
getting that vital equalizer
towards the end.
Amna: It had me screaming at the
television.
This is the team that failed to
even qualify for the world cup
in 2018.
How big a moment is this win for
them?
J.J.: Huge.
It is a huge moment and when you
take yourself back to that
moment when we did not qualify
in 2018 the U.S. Program was in
turmoil, and now, it is a
completely young team.
There is only one member of the
2014 world cup site that remains
so they use an verve of this
team is very important.
Amna: As you well know, before a
single minute was even played,
the politics were part of this
match.
The protests in Iran are in
their 10th week.
The Iranian players in their
very first match did not sing
along to their national anthem.
The U.S. Soccer team briefly
posted an altered image of
Iran's fly without the emblem of
the islamic republic.
The games are not being played
in a vacuum but are they usually
this politically charged?
Amna: -- J.J.: Not really.
This tournament has highlighted
politics in sport.
It was always happening.
Maybe with social media, we were
not so aware about from the
minute the spotlight has been on
Qatar as hosts, the human rights
record, their attitude towards
lgbtq+ people, so there was a
spotlight on the tournament.
It was heightened when obviously
the Iranian protests continue to
really affect the team on the
field and then of course the
action that was taken by the
soccer federation, not by the
team.
The team were unaware of the
social media stance U.S. Sf
would -- would ussf -- even
Serbia and Albania were involved
in heightening that kind of talk
about that regional dispute.
The Serbians putting a flag in
their locker room before the
Brazil game with the flag of
Serbia and Kosovo superimposed
so this has been a tournament
that really has highlighted your
political issues and they have
come to the fore.
Amna: You mentioned that press
conference.
That was fiery to say the least.
Iranian journalists putting
tough questions to the coach and
to the U.S. Captain, Tyler
Adams.
He was asked if he is ok playing
for a country in which there is
so much discrimination against
black people.
Adams said this.
He said there is discrimination
everywhere you go.
One thing I have learned from
living abroad in the past year
is having to fit in in different
cultures and assimilate into
different cultures.
In the U.S., we are continuing
to make progress every day.
As long as you see progress,
that is the most important
thing.
You have watched a lot of these
press conferences.
What did you make watching that
one?
J.J.: I thought it was extremely
aggressive and not usually the
kind of topic that comes up in a
press conference.
A soccer press conference.
The aggressive tone was from the
start.
Adams was attacked in terms of
his, you know, the way he
pronounced Iran.
And then taking them to task
over the racial injustice issues
in the United States.
He was asked about the position
of U.S. And naval fleets in the
persian gulf so this is really
just a kind of -- I think it was
inflamed by the U.S. Social
media posts and there seem to be
some kind of backlash from
Iranian journalists, many of
them state journalists, but you
don't see that regularly.
It is never usually like that.
Amna: We have many more games to
go.
The team will face the
Netherlands in the next round,
the knockout rounds.
Can they win?
J.J.: Yes.
The Netherlands have not pulled
up any trees.
They did qualify.
They have not quite been the
team that we expected.
They are vulnerable and the U.S.
Have proven that they can
control the ball and the game.
Can they score enough goals?
That is the question.
Amna: That is the question we
will be watching.
Jj, host of the soccer podcast
caught offside.
Thank you for joining us.
J.J.: Thank you for having me.