USA vs. Iran Today: Win or Be Really Embarrassed

QATAR — Today’s World Cup match is more than just a game. Unless you’ve been living under a really big, really deep in-the-ground rock, you would know that the history between the US and Iran is strained to say the least.

Heavy economic sanctions placed on Iran by the United States (for reasons that would take me a long time to write) have devastated the Iran economy for generations and although the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2015 promised to lift these sanctions under the condition that Iran would surrender its nuclear capabilities, tensions have continued to rise between the two countries.

In their last meeting, Iran defeated the United States in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup. The USMNT viewed it as the worst and most embarrassing loss in program history, and citizens in Tehran were reported to be dancing in the streets.

With tensions on the rise again, both teams would love nothing more than to beat the hell out of the other team and make their politicians and countrymen happy. The game is at 1 PM CST so tune in from your couch, from a pub, or from the laptop in your cubicle – it’s win or be really embarrassed.