“My hair on my head is less now.”

The United States is ready for the round of 16 after beating Iran 1-0 on Tuesday night. A match that was split into two completely different halves.

– I’m very proud. In the first half, we showed what we were capable of in terms of football. The others showed what we can do in terms of attitude, the players gave everything we could and we didn’t lose before the playoffs, coach Greg Berhalter said after the game.

The biggest hero of the match was Chelsea star Christian Pulisic, who was injured by the goal and had to go out during the break.

– I have no update on his condition. It’s great when one of the best players is also one of the hardest workers. I can’t say enough positive things about him.

The ending couldn’t be more dramatic. In the closing stages of the match, Cameron Carter-Vickers appeared to bring down Mehdi Taremi in the penalty area. The connection was not enough and Antonio Mateu Lahoz chose not to award a penalty.

– But this new extra time, where every second counts, is very stressful. I think my hair on my head is less now. Berhalter concludes: We take this with us and move on.

The USA will now face the Netherlands in the round of 16 on Saturday afternoon.