UPSET!

What?  

The U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) defeated Iran 1-0 in Tuesday's World Cup soccer match?

Okay, I admit it I was wrong about the men's national soccer team.  (I was also wrong when I said that the U.S. and Iran were in Group D when they're in Group B; sorry about that, I fixed it.) .  When I saw that game, I, as Bill Maher might say,  went from "God damn USMNT!" to "God damn, USMNT!" 😊 

The USMNT is the third youngest team in this World Cup tournament, and they have a lot of energy and heart that other teams lack.  Also a lot of grit, and it was that grit that enabled Christian Pulisic (below) to score the only goal in Tuesday's game.

I saw the game on a recording the day after it happened, and to be honest, I knew the result beforehand.  When my mother told me that one of the players had hurt himself badly, I thought to myself, "That happens, that's why they have subs."  When I found out it was Christian Pulisic who'd injured himself, I thought, "Oh, this team is going to lose the next game big time!"   Pulisic got hurt in scoring the game's only goal and colliding with the Iranian goalkeeper.  The idea of the team carrying on without Pulisic is the sports equivalent of when the Doors tried to carry on after Jim Morrison died.  

The U.S .plays the Netherlands on Saturday.  Pulisic, hospitalized with a pelvic contusion, says he should be back in shape by then.  That's a tall order, but we'll see if he's able as soon as he's better . . . and better as soon as he's able.