USA-IRAN (1-1)

Brad Friedel (6). A bit reluctant to leave his line early in the match, and may have been a step too deep before charging quickly on first goal. His dive at the feet of Azizi kept the score at 1-0 as the U.S. defense was reeling. Held his ground to deny Mahdavikia at near post. Frankie Hejduk (5). Served several good balls, and blistering speed forced Iranian midfielder Halali to stay back. Lack of defensive savvy and tendency to wander disrupted U.S. defensive shape in first half hour. Marcelo Balboa (4). Cracked in the face by Daei in the first minute. Stranded on Iran goal. Improved in second half and won more duels, yet poor distribution included a giveaway that triggered counter and good opportunity for Mahdavikia. Carlos Llamosa (5). Marooned several times in opening minutes as miscommunication hindered him and Balboa. Cut off more attacks after being told to step up higher. Squelched two Iranian chances in second half with astute interceptions. Jeff Agoos (4). Lead-footed several times in the first half, and Azizi embarrassed him just before hitting the post. More secure in the second half, and passing up the line was good. Blunted a counter with strong midfield tackle, also received a caution in similar situation. Tony Sanneh (4). Had missed some training due to injury and tweaked a hamstring during the game. Shot wide in the first half and seldom threatened the Iranian defense. A bit out of sorts with Jones drifting to his side frequently and Hejduk steaming forth behind him, but played OK defensively to contain Emamifar. Chris Armas (7). Soft tackle let Azizi slip by to set up goal during shaky start. Gradually gained control of central midfield and tested keeper from distance with his right foot before finishing superbly with his left and narrowly missing a potential match-winner. The ideal strut for Reyna. Claudio Reyna (7). One of his most thorough games. Prominent at both ends of the field. Ripped a left-footer in the first half that Tabatabei turned over the bar. Consistently found the ball in midfield, often by dropping back to evade pressure, and pinpointed teammates with his passes. Eddie Lewis (5). Plagued by glitches and bad luck. Volleyed over the goal from close range, shot straight at the keeper, flubbed a great chance from point-blank range, and had a goal-bound scissor-kick blocked by a teammate. Twisted opponents into the ground on a few times. Cobi Jones (8). Dangerous throughout the match. Worked the touchline and bylines well and his cross to set up Armas’ goal was not even his best moment. Spin move to set up Armas’ shot that dribbled wide was a beauty. Hit far post in the second minute and was wide open when Reyna blasted over the bar from edge of the six. Brian McBride (6). Won a ton of balls in the air to set up chances for teammates, but botched a great first-half opportunity by heading right to the keeper. Did his job competently and with determination.

SUBSTITUTES

Ben Olsen (5). Came on for Sanneh in the 62nd minute to little effect. Switched to the left side in the final minutes when Lewis came out. Jovan Kirovski (NR). Rustiness due to recent inactivity kept him on the bench most of the game. No impact on the match.

IRAN

Hadi Tabatabei (6), Javad Zarrincheh (5), Mehdi Hadhemi-Nasab (4), Mahmood Fekri (5), Mehdi Mahdavikia (7), Alireza Emamifar (4), Sattar Hamedani (5), Esmaiel Halali (4), Hamid Estili (5), Ali Daei (7), Khodadad Azizi (8). Substitute: Sirous Dinmohammadi (6).

BRIEFLY

BEST PLAYER
Khodadad Azizi caused plenty of havoc early on, setting up Mehdi Mahdavikia’s goal and nearly adding two more on Iran’s deadly counterattack. When the U.S. defense tightened on him, his effectiveness waned, but he continued to be dangerous on occasion. BEST AMERICAN
You could make a case for Chris Armas, who scored the tying goal and played solid defense, or Cobi Jones, the little engine that made the American attack – when it was working – work. Our vote goes to classy Claudio Reyna, who from deep in midfield orchestrated a second-half possession game that portends better results once things really begin to click. BEST/WORST MOMENT
Iran’s goal was both, depending on one’s perspective. It was a brilliant piece of work marked by slicing runs through the U.S. defense by Azizi and Mahdavikia. The Americans should have made it tougher – they got caught ballwatching at the worst time. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Tony Sanneh twinged a hamstring in training, and it finally forced him out after 62 mostly dreadful minutes. His touch was off, his concentration lagged, and twice teammates sent balls his way only to learn he was thinking about something else. TURNING POINT
Defenders Marcelo Balboa and Carlos Llamosa finally tightened the space around Azizi and Ali Daei after about a half-hour, and Iran’s counterattack – so frightening to that point – all but disappeared. Jeff Agoos sounded the warning, spilling Azizi as he took off out of midfield in the 36th minute. The Iranians managed just one decent break after that.