Soccer fans in all 50 states can finally breathe a sigh of relief after more than 90 minutes of thrilling World Cup action. However, after all that, they never stopped posting.
Background: The United States advanced past the group stage of the World Cup on Tuesday (November 29) with a thrilling 1-0 win over Iran. The game was fiercely tight, and the Americans barely lasted the last 30 minutes. The second screen experience online was also exciting. The big takeaway, at least in the US? Holy crap it was so scary. There were a lot of tweets and jokes about sweating the game.
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
Before the actual game, most of the talk was about everything other than football. The game’s geopolitical implications and undertones were striking. There have been massive protests in Iran over its treatment of women, leading to hundreds of deaths, disappearances and arrests. The temperature surrounding the game rose when the US men’s national team’s social accounts briefly changed images of the Iranian flag in an effort to show support for the protests. So this was much more than a game.
In the pre-match press conference, US captain Tyler Adams even had to push back from an Iranian reporter who asked the black player about discrimination in America and how he can represent a country with racism. The clip went viral after Adams deftly responded.
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
Messages focusing on geopolitics did not necessarily stop as the game progressed. Of course, ordinary people – and professional athletes – often don’t have much to do with political leaders.
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
Quite the opposite, during the actual game, US star Christian Pulisic was injured while scoring the only goal of the game. He seemed to kneel, um, groin area at full speed. The jokes flew, as usual.
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
The tweet may have been deleted
(opens in a new tab)
After the massive victory, the United States will face the Netherlands in the round of 16 on Saturday. Everyone, get your Twitter fingers ready.
