Social media erupts after Christian Pulisic's painful, 'heroic' goal vs. Iran

Social media was quick to react with heavy praise for the 24-year-old, calling him "fierce and determined" and an "American Hero," among other things. NFL superstar J.J. Watt also chimed in, alluding to Pulisic's painful sacrifice to score the goal.

Though Pulisic was able to return to close out the first half after a brief absence, he wasn't on the pitch after intermission, due to what ESPN reported as an "abdominal injury." A member of the Chelsea Football Club since 2019, Pulisic's goal in the 38th minute held up over the entire second half - which included nearly 10 minutes of injury time.

Despite the narrow win, the U.S. dominated in scoring chances, recording 12 shots (five on goal) vs. the Iranian's four (one).

With the win, the U.S. advances to the knockout round for the seventh time in their history and the first since 2014, while Iran is eliminated from the World Cup. The U.S. will face the Netherlands at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday and try to make the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.