The USMNT logged their first win in the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday and it could not have come at a better time. The Americans secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Iran, which allowed them to secure their spot in the knockout stage.

After drawing their first two matches against Wales and England, the USMNT had to win their final group-stage game in order to advance to the next round. A loss or a draw against Iran would have spelled the end of the tournament for the United States, with Iran advancing to the knockout stage along with group B winners England. Nothing short of a win was needed, and so the Americans delivered when it mattered the most.

USMNT star winger Christian Pulisic scored the only goal of the game with a tap-in in the 38th minute of the match. It was the Chelsea man's first goal of the tournament and it proved enough to secure the win for the United States:

https://twitter.com/search?q=pulisic&src=typed_query&f=video

USMNT fans on Twitter breathed a collective sigh of relief after watching their team advance to the Round of 16 with a massive win:

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Christian Pulisic AC Milan

Fahad Hamid ·

Christian Pulisic celebrating in front of the USMNT and AC Milan logo

Fremont Farkas ·

Haji Wright Manchester United

Fahad Hamid ·

It may not have been the USMNT's best performance ever, but a win is a win. The boys bagged the three points, and they're now advancing to the next round.

The United States will now be facing off against Netherlands, who themselves won their group with a 2-0 win over host nation Qatar on Tuesday. It will be an undeniably tough test for the USMNT as they battle a powerhouse Dutch side that have title aspirations for this tournament. These two teams take to the field in a single-elimination match on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals.