• The Americans, who were still living with failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup until they exorcised it Tuesday, would have been excoriated had they not been able to get by Iran and reach the knockout stage.
• With that out of the way, it should liberate the Americans, who should now be in house-money mode.
• Who knows? Maybe the U.S. will — ahem — break out and score two goals against the Netherlands in their knockout round match Saturday, despite the fact they managed only two in the three-game group stage.

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