sport news FLASHBACK: Soccer - and Iran - prevail in 1998 World Cup clash with the US trends now

Already fraught with political tensions, Tuesday's Group B finale between the United States and Iran isn't suffering for significance. 

The Americans need a win to advance to the knockout stage in Qatar, but face a surging Iranian squad coming off the country's third ever World Cup victory — a 2-0 win over a Welsh team that tied the US in the opener. Since then, Team USA stunned favorited England on Friday with a 0-0 draw by keeping the Three Lions on their heels for much of the match. 

But aside from soccer, there's the unavoidable friction between Iran and the US — two countries that have been without formal diplomatic relations since 1980. In recent years, the US has pulled out of its nuclear deal with Iran and voiced support for feminist protestors facing the government's wrath in Tehran.

The conflict was exacerbated over the weekend by a US Soccer tweet, which included an image of the Iranian flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. The omission was intended to support the protesters in Iran, according to the US Soccer Federation, which has since returned the crest to the Iranian flag on Team USA's website.

Regardless, Iran demanded FIFA boot the US from the World Cup for allegedly removing the name of God from their national flag, while '#ExpellUSA' began trending on Twitter. And as if this weren't enough of a political minefield, the match is being played in Qatar, a strategic ally of Iran that is also home to a US military air base.

But if history is any guide, the focus on Tuesday in Doha will be soccer, despite the political chest thumping. 

When they faced each other in group play at the 1998 World Cup in France, both teams silenced any agitators with a pregame group photo. The Iranians even gave white roses to their opponents, setting a peaceful tone before handing the Americans a 2-1 defeat in what remains US Soccer's greatest World Cup disappointment.

US-Iranian relations have been miserable since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, in which the American-backed Shah was ousted from power and ultimately replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. American diplomats were held hostage at the US Embassy in a prolonged standoff, and tensions were only enflamed by Iran's eight-year war with neighbor Iraq, which received financial support from the US for a period of time.

The two countries clashed over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, economic sanctions imposed on Iran, and even on the battlefield. The US bombed an Iranian frigate in 1988 in retaliation for the country's naval mining of the Persian Gulf, and later, America shot down an Iranian passenger plane, killing 290 civilians from six nations.

President Bill Clinton imposed a complete embargo on Iranian goods in 1995 over accusations of state-sponsored terrorism and Tehran's efforts to build weapons of mass destruction.

So when the two teams found themselves in the same group at the 1998 World Cup in France, the local government took notice. Riot police were enlisted to safeguard the stadium in Lyon, but were rendered unnecessary by the brewing euphoria.

Instead of anger, fans celebrated their moment together, wrapping themselves in their national flags and locking arms in the streets of Lyon. The Associated Press reported at the time that Iranian fans were heard chanting 'U-S-A,' to the pleasant surprise of their new American friends.

'We've never really stopped being friends, whatever the governments did,″ a woman named Afsaneh told the AP, while withholding her last name for fear of government retaliation back home.

'I hope the game improves relations between our countries, for business and chicks' joked Amir Hosseinzadeh, a young Sweden-based exile.

The mood inside the stadium was even better, thanks to the pre-game photo op. Iranian players met their American counterparts at midfield with bouquets of white roses — a symbol of peace in Iran — while the US players shared red and white pennants with their opponents.

The game itself wasn't played timidly by any stretch, but it was hardly a ferocious match, either. Halfback Claudio Reyna — father of current US midfielder Gio — happily helped Iranian forward Ali Daei up off the pitch after a collision. 

The only downside was that one team had to lose, and that was the US.