FLASHBACK: Soccer - and Iran - prevail in 1998 World Cup clash with the US

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.

Coming off an impressive performance at the 1994 World Cup, which included an upset of tournament favorites Colombia, the Americans began 1998 by beating Brazil as the CONCACAF Gold Cup in February. With several holdovers from four years earlier, and a pair of Premier League keepers — Liverpool's Brad Friedel and Leicester City's Kasey Keller — the US appeared ready to turn the corner as a soccer power.

The team was also encouraged by the addition of Predrag Radosavljević, the Yugoslavian-born attacking midfielder known as Preki, who had become one of the MLS's top scorers.

Despite it all, the Americans fell flat on their face in the group opener against aging Germany, losing 2-0, while giving up a goal to future Team USA coach, Jürgen Klinsmann.

But it was the second match, against Iran, that officially spoiled the 1998 World Cup for the US. Despite possessing the ball for most of the match, the US couldn't generate any opportunities offensively. Instead, Iran was able to capitalize on its fleeting chances, as Hamid Estili beat Keller on a header in the 40th minute.

What wasn't revealed until recently is that Iranian government officials allegedly paid a visit to the team at halftime in a misguided attempt at motivating the players. 

Then-US coach Steve Sampson recently claimed to Time that he was told by then-Iranian manager Jalal Talebi that players had their passports confiscated by the officials, who told them 'if they didn't beat the United States, they were not welcome back into Iran, nor were their families welcome to leave Iran.'

However, in an email to DailyMail.com, Talebi has since called Sampson's claim 'completely false and irresponsible.' Talebi added: 'I have never made such statements to Mr. Sampson, this is not real.' 

In either case, Iran put the game away in the 84th minute on a breakaway goal by Mehdi Mahdavikia. 

Team USA wasn't quite finished. Brian McBride did net the Americans' only goal of the tournament in the 87th minute, but it wasn't enough. Ultimately neither team would advance to the knockout stage, as the US lost its group finale to Yugoslavia and Iran fell to Germany. 

Back in Terhan, thousands of fans poured into the streets, including some women who went without their headscarves.  

'It was the greatest game we ever played,' forward Khodadad Azizi said, as quoted by The New York Times. 'The whole nation was waiting for this game and expecting us to win.'

The feeling wasn't nearly as euphoric among American players, but they didn't spoil the moment with poor sportsmanship. Instead, they smiled, shook the Iranian players' hands, and swapped jerseys for a fitting ending to a historic day. 

'After 20 years and all the situations [between Iran and the United States], it was important to show that all the things said about Iran were not true,' Iran goalkeeper Ahmad Abedzadeh told reporters. 'We were courageous. We played fair. It was very important.'

US defender Jeff Agoos put it more succinctly: 'We did more in 90 minutes than the politicians did in 20 years.'