US media have been raving about Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers after he helped shut out Iran and set up a World Cup last 16 showdown with the Netherlands.
Carter-Vickers was handed his first World Cup start by Gregg Berhalter, replacing Christopher Zimmermann in the lineup as they needed a win to qualify for the knockout stages. And he was mightily impressive in the heart of defence alongside Tim Ream with one USA fan on Twitter labelling him a "tank."
He went toe to toe with feared Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun, who has 41 goals in 65 appearances for his country and dealt with the threat masterfully. CBS reporter Aaron West wrote: "Cameron Carter-Vickers has been immense denying those entry passes and getting right in the back of Azmoun every time he checks for the ball."
Fox Sport reporter Jason McIntyre raved about Berhalter's decision to include him as he wrote: "Carter Vickers much more of an enforcer than Zimmerman. Good call by Berhalter," while A-League writer Sacha Pisani replied: "Thou shall not pass. He's taken his game to a new level under Postecoglou a Celtic."
ESPN's Todd Archer thought he was "outstanding" alongside Tim Ream while the Washington Post's Thomas Floyd added: Raise your hand if you had Tim Ream and Cameron Carter-Vickers basically playing a perfect game in a do-or-die match at the World Cup, I don’t know, a month ago?"
Carter-Vickers himself took to Instagram to share a snap of him celebrating along with keeper Matt Turner and skipper Tyler Adams, with Celtic teammate Joe Hart wading into the replies to congratulate him. He is now set to go toe to toe with Virgil van Dijk in the knockout stages with the Celtic titans of past and present doing battle for a place in the quarter-finals.
READ NEXT
