SEATTLE — The USMNT did not need long to find the breakthrough in Seattle. In the 11th minute, Folarin Balogun whipped a cross into the box that Australia defender Cameron Burgess could not handle, turning it into his own net to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. It was the kind of early gift the U.S. has not always gotten in this tournament, and Mauricio Pochettino’s group made sure not to waste it.
The goal came without Christian Pulisic, who was held out of the lineup as a precaution after nursing a calf issue throughout the week. His absence opened the door for Diego Luna and a slightly different look up top, and the U.S. answered immediately by controlling the game’s opening stretch.
Freeman’s Header Survives A Review
Right before the half, the U.S. nearly doubled its advantage and almost saw it taken away before it counted. Alex Freeman rose to meet a service into the box and headed it home, but the goal was initially flagged for offsides. After a lengthy VAR review, officials determined Freeman had timed his run correctly, and the goal stood. USA 2, Australia 0, and the Americans took that cushion into the locker room having dictated the run of play for most of the first 45.
It was the kind of moment that can swing a tournament. A reversed offsides call wipes out a goal and changes the entire complexion of the match. Instead, the U.S. got the call it needed and carried real momentum into the second half.
Australia Pushes, But USA Holds The Line
The second half turned into a different kind of test. Australia leaned forward looking for a way back into the match, and the game got increasingly physical as the minutes wore down. Seven yellow cards were shown in total, three of them to U.S. players, as both sides traded hard challenges and the tempo turned chippy in the final stretch.
Pochettino turned to his bench with about ten minutes left to bring on fresh legs and help see out the result. The backline had some uneasy moments defending in numbers, but the U.S. did what it needed to do and did not concede, closing out a shutout for the first time since a September exhibition win over Japan.
What It Means
The 2-0 win punches the USMNT’s ticket to the knockout round with a group stage match still to play, a feat the program has not pulled off this early since 1930. Following last week’s 4-1 win over Paraguay, the back-to-back victories mark just the second time in U.S. World Cup history the team has won consecutive group stage games.
A win or even a draw against Turkey in the final group game would lock up first place in Group D and a more favorable path through the bracket. For now, the Americans can enjoy a result that did exactly what it needed to do: get the U.S. through, with Pulisic’s status the one thing still worth watching heading into the next match.