SEATTLE, Wash. – Co-host nation the United States has booked its place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage one match ahead of the end of group play, turning in a polished 2-0 performance against Australia on Friday that has ramped up already soaring expectations among the home fanbase. The U.S. becomes the second co-host, following Mexico, to secure progression out of the group stage, and could lock in first place in Group D should Turkey drop points against Paraguay later the same day.
Buoyed by a dominant opening win over Paraguay the previous week, American anticipation for the clash had been building for days. The sunny matchday in the Pacific Northwest delivered every bit of the excitement the thousands of red-and-white clad fans packed into Lumen Field – and the crowds that spilled out into surrounding streets and sports bars – had hoped for. Long known as the home of the NFL’s championship-winning Seattle Seahawks and a longstanding hotbed for club soccer via the MLS Seattle Sounders, the venue shook with pre-kickoff chants of “USA” long before the first whistle.
Missing star winger Christian Pulisic, who was unable to recover from a nagging calf injury in time for the fixture, head coach Mauricio Pochettino adjusted his tactics, shifting to a 4-4-2 formation and bringing in second striker Ricardo Pepi to fill the gap in the attack. For the second consecutive match, the U.S. grabbed an early opening goal, this time from an 11th-minute Australian own goal. Star American striker Folarin Balogun made a run down the left flank, cutting a low pass back across the goal line from the byline. Under heavy pressure from the waiting Pepi, Australian defender Cameron Burgess accidentally redirected the ball into his own net to put the U.S. up 1-0.
Australia, who surprisingly opted to leave both of their goalscorers from the opening upset win over Turkey on the bench to start the match, struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities for most of the first half. The U.S. dominated possession and looked sharp on the break, with midfielders Weston McKennie and fullback Sergino Dest building consistent dangerous chemistry down the right wing. The Americans doubled their lead in the 44th minute on what was actually their first on-target shot of the entire match.
Taking a right-sided free kick near the byline, Antonee Robinson passed up the crowded penalty box to find an unmarked Dest at the top of the 18-yard box. Dest’s initial shot was blocked and looped high into the air, where young midfielder Alex Freeman – the son of former Super Bowl-winning NFL wide receiver Antonio Freeman – rose first to nod a header past Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach. The offside flag initially went up to rule the goal out, but a VAR review overturned the call, sending the home crowd into a second celebration of the half.
Australia made three halftime substitutions, bringing on Connor Metcalfe and Nestory Irankunda – the two goalscorers from their opening win against Turkey – and pushed their defensive line higher to press for an equalizer. The move nearly backfired immediately, when Balogun broke through on a through ball for a one-on-one chance, only to miscontrol his touch and see his shot blocked by a recovering defender. Australia’s clearest chance of the match came in the 62nd minute: attacking playmaker Cristian Volpato, who switched his international allegiance from Italy to Australia just before the tournament began, skied his shot over the bar after a perfect cutback pass from Irankunda.
As the U.S. dropped back to protect their lead in the final 20 minutes, Australia turned up the pressure: Metcalfe saw a long-range shot saved by U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner, Irankunda was fouled by U.S. center back Chris Richards while breaking into the box, and defender Jason Geria had a close-range effort blocked by a last-ditch American tackle, making for a tense closing stretch for the home side. Despite late scuffles between players from both teams, the U.S. held firm to secure a clean sheet and all three points.
The result means the U.S. can enter their final group stage match against Turkey next Thursday with no pressure, already guaranteed a spot in the round of 32. With the advantage of playing on home soil and two strong wins to open the tournament, U.S. supporters are already daring to dream of a deep run, with the team targeting a spot in the quarter-finals – a stage the country hasn’t reached since 2002 – and potentially further.