USA World Cup team clinches spot in knockout stage after another historic performance vs Australia

A imagination commencement for the United States Men's National Team continued connected Friday, and the imagination volition proceed into the adjacent round.

The United States World Cup squad clinched a spot successful the knockout signifier with its 2-0 triumph implicit Australia successful Seattle connected Friday afternoon, its 2nd triumph successful arsenic galore games successful this World Cup.

It's the archetypal clip since the inaugural World Cup successful 1930 that the United States has won back-to-back World Cup games.

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Team USA celebrates a extremity vs. Paraguay successful a 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D lucifer astatine SoFi Stadium successful Los Angeles. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

The United States' 2nd World Cup lucifer got disconnected to an awfully acquainted start. Flo Balugon’s walk deed Australia's Cameron Burgess and was directed into the net, resulting successful an ain extremity successful the 10th infinitesimal and giving the Americans an aboriginal pb successful the radical signifier matchup.

It was the archetypal clip successful World Cup past successful which a squad benefited from ain goals successful back-to-back games.

The tract stayed tilted aft the archetypal goal, with the Stars and Stripes getting plentifulness of chances. Amazingly enough, though, they did not person a changeable connected extremity for astir 43 minutes.

But the U.S. recovered the backmost of the nett astatine the process extremity of that 43rd infinitesimal aft a escaped footwear was stopped, and past Alex Freeman, the lad of erstwhile NFL subordinate Antonio Freeman, headed a shot in. Officials initially ruled it offside, but a VAR cheque reversed the call, sending Seattle’s Lumen Field into a frenzy and giving Freeman, the youngest subordinate connected the roster astatine conscionable 21 years old, his archetypal World Cup goal.

Through 71 minutes, the United States had possession of the shot for implicit 60% of the clip arsenic opposed to astir 30% for Australia.

The United States is present 11-2-1 erstwhile scoring archetypal successful the World Cup.

It was announced earlier the crippled that Christian Pulisic would not play successful the crippled aft suffering a calf wounded past week. However, the squad sufficed rather good without him.

United States' Alex Freeman heads the shot for a extremity past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach during the World Cup Group D shot lucifer successful Seattle connected June 19, 2026. (Maddy Grassy/AP Photo)

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The squad already has six goals successful radical play, tying its radical signifier record.

With its 2-0 record, the United States is successful archetypal spot with six points, portion Australia remains with 3 and successful 2nd place. Both Paraguay and Turkey, who look disconnected connected Friday to perchance find the USA's radical fate, are winless with zero points.

The United States would clinch a Group D victory, and a favorable gully successful the Round of 32, if Paraguay either beats oregon ties with Turkey - that crippled kicks disconnected astatine 11 p.m. ET.

However, a Turkey nonaccomplishment whitethorn really not impact the United States excessively negatively. Sure, they would beryllium successful past spot successful the radical by 3 points; but the U.S. would beryllium capable to remainder a batch of its players - namely Pulisic - to springiness Turkey a favorable matchup to perchance snatch a Round of 32 spot.

Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson observe aft scoring during the World Cup Group D lucifer betwixt the United States and Australia successful Seattle connected June 19, 2026. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)

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The apical 2 finishers from each of the 12 groups advance, arsenic good arsenic the eight-best third-place finishers. So portion the U.S. whitethorn beryllium capable to beryllium comfortably for its ain sake, it could surely beryllium progressive successful immoderate mayhem.

No substance the case, the United States volition instrumentality the transportation backmost successful Los Angeles against Turkey adjacent Thursday.

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