The headline before kickoff was an absence, not a selection: Christian Pulisic was ruled out with the calf injury he picked up during the 4-1 opening win over Paraguay, and Ricardo Pepi started in his place. It barely mattered. Mauricio Pochettino's side delivered another commanding performance in Seattle, with Folarin Balogun — who scored twice against Paraguay — once again the focal point up top.
The opener, in the 11th minute, came from a Balogun cut-back that Australia centre-back Cameron Burgess could only turn into his own net. It is the second straight USA match to be unlocked by an own goal. Australia responded but couldn't find a way through, and just before the break, Alex Freeman headed in a deflected Sergino Dest shot from a corner. The goal was initially flagged for offside — and only stood after a VAR review confirmed it in stoppage time, a call Tony Popovic was still fuming about afterward.
From there, the midfield trio of Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie squeezed the life out of Australia's buildup. Popovic threw on a triple change at halftime trying to change the picture, and substitutes Cristian Volpato and Connor Metcalfe both had half-chances, but goalkeeper Matt Freese was never seriously tested. Balogun should have had a third in the 52nd minute but spurned a clean one-on-one.
Tempers frayed late: Australia's Harry Souttar wrapped Balogun up in what commentators called a "rear naked choke," and referee Felix Zwayer — who himself went down with cramp near the final whistle — handed out three late yellow cards, including to Balogun and Souttar, as part of four shown to Australia and three to the U.S. on the night. None of it changed the result. USA become the second team at World Cup 2026 to confirm their place in the Round of 32, after Mexico — and the first time the USMNT have won back-to-back World Cup matches since 1930.
Their best player missed the match with an injury, and the USMNT still posted their first back-to-back World Cup wins since 1930. That's a squad with more than one route to goal.
Predicted USA 2-0 with a Pulisic goal and a Reyna assist. Got USA 2-0 exactly — but via a Cameron Burgess own goal and an Alex Freeman header, with Pulisic not even in the matchday squad. Nailed the number, missed everything behind it.
A VAR-overturned offside call on the decisive second goal, plus a late flashpoint that saw four Australian players booked, gives Tony Popovic a real complaint heading into a must-not-lose group finale against Paraguay.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 USA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +5 | 6 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
USA through to the Round of 32 with a game still to play. Türkiye and Paraguay collide later tonight in Santa Clara — table updates once that match is final.