World Cup: USA Blanks Australia 2-0 to Win Group D, With a Free Hit Against Eliminated Turkey Next

Entering Friday’s match in Seattle, the United States had a chance to lock up a spot in the World Cup knockout rounds with a game to spare. And they took it. The U.S. beat Australia 2-0 in front of a roaring Lumen Field crowd, and when Paraguay knocked out Turkey later that night, the Americans were confirmed as Group D winners. Just as meaningful, the result gave the U.S. back-to-back wins to open a World Cup for the first time since 1930. For a home crowd that waited a long time for a team worth believing in, this was the night the belief turned real.

Two Early Goals Did the Job

The USMNT did its damage early, just as it did against Paraguay. In the 11th minute, Folarin Balogun drove down the left and fired a low ball across the box that defender Cameron Burgess turned into his own net. The lead held until the first half stoppage time, when 21-year-old Alex Freeman tracked down a rebound from a Sergiño Dest free kick and headed home his first World Cup goal. Both goals came from sustained pressure rather than a lucky bounce, which is the part that should encourage U.S. fans the most. It was a controlled, professional performance against a team that had opened the tournament by upsetting Turkey, and by half-time the result already felt settled. The Americans then managed the night like a side that knew exactly what to do.

No Pulisic, No Problem

What made it more impressive was who was missing. Christian Pulisic, the team’s biggest star, sat out with a calf injury, and Mauricio Pochettino started Ricardo Pepi in his place. Pepi, who came into the tournament in the best form of his career, and Balogun gave the Australian defense constant problems. And Freeman, a 21-year-old who has gotten better with nearly every cap, delivered the goal that put the game away. Of course, the U.S. would rather have its captain, but winning comfortably without him says a lot about the depth Pochettino has built. After the game, Pochettino credited the mindset, saying his team “build the victory in our attitude.”

One More Game With Nothing to Lose

That brings up the gift waiting at the end of the group stage. Turkey, one of the pre-tournament dark horses, is already eliminated from the competition. They fell 0-2 to Australia, then lost 1-0 to ten-man Paraguay, and failed to score in either game. The U.S. closes group play against them on June 25 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles with nothing on the line. That turns a normally tense finale into a low-stakes tune-up, and Pochettino can rotate his roster, hand bench players real minutes, and let Pulisc keep healing without any risk at all. Turkey is already packing for home, which strips away the pressure that has usually defined a final group game.

But there is still one more thing worth sharpening before the knockouts arrive. The shutout was the team’s first clean sheet in 10 games, a genuine step forward, but Australia pushed hard late, and the match got chippy, with the U.S. taking three yellow cards on its back line. The defense answered real questions Friday. The Turkey game is a chance to keep answering them while the stakes are still low.

For now, the U.S. can enjoy this one. Two games, two wins, a group title, and a place in the Round of 32, all before the tournament even reached the knockout rounds. More than likely, the hard part is still ahead, and the knockout opponents will be better than anything Group D offered. Even so, this current USMNT has given us every reason to believe the home World Cup is only getting started.