Three takeaways from the United States' crucial win over Australia

The United States clinched their spot in the Round of 32 on Friday, winning 2-0 against Australia in the second match of their 2026 World Cup group stage.

An own goal from Cameron Burgess and a header from defender Alex Freeman saw the United States take six points from their first two matches, guaranteeing their advancement from the group ahead of their final match against Türkiye next Thursday.

USA 🇺🇸 Starting XI vs Australia 🇦🇺 Freese; Ream ©, Richards, Freeman; A.Robinson, Adams, Tillman, Dest; McKennie; Balogun, Pepi BENCH: Turner, Brady, Trusty, Reyna, Aaronson, M.Robinson, Berhalter, Roldan, Arfsten, Wright, Weah, McKenzie, Scally, Zendejas

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— SixOneFive Soccer (@sixonefivesoccer.com) June 19, 2026 at 12:47 PM

Here are three takeaways from the match.

No Pulisic? No problem.

Christian Pulisic's potential absence dominated headlines all week. The star winger suffered a calf contusion that resulted in his withdrawal at halftime against Paraguay, and after training on his own all week, he was ruled out before the match against Australia.

In prior tournaments, losing a player of Pulisic's caliber would feel like a death blow. It didn't against Australia. That's in part because of the buffer their 4-1 win over Paraguay gave them. But it's also because of the legitimate quality they have all over the pitch. Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest are fun and vibey ball progressors down the right. Malik Tillman is proving to be a legitimate top-tier midfielder, with more versatility than anyone expected. And Folarin Balogun isa goal threat every time he touches the ball.

The US will need Pulisic on the field in the knockout rounds. They navigated a tough match without him, though, and the win buys him even more time to get fit.

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Home field advantage continues to pull through

Did we all underestimate how important playing at home would be for this USMNT team?

The crowd in Inglewood was fantastic last week. The crowd in Seattle was exponentially better.

It sometimes feels cliche to talk about how important the fans are. It can sound like lip service when players credit the home crowd for giving them an extra 10% or whatever after a win. But – especially in a tournament like this – it's a very real advantage.

The crowds have been fully behind this USMNT squad, and creating an atmosphere around the games that's uniquly American, in the best possible way.

We're already in unprecedented territory

With six points from their first two games, the United States haven't just clinched a spot in the Round of 32; they've nailed down their biggest-ever points total in any group stage, without even playing their last game. And after Paraguay's win over Türkiye on Friday night, they've clinched the top spot in Group D.

The United States win Group D

Türkiye’s 1-0 loss to Paraguay clinches the top spot for the USMNT with just two matches played

SixOneFive SoccerBen Wright

The match against Türkiye on Thursday, initially viewed as the most difficult and likely pivotal game of the group, is now a formality. The US need nothing from this match, and can even afford to rotate out players like Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, and Folarin Balogun, who are at risk of a yellow card accumulation suspension. Pulisic can get another week of rest to be fully fit and ready for the Round of 32.

It's hard to imagine a better possible start to the tournament. It's fun to imagine what could happen over the next few weeks!

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