A win against Australia would give the United States a spot in the knockout round with a game to spare
Not that winning its World Cup opener last week against Paraguay wasn’t a significant accomplishment for the United States, especially by three goals. But a followup triumph against Australia in Seattle on Friday will be more important.
Six points will guarantee the co-hosts a place in the knockout round and set them up to win their group, which it has managed only once — 2010 — under the modern format.
A victory also will take the pressure off beating Turkey in its Group D finale on June 25, allowing coach Mauricio Pochettino to rest some of his starters for the upcoming round.
The United States hasn’t had that luxury since the inaugural tournament in 1930 when the four group winners advanced to the semifinals. After blanking Paraguay and Belgium, the Americans had nine days before being booted out by Argentina, 6-1.
Last Friday’s win was the third time this century the United States won its opener. The previous two times, it was unable to protect a second-half lead in the following match, drawing each and denying it the opportunity to advance with a game to spare.
After stunning Portugal in 2002, they conceded the tying goal to co-host South Korea in the 78th minute. Then while falling flat against Poland in its third match, the United States needed the Koreans to beat the Portuguese to make it through.
After edging Ghana in 2014, the Americans had the Portuguese beaten but gave up the equalizer in the 95th minute. When the United States dropped the finale to Germany, it had to rely on goal differential to go forward.
This time the Yanks are up against a bunch of Aussies who also won their opener, 2-0, against Turkey.
“We didn’t expect this at all,” said Turkey defender Merih Demiral.
Not that it was a shock. Australia, which reached the second round four years ago, is playing in its sixth straight Cup. The Turks qualified for the first time since 2002.
Yet people still seem surprised that the Socceroos can compete on the global stage. “We’re classed as underdogs nearly every tournament we go to,” said defender Jordan Bos. “It’s nice to prove people wrong.”
They come from a land Down Under where you have to cross an ocean or two to find a serious international club to play for. Australia’s starters are employed in seven foreign countries from the United States to England to Italy to the Netherlands.
And their 16-match Asian qualifying tour took the Socceroos to Bahrain, Indonesia, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia in the final round. Earlier they faced two war-ravaged countries in Palestine and Lebanon that couldn’t host.
So the Aussies are accustomed to a long and uneven road to get to the Cup and their playing style is suited to a team with no world-class players.
Read more Trying to get to the World Cup at the last minute? Here’s a trick: Don’t give up.
They defend with discipline, especially when under heavy assault. They contest with muscle. They’re aggressive in transition and dangerous on set pieces.
“They’re a young team that has a lot of fight, a lot of grit and a lot of hunger,” said US midfielder Tim Weah. “Just like us.”
This is the youngest squad Australia has dispatched to the tournament with seven of its starters 24 or younger. The lineup that stifled the Turks had 10 Cup neophytes alongside defender Harry Souttar.
But with Patrick Beach confidently keeping goal instead of captain Mathew Ryan the Socceroos withstood a 30-shot barrage from an opponent that hadn’t expected much of a resistance.
“Obviously we don’t like to hear people talking bad about us because we’re a great team,” said forward Nestory Irankunda, who scored the Aussies’ first goal. “People underestimate us a lot and we showed them today that we can play.”
So can the Yanks, who put up three in the first half on a Paraguay side renowned for its stinginess. As notable was their pugnacity when being challenged in close quarters.
That was Pochettino’s pointed reminder to his players at halftime during last autumn’s Colorado friendly against Australia after they’d fallen behind after less than 20 minutes before rallying to win, 2-1.
“We’re Americans and we don’t take [expletive],” said American midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. “That’s something that he really put in.”
For both sides these 90 minutes will be about taking control of the group with one match remaining. The Aussies had lost four straight Cup openers before they mastered the Turks.
In 2022, they took a 4-1 lashing from France but rebounded to shut out Tunisia and Denmark and played eventual champion Argentina to within a goal in the subsequent round.
This time the Socceroos have a gentler draw — no Germans, no Brazilians, no Dutch, no Spaniards, no French. They’ve picked up three priceless points. Now, like the Yanks, they’re craving three more.
“We’ve had a wonderful result,” mused coach Tony Popovic, who played on the 2006 squad that also won its opener and went on to advance. “But we don’t want to have a poor performance now against the US.”
Post Comment