{"id":2998,"date":"2026-06-18T09:33:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T09:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2998"},"modified":"2026-06-18T09:33:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T09:33:35","slug":"a-win-against-australia-would-give-the-united-states-a-spot-in-the-knockout-round-with-a-game-to-spare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2998","title":{"rendered":"A win against Australia would give the United States a spot in the knockout round with a game to spare"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Not that winning its World Cup opener last week against Paraguay wasn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Patrice Bergeron arrived in Boston as a baby-faced rookie. On Monday, he could be called to the Hockey Hall of Fame.<\/a><\/p>\n

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 \u2014 2010 \u2014 under the modern format.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The United States hasn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>World Cup scoreboard<\/div>\n

Last Friday\u2019s 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. <\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

This time the Yanks are up against a bunch of Aussies who also won their opener, 2-0, against Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t expect this at all,\u201d said Turkey defender Merih Demiral.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>World Cup standings<\/div>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet people still seem surprised that the Socceroos can compete on the global stage. \u201cWe\u2019re classed as underdogs nearly every tournament we go to,\u201d said defender Jordan Bos. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to prove people wrong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s starters are employed in seven foreign countries from the United States to England to Italy to the Netherlands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>What is the \u2018Viking Row\u2019 and why are Norwegian fans doing it all over town?<\/div>\n

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\u2019t host.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trying to get to the World Cup at the last minute? Here\u2019s a trick: Don\u2019t give up.<\/a><\/p>\n

They defend with discipline, especially when under heavy assault. They contest with muscle. They\u2019re aggressive in transition and dangerous on set pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re a young team that has a lot of fight, a lot of grit and a lot of hunger,\u201d said US midfielder Tim Weah. \u201cJust like us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

But with Patrick Beach confidently keeping goal instead of captain Mathew Ryan the Socceroos withstood a 30-shot barrage from an opponent that hadn\u2019t expected much of a resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cObviously we don\u2019t like to hear people talking bad about us because we\u2019re a great team,\u201d said forward Nestory Irankunda, who scored the Aussies\u2019 first goal. \u201cPeople underestimate us a lot and we showed them today that we can play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>With a stadium full of camaraderie and joy, Boston\u2019s World Cup teams are uniting fans<\/div>\n

That was Pochettino\u2019s pointed reminder to his players at halftime during last autumn\u2019s Colorado friendly against Australia after they\u2019d fallen behind after less than 20 minutes before rallying to win, 2-1.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re Americans and we don\u2019t take [expletive],\u201d said American midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. \u201cThat\u2019s something that he really put in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

This time the Socceroos have a gentler draw \u2014 no Germans, no Brazilians, no Dutch, no Spaniards, no French. They\u2019ve picked up three priceless points. Now, like the Yanks, they\u2019re craving three more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a wonderful result,\u201d mused coach Tony Popovic, who played on the 2006 squad that also won its opener and went on to advance. \u201cBut we don\u2019t want to have a poor performance now against the US.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Christian Pulisic still training separately, increasing concern for the US ahead of Friday\u2019s game against Australia<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The two previous times the Americans have won their opening game, they surrendered leads in the second half and were held to a draw, and then needed help to reach the knockout round.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"\nA win against Australia would give the United States a spot in the knockout round with a game to spare - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2998\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A win against Australia would give the United States a spot in the knockout round with a game to spare - 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