The United States proved Friday night that they can get the job done even without their biggest offensive weapon, defeating Australia 2-0 in Seattle to punch their ticket to the World Cup round of 32.
Christian Pulisic, the Americans’ most dangerous attacking player, sat out the Group D matchup due to a calf injury he suffered during the U.S. opening victory over Paraguay. Despite his absence, the co-hosts found a way to get the win.
The scoring began early, with Australia’s Cameron Burgess accidentally putting the ball into his own net in the 11th minute. Then, just before the halftime break, Alex Freeman headed in a second goal — a score that was initially waved off for offside before a VAR review reversed the call.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged how important Pulisic is to the squad but said the injury left no choice. “It’s always difficult because we want to have all the players,” Pochettino said. “Christian is an important player for us, but… it was impossible today for him to play. We hope that next game he will be available.”
With six points now in hand and one group-stage game remaining, the U.S. is safely through to the knockout stage. Pochettino made clear, however, that Pulisic remains a key part of his plans going forward.
“If we want to win the competition, we need the whole team,” the coach said. “All the players need to be important. Of course, Christian is one of the best players in the world. I hope that he can recover as soon as possible and can enjoy being on the pitch and helping the team.”
Midfielder Weston McKennie highlighted the squad’s versatility following the win, saying the team demonstrated Friday that they have multiple ways to compete. “We can play the physical game because we have guys on the field who are ready to step up for that, and we have guys with quality who can play possession-based football,” McKennie said.
The United States will wrap up Group D play against Turkey on Thursday at Los Angeles Stadium.
