USA 2-0 Australia: Co-hosts through to World Cup 2026 knockout stages with easy victory | OneFootball

Former Tottenham boss’ style was on show in all its glory in Seattle

The United States are on the brink of topping Group D as they secured their place in the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup.

The co-hosts produced a dominant display to dispatch Australia 2-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, with a Cameron Burgess own goal and a strike from right-back Alex Freeman enough to hand them two wins from two in the group stages, a first time that they have ever taken maximum points from their first couple of World Cup matches.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men were at it from the start, supercharged off the electric and rapturous home support that had begun hours before The Star-Spangled Banner was even played.

The Americans were deservedly ahead within 11 minutes, when the unfortunate Burgess put through his own net after a fantastic burst of pace from former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun down the left. He burned his way past Jacob Italiano before squaring it into the middle for his onrushing team-mates, but it was Burgess, the Swansea City defender, who sliced past Patrick Beach to open the scoring.

Mastermind: Mauricio Pochettino

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The home side continued to press forward, looking to win the ball high up the pitch in Pochettino’s classic style, seeking to suffocate the Socceroos in their own third.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between, but it was two just before the interval when Freeman bundled home from an Antonee Robinson free kick.

The Fulham left-back had the intelligence to pick out Sergino Dest in far too much room in the D, and his shot ricocheted high into the air, where right-back Freeman nodded home beyond the hapless Beach.

Initially, the strike was chalked off for offside, but upon a VAR check, the goal was confirmed and the US had one foot in the round of 32.

Should Turkey fail to beat Paraguay overnight, then Pochettino’s side will progress as winners of Group D, and face a third-placed side in the first knockout round.