USA vs. Australia Match Preview | OneFootball

The United States and Australia were two of the most impressive teams during matchday one of the World Cup. Both nations beat their opponents handily and put the world on notice as potential dark horses. Now they turn their attention to a matchup that could decide the winner of Group D.

Match Details

Who: USA vs. AustraliaWhat: World Cup Group DWhere: Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), Seattle, WashingtonWhen: Friday June 19, 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PTWatch: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock ES, Fubo Sports, NBC Universo

Pride On The Line As Media Creates Controversy

The buildup to this match has been almost that of a UFC fight. Both countries will have extra motivation to get a result after what’s been said by the media. The USA vs. Australia sports rivalry has been brewing after recent matchups including the hotly contested swimming battle in the 2024 Paris Olympics, won by the US on the final day. CBS Sports soccer analyst Mike Grella added fuel to the fire when he called this game a “layup” for the USMNT. That clip has since gone viral in Australia.

As expected, that take has not gone down well with the Socceroos and their supporters. It’s being seen as a disrespectful, arrogant, and uneducated opinion. Rightfully so. Australia is using this as bulletin board material and are determined to prove Grella wrong. Socceroos defender Kai Trewin said in a press conference that he’s “never wanted to win a game more than this one.” Trewin has bonus bragging rights on the line as his club teammate at NYCFC Matt Freese is the starting goalkeeper for the USMNT.

Australia certainly has all the motivation necessary, but don’t think the USMNT aren’t coming in with a point to prove. Socceroos legend Harry Kewell hit back in the media, saying that “it wouldn’t even be a contest” if his Australian golden generation from 2006 played the USA’s golden generation. The current USMNT squad is seen by many as the golden generation for the Stars and Stripes, so they’ll be itching to prove that they can at the very least handle this version of Australia.

Pulisic Questionable For High-Flying USMNT

Speaking of extra motivation, USA star Christian Pulisic will have a little of his own. These two countries faced each other in a friendly back in October, with the USA prevailing 2-1. However, Pulisic wasn’t a big part of that. After several hard fouls from the Australians, the AC Milan winger was forced off in the 31st minute with an injury that kept him sidelined for a month.

Unfortunately for Pulisic, he may not get the chance to play as big of a role as he hoped. He came off at halftime of the USMNT’s 4-1 win over Paraguay nursing a knock that he picked up after being kicked by a Paraguayan. Pulisic has still not returned to full team training, instead doing solo drills off to the side. Even if he is back in time to feature, his health will be the top priority for Mauricio Pochettino. This could mean that Pulisic comes off the bench or gets subbed out early.

The USMNT attack has been absolutely flying lately. Last Friday’s win to start the World Cup was the highlight, with the USA taking a 3-0 lead into halftime in one of the best performances in team history. Striker Folarin Balogun bagged a brace on his World Cup debut after an early Paraguay own goal started the scoring. After Mauricio pulled one back for the visitors, Gio Reyna capped off a historic night with an outrageous trivela goal in the final minute. The challenge now is breaking down a tough Australia low block.

Rigid Australia Defense Coming Off Clean Sheet

The first match of the World Cup went about as perfectly as Australia could have hoped. Their defensive style of football paid dividends, as the low block was able to stifle a Türkiye attack that boasts the likes of Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız. Australia line up in a 5-4-1 that is a nightmare for opposing attacks to break down when everyone gets settled behind the ball.

Man mountain Harry Souttar is at the heart of the defense. The 6’6’’ center back was immense for Australia against Türkiye, leading the match in defensive contributions with 17 and winning three of his four aerial duels. Left back Jordan Bos serves as a way to connect the defense and midfield. His pace will give the USA problems as he recorded the fastest sprint speed so far this World Cup. In goal, youngster Patrick Beach stole the headlines. The 22 year old was a surprise pick over veteran Maty Ryan but made eight saves in the win over Türkiye.

Australia’s defense is their strong point, but they’re dangerous in transition. Bos and fellow fullback Jacob Italiano are heavily involved, getting up and down the wing to start the counter. The attack is highlighted by Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Touré, two exciting young players with lots of pace. Irankunda opened the scoring for Australia in their first match with a great solo run. He’ll give problems to the USMNT backline which has shown vulnerability to well-executed counterattacks.

Match Prediction

This is likely to be a close and high-tempered match. There’s a lot on the line, with the winner potentially clinching top spot in the group if the Türkiye vs. Paraguay result goes their way. Look for the USA to control most of the possession with Australia defending deep and looking for opportunities to hit the States on the counter. I’m ultimately going with the same scoreline that these two teams played out in October although Australia earning a result would not be surprising.

Prediction: USA 2-1 Australia