Country Roads & Seismic Activity: How the USMNT’s Win Over Australia Shook Seattle | OneFootball

SEATTLE – In the foothills of Mount Rainier and in the open air of Seattle Stadium, where the U.S. Men’s National Team has never lost, a boisterous crowd clad in Stars and Stripes serenaded the U.S. Men’s National Team with the chorus of a song defined by Americana, scenic beauty, the sense of belonging and the warmth of coming home.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

The beloved John Denver song might traditionally be more associated with West Virginia, but today nearly 67,000 soccer fans in Washington state made it their own, singing to their victorious National Team as the group walked off the pitch of a stadium built to showcase soccer.

The harmonies celebrated a U.S. Men’s National Team that had just completed a historic triumph. With a 2-0 win over Australia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage, the U.S. won its first two matches at a FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1930. Back then, the tournament awarded two points per win, so this year's six points from back-to-back wins over Paraguay and Australia mean the USMNT surpasses the program’s highest-ever total in a World Cup group stage.

The USMNT completed the feat in Seattle where the program has historically had massive success with a perfect 7-0-0 record at Seattle Stadium, now tied for the best winning percentage at a domestic stadium, and a 10-1-1 all-time record in the city. Soccer is the crown jewel of the Emerald City, and on Friday, the USMNT produced a gem to add to the city’s impeccable soccer history.

Seattle possesses such a fierce love for soccer that the Americans in attendance for Friday’s match caused the ground to shake. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN), which monitors earthquakes and volcanoes in Washington state, registered the seismic activity coming out of Seattle Stadium, which is well-known as one of the loudest stadiums in the world. The reading surged with the USMNT’s second goal of the day, a header from fullback Alex Freeman who, at 21 years old, became the third-youngest American to ever score a goal in a FIFA World Cup.

“Even if I’m not American, after the game I was emotional because the atmosphere was amazing, the fans were amazing,” USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “The warm reception and the way that they support us and celebrated the victory, they make you feel very emotional. The players were very emotional, too. It was a perfect connection between the energy from the stands and our team. This makes us feel very proud because to connect with the people is what we wanted. If we want to achieve good things, we need the support of our fans – fans here in Seattle but also in the rest of the country. They are all supporting us. We feel that support, and that energy is amazing for the team.”

“The atmosphere was insane,” midfielder Sebastian Berhalter added. “The chanting, the the excitement, the energy – we felt that the whole game... them singing ‘Country Roads’ was pretty special.”

Many expected Australia to be a tough test for the USMNT since both teams started their tournament runs with impressive wins – the U.S. with a resounding 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, Australia with a sturdy 2-0 clean sheet over Türkiye. Australia, FIFA’s 22nd-ranked team in the world, garnered the respect of Pochettino, who in his pre-match press conference alluded to the Aussies’ performance at FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar as a significant reason why this game should not be overlooked. In that edition of the tournament, the Socceroos finished second in Group D to advance to the knockout stage. Australia’s only losses came to the tournament’s two best teams: eventual runner-up France and eventual champion Argentina.

Even with his respect for Australia, Pochettino said his team was ready to fight – and that it did. Outside of the opening shot of the match, a low roller from Australia forward Mohamed Touré, which U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese handled coolly, the U.S. dominated the scoresheet. The U.S. doubled Australia in shots 10-5, held 62 percent of the possession, made a whopping 20 interceptions, compared to Australia’s six, and finished the match with 85% completed passes. With that, plus being on the receiving end of a very physical Australia side, which was handed four yellow cards on the day, the U.S. proved not only its effectiveness but also a tough mentality.

“Their quality is clear, their power is clear, their athleticism is clear,” Australia head coach Tony Popovic said after the match. “There were no surprises in what they did.”

Popovic’s side has been highly touted for its defensive discipline and compactness, but the U.S. showed early on in today’s match an ability to create opportunities and break Australia’s lines. Pochettino credited the first actions of his starting strikers, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, saying that the way they pressed from the get-go set the tone for a front-footed approach.

“That capacity to adapt to the different demands of the opening of the game, and also our [coaching staff’s] demand... I can only say fantastic things about my players and about my squad,” Pochettino said. “They were fantastic. I told them to keep going, keep enjoying, because I think they are doing a fantastic job.

“The way that we work put some pressure on [Australia], starting with our two strikers in behind Weston [McKennie], Sergiño [Dest], Malik [Tillman], Tyler [Adams], Antonee [Robinson]. It was a very good job, and it made it easier for our defensive line to control and after have the capacity to play.”

Two matches, two wins, six points and a group stage match to spare – the soaring start to the tournament puts the U.S. in terrific position to continue its current run at FIFA World Cup 2026. The win over Australia solidified a place for the U.S. in the knockout stage and depending on the outcome of Paraguay-Türkiye later tonight, the hosts could lock up first place in Group D, which would send the U.S. to San Francisco Bay Area for the Round of 32.

As the U.S. keeps going, the energy and belief keep building. And as the U.S. continues to show the fight on the field that they did today against a very good Australia side, more West Coast stadiums and more viewing parties around the country will be shaking and singing a new anthem, one that has quickly come to define the energy, support and togetherness of this U.S. Men’s National Team that is looking to make history this summer on home soil.

“We need to keep believing and approach every single day [the same way] we approached it from day one – believing that we can win,” Pochettino said. “Knowing that we need to work really hard but at the same time enjoying the time together, building every day our journey to the next game.”