USA vs. Australia Preview
Americans look to build on excellent opening game
After all the stress and all the drama and all of the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the last four years, the USMNT got their World Cup campaign off to an absolutely flying start. The US looked like they were finally playing up to the potential that was so evident when this group of players was subbed a “golden generation.” Between FOX and Telemundo, over 25 million people watched the US take down Paraguay last Friday. Now that they finally have the whole country behind them, they will need to stay focused and keep the momentum going as they get set to face a tough Australia squad that seems to have a little extra motivation coming into this game.
Friday’s 4-1 win over Paraguay was certainly the best the US has looked in a big game during this cycle and perhaps the best the US has ever looked in a big game. They came out and were immediately all over Paraguay, forcing an own goal from Damian Bobadilla. But they didn’t take their foot off the gas and kept attacking, even after Folarin Balogun had a goal pulled back for offside. And it was Balogun who gave the US a 2-0 lead and then Balogun again to give the US a 3-0 lead just before halftime. Not since the second group stage game against Portugal in 2014 had the US scored multiple goals in a World Cup game and not since their opening game at the 2002 World Cup (also against Portugal) had the USMNT scored three goals in a World Cup game. But it was to get even better. Despite conceding a goal to Paraguay in the 73rd minute, the US was never in danger of giving the game away and kept attacking, as Gio Reyna got his first World Cup goal in stoppage time to give the US a resounding 4-1 win, the first time ever they had scored four goals in a World Cup game.
The one concern after the game against Paraguay is the health of star man Christian Pulisic, who was subbed out at halftime against the Paraguayans. Pulisic has not trained with the team at all since the opening game, instead training separately, as he nurses an undisclosed injury. US Soccer has said that his status is day to day and it remains unclear of there is a serios injury that could derail his World Cup or if this is just gamesmanship as the US prepare to take on Australia.
The Socceroos have qualified for their sixth straight World Cup and booked their ticket in North America by finishing second in their AFC third round qualifying group ahead of Saudi Arabia and behind Japan. Their form has been all over the place the last few months. Their final six games of 2025 featured three wins and three losses including to the US). In 2026, they won a pair of March friendlies at home against Cameroon and Curacao before playing a pair of pre-World Cup friendlies in the US: a 1-0 loss to Mexico at the Rose Bowl and a 1-1 draw with Switzerland in San Diego. They got their World Cup campaign off to an excellent start with a 2-0 win over Turkey in Vancouver, despite being outshot heavily by the Turks. And the Aussies may have a little extra motivation coming into this game as old comments from American pundit Mike Grella have resurfaced in which he stated his belief that Australia would not present much of a challenge for the US. It’s blown up so much that Australian defender Kai Trewin has said that he has never wanted to beat somebody as badly as he wants to beat the US and former Aussie great Harry Kewell saying a match-up of the US golden generation and the Australian golden generations wouldn’t even be a contest.
Notes:
1. Friday’s game against Australia is the first time the USMNT has played in Seattle since they faced Ecuador in the 2016 Copa America Centenario quarterfinals (a 2-1 win for the US in front of 47,322 fans)
When, Where
Date: Friday, June 19, 2026
Stadium: Lumen Field
City: Seattle, WA
Time: 3pm ET
TV: FOX
All-Time Series
USA leads 2-1-1
Last Meeting
Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Stadium: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
City: Commerce City, CO
Attendance: 18,218
Result: USA 2-1 Australia
Current FIFA Ranking
USA: 15
Australia: 23
Next Game
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Competition: World Cup
Match-Up: USA vs. Turkey
Stadium: SoFi Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Time: 10pm ET
TV: FOX
Photo Credit: mlssoccer.com