Co-hosts USA secured their place in the World Cup knockout stages with a 2-0 victory over Australia in Group D. Having beaten Paraguay 4-1 in their opening game in Los Angeles, Mauricio Pochettino’s side produced another commanding display in Seattle to continue their strong start to the tournament. With FIFA using head-to-head records instead of goal difference as the primary tiebreaker in the World Cup group stage for the first time, USA are guaranteed to finish either first or second. Folarin Balogun, scorer of two
goals against Paraguay, forced the opener when Australia defender Cameron Burgess turned the striker’s cut-back into his own net in the 11th minute. As it happened | Teams | Stats | Group D guideWorld Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World CupFollow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App Defender Alex Freeman added the second when VAR overturned an offside call against him after he had nodded Serginio Dest’s deflected shot over the line following a USA corner. Head coach Tony Popovic tried to
get Australia back into the game by making a triple change at half-time but they were unable to meaningfully trouble goalkeeper Matt Freese as USA became the second team to reach the knockouts after Mexico. The key moments from Seattle. 11: GOAL! Burgess sends Balogun’s cut-back into his own net for the opener World Cup news and live updates World Cup tables Group D guide in full World Cup day-by-day schedule 43: GOAL RULED OUT! The linesman flags Freeman for offside after he heads in45:
GOAL GIVEN! VAR overturns the offside decision and the goal is given45+7: SAVE! Dest tests Patrick Beech with a low shot52: WASTE! Balogun spurns a one-on-one chance to add a third62: OVER! Australia’s Cristian Volpato fires a good chance over after coming off the bench65: SAVE! Connor Metcalfe, another Australia substitute, shoots too close to Freese87: AGGRO! Three late bookings as tempers fray in closing stages What the result means.
World Cup 2026, USA, Australia, Group D, knockout stages, Alex Freeman, Folarin Balogun, Cameron Burgess, VAR, Matt Freese, Tony Popovic
2-0 and VAR did the rest right? Still counts though lol
I didn’t even know USA would be in the knockouts this early, but it’s whatever. Head-to-head instead of goal difference sounds weird, like why would they change that mid tournament?
Wait Cameron Burgess scored an own goal?? So technically it was like Australia beat themselves, I guess. Also the offside thing was overturned so was the first call wrong or did they just feel like fixing it?
Freeman’s second goal being “VAR overturns” is honestly why I can’t stand soccer sometimes. One minute it’s offside, next minute it’s in, and the rules are like a whole maze. Meanwhile I swear I saw Balogun shoulda had like 3 goals, but he missed that one-on-one and everyone acted like that was fine. Congrats to the US tho, Mexico already doing the knockout thing too or something?