USA beat – The United States handled Christian Pulisic’s calf absence with ruthless confidence, beating Australia 2-0 in Seattle as Alex Freeman’s late-first-half goal secured a World Cup round of 32 berth with a game to spare. Folarin Balogun’s early decisive involvemen
When Alex Freeman’s header finally landed, it didn’t just double the lead—it closed the door on the biggest worry hanging over the United States. The question had been blunt all week: how would the USA cope without Christian Pulisic, out with a calf problem?
In Seattle. with thousands marching together toward Lumen Field and the atmosphere already electric before the first whistle. the answer was simple. The Americans created new heroes instead of chasing old habits. Freeman’s goal sealed a 2-0 win over Australia. ensuring the US are into the round of 32 with a game to spare and primed to top Group D.
The night began with an unsettling rhythm for the US. Pochettino confirmed the winger was ruled out nearly two hours before kickoff. and Pulisic—who had come off at halftime against Paraguay—wasn’t even fit enough to make the bench. With the tournament at full speed, the lineup had to move on immediately, and it did.
The USA’s path to the win started in the first half. After America opened the tournament with a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay. this second performance followed a similar theme: attacking pace. pressure. and forcing errors. Cameron Burgess provided the opening moment with an own goal, and soon after Freeman added the finishing touch.
Just before half-time. Sergino Dest’s shot from the edge of the box was deflected up into the Seattle sky. and Freeman nodded it home. Freeman’s strike was originally flagged offside. but VAR intervened. the USA bench erupted in celebration. and the scoreboard tipped decisively toward the Americans. The 21-year-old’s name was on the scoresheet, but the story around him had already been growing.
One of Freeman’s teammates admitted he had “no idea” who the defender was before he was first called up by Mauricio Pochettino. Shortly before half-time, Freeman wrote his own slice of sporting history with a goal that effectively settled the Pulisic question for good.
Ricardo Pepi came on as the striker tasked with filling the boots left by Pulisic’s absence after the winger’s early impact had been missed. The contrast was stark: where Pulisic had been devastating in the first 45 minutes against Australia’s opponent across the tournament’s narrative. the US kept moving—deeper. sharper. more fluid.
Folarin Balogun played a huge role in making that happen. For the second straight game. the US benefited from an early own goal. but the Americans didn’t look passive about their advantage. Balogun turned creator in a moment that directly threatened Australia. He unlocked the visitors early with a run down the left flank, forcing Burgess to scramble back into his box. Balogun’s low cross met the one response that mattered least for Australia—Burgess diverted it into the roof of his own net.
The USMNT could also have been further ahead before Freeman’s goal. Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Dest were wreaking havoc in Australia’s half, and even the build-up to the second strike carried that same urgency.
In the second half, Australia posed more of a threat, pushing the contest harder than the scoreline might suggest. But the US defense held firm, adding their first clean sheet of the tournament. Chris Richards stood out as the rearguard continued to absorb pressure.
There was plenty riding on whether the USA could keep their structure when the match turned physical and uncomfortable — especially after the talk surrounding Australia’s roughhouse style. The last time these teams met. Pochettino had torn into their approach. questioning their fight and telling them. “We’re American. we don’t take s***.”.
This time, the Americans didn’t flinch. They were on the wrong end of brutal challenges, and it would have become worse if Australia had sustained more time near the US goal. Instead, the USA reasserted control early and defended the space when it mattered most.
The result also answered the noise around the matchup before kickoff. One American analyst had sparked a war of words by labelling the game a “layup” for the United States. while one Australia player said he had never wanted to win a game more. The scoreboard ended the argument in one night: a 2-0 win that sends the USA into the knockout stages with a game to spare.
With Pochettino’s project already leaving a mark—changing the culture of the team and pushing the country to dream big—the bigger test now is how the US manage expectations after a victory that looked like more than just good form. After America’s tournament start, this was another clear step into the next phase.
Next week, the US will face Turkey, and the timing of this win matters. Pulisic’s calf problem is a real concern, but the USA’s performance showed they can survive the absence of their star without losing the identity that has carried them through their opening matches.
Outside the stadium, the game carried the weight of something bigger. Fans gathered at the Harbor Steps—feet from the waterfront and fish markets in downtown Seattle—and marched together toward Lumen Field in the hours before kickoff. There are places in the US where the World Cup can feel distant, like it’s happening somewhere else. This wasn’t one of them. It was a beating heart of the sport, electric even before Balogun and Co cut loose.
Among the crowd were JT Batson. CEO of US Soccer. and Donald Trump’s World Cup chief. Andrew Giuliani—two figures who were there for more than just football. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. the US Secretary of Health and Human Services and still described as a fitness maniac at 72. was also in attendance. drawn to the kind of physical test that comes with matches like this.
For Freeman, the significance felt personal as well. Ahead of Friday’s game in Seattle. thousands of USMNT fans marched together. and Freeman’s family story added its own emotional edge to the match’s momentum. At Super Bowl XXXI. Freeman’s father. Antonio Freeman. won the championship with the Green Bay Packers. and tears filled his eyes when Alex Freeman first pulled on the Stars and Stripes.
Heading into this tournament, Alex Freeman had played just 16 minutes of senior soccer in 2025. His international debut came barely a year before this World Cup kicked off. but now he has become a key cog. On paper a right back. Freeman slots into a back three when the US have the ball. and he contributed defensively early with a brilliant clearance.
He’s also tasked with providing attacking thrust, and this was his third international goal. When he met Pochettino, Freeman was reportedly scared to speak to his manager. Now he’s playing with confidence and composure that belies his age.
After the final whistle. the question that had haunted the build-up had been answered on the field: the USA didn’t need Pulisic to finish the job. They just needed time. belief. and the kind of night where one header—on a deflection that rose into the Seattle sky—could make an entire country start to dream a little louder.
MISRYOUM Sports News USA vs Australia World Cup Alex Freeman Christian Pulisic Folarin Balogun Mauricio Pochettino Ricardo Pepi Chris Richards Seattle Lumen Field