The US Advances to the Round of 16 in Its World Cup on the Fast Track

(AFP) With Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino at the helm, the United States has already secured its spot in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, thanks to its 2-0 victory over Australia this Friday in Seattle.

An own goal by Cameron Burgess in the 11th minute—as he tried to clear a dangerous cross from Folarin Bolagun—set the stage for a victory that was later sealed by Alex Freeman (43') with a header inside the box.

Following their dominant performance in the first match (a 4-1 rout of Paraguay), Team USA delivered a flawless performance in this second match and now has a perfect 6 points, putting them at the top of Group D and making them the second team to advance to the Round of 16 after Mexico, another of the co-hosts, which has also won both of its matches.

“It was once again a fantastic match, with a great first half. I think we dominated against a tough opponent,” Pochettino said.

Australia, which had kicked off the World Cup with a solid win over Turkey, now stands at 3 points, currently in second place in the group, awaiting the showdown between Turkey and Argentina in Santa Clara, also this Friday.

Balogun, Decisive Without Scoring

Moments before kickoff, the home fans had received some bad news: their star forward, Christian Pulisic—who had only played the first half in the opener after injuring his left calf—was sidelined for this match due to that injury.

Adding to the setback was the memory of the strong resistance Australia put up in the friendly match won by the United States 2-1 last October in Denver, which Pochettino described as one of the toughest matches since he took over as coach of Team USA.

But everything turned out to be easier than expected on the U.S. team’s return to Seattle for the first time in a decade.

Folarin Bolagun, who was decisive against Paraguay with a brace, was once again key in opening the scoring, as his deadly cross was deflected into his own net by opposing defender Burgess in the 11th minute.

A Thrilling Finish

With overwhelming possession and in control at all times, the United States was rewarded even before halftime when a shot by Sergiño Dest was deflected by a defender, allowing Alex Freeman to extend the lead in the 43rd minute.

This second goal was initially disallowed for offside but upheld after a VAR review, sparking celebrations in the stands.

“I said yesterday that Argentina had incredible fans, but I don’t think we fell short,” Pochettino smiled as he thanked the fans for their support.

The score remained unchanged

In the second half, Balogun had his team’s best chance on a solo counterattack in the 51st minute, but Alessandro Circati caught up to him at the last moment to block his shot.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese did the rest, stopping Australia’s fruitless attempts to get back into a match that was briefly interrupted in stoppage time due to cramps suffered by the head referee, Germany’s Felix Zwayer.

Australia will play for a spot in the Round of 16 in its final match in Group D, against Paraguay, in a third-round match where the United States will look to secure first place against Turkey and cement its status as one of the surprise teams of this World Cup so far.