US beat Australia 2-0 to clinch spot in knockout round

Mauricio Pochettino's plan to take the long view to the United States men's national team's run at the 2026 World Cup proved wise on Friday.

The US coach kept star Christian ‌Pulisic on the bench against Australia, and his side responded with a 2-0 win against the Socceroos at Seattle Stadium to secure the Americans a spot in the knockout round.

With Pulisic recovering from a calf injury suffered in the opening win over Paraguay, Pochettino opted to start Folarin ‌Balogun and Ricardo Pepi up front. The pair put constant pressure on Australia, which struggled with the Americans' speed despite playing five defenders.

It was Balogun who forced the issue with a run down the left wing in the 11th minute. His pass into the six-yard box was intended ​for Pepi but never reached its target. That's because Swansea City defender Cameron Burgess got in between, only to have the ball deflect him and past goalkeeper Patrick Beach.

"(Pochettino has) always given us different ideas to attack. So, to play with Pepi today wasn't a shock," said Balogun, who added that he did not know Pulisic's status until before the match. "It wasn't like a plan B before CP was out. It didn't feel like that to me.

"It just felt like another solution to win the game."

It was the second own goal the Americans have benefited ​from in as many matches and set the tone for the remainder of the day. The US added a second goal when defender Alex Freeman headed a ball past Beach. Initially ruled offsides, the call was overturned by VAR.

The victory gave the Americans (2-0-0) six points in Group D, assuring the US ⁠of advancing no matter what happens in their final group game. Australia (1-1-0) remains in contention to advance with its final group game coming