US defeats Australia 2-0, advances to World Cup knockout rounds

The United States men’s national soccer team punched their ticket to the World Cup knockout rounds on Thursday, beating Australia 2-0 in Seattle in front of roughly 66,925 fans.

With the victory, the US secured passage to the Round of 32 with one Group D match still to play. The last time the USMNT opened a World Cup with two consecutive wins was 1930.

How the goals happened

The US didn’t need long to find the net. In the 11th minute, Australia’s Cameron Burgess redirected the ball into his own goal, giving the hosts a lead they would never relinquish.

The second goal came in the 43rd minute, when Alex Freeman found the back of the net, effectively putting the match to bed before halftime.

Christian Pulisic, the team’s captain, was sidelined with an injury. The US managed a comfortable 2-0 win without him.

What this means for the tournament

The US now sits atop Group D with two wins from two matches. Their final group stage game comes against Türkiye.

For context, the USMNT failed to even qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Four years later in Qatar, the team showed improvement but exited in the Round of 16.

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