Some impressive singing framed the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia.
First, the Australian fans sang their anthem. When they finished off — “For those who’ve come across the seas … We’ve boundless plains to share … To advance Australia fair!” — the other 70 percent of fans in Seattle Stadium followed with a rousing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Between that and the fans serenading the U.S. players postgame with “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s men made history for the second game in a row.
Last Friday, they scored the most goals ever by the USA in a World Cup game with their 4-1 opening win against Paraguay in Southern California.
Their defeat of Australia in Seattle made this squad the first ever U.S. team to clinch knockout-round passage with a game to spare. (Up next is Türkiye on Thursday.)
The USA’s second group game resembled the opener in that it took an early lead thanks to an own goal. Against Paraguay it was a Weston McKennie pass aimed at Folarin Balogun that Damián Bobadilla poked into his net — after Christian Pulisic stormed down the left wing.
Against Australia, it was Balogun who raced down the left flank and struck a low ball toward Ricardo Pepi that Cameron Burgess intercepted only to strike the Aussie net.
The goal showcased one of the weapons the USA used to counter Australia’s physical approach: speed. Not only did Balogun leave Alessandro Circati in the dust, but Pepi and Sergino Dest had both sped into scoring positions.
The Americans also matched the Aussies physically while surpassing them in skill and creativity going forward.
Australia displayed its brutish edge early when Mathew Leckie cleated U.S. midfielder’s Tyler Adams foot in a late slide tackle. Leckie escaped with a lecture from German referee Felix Zwayer rather than the required caution for such a reckless lunge, which bordered on excessive force.
Zwayer finally reached for his pocket when Circati swatted McKennie 30 minutes later.
By game’s end, the Americans committed 12 fouls to Australia’s 16. The six yellow cards that followed Circati’s were distributed evenly. That means Balogun, Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards joined Adams, who was cautioned in the opener, as players in suspension peril:
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