An own goal and a goal from Alex Freeman ensured the home side maintained their perfect record and progressed to the round of 32.
Published June 19, 2026
The United States showed they can win without Christian Pulisic, beating Australia 2-0 to advance to the World Cup’s last 32, but manager Mauricio Pochettino hopes his talisman will be back for the next game.
Pulisic injured his calf in the United States’ first win over Paraguay and missed Friday’s Group D game in Seattle, leaving the co-hosts without their most influential attacking player.
Still, the Americans found a breakthrough, taking the lead in the 11th minute with an own goal from Cameron Burgess, and Alex Freeman headed home just before halftime after a VAR review overturned an initial offside decision.
“It’s always difficult because we want to have all the players,” Pochettino said. “Christian is an important player for us… but today it was not possible for him to play. We hope that he will be available in the next game.”
The United States improved to six points and secured a spot in the final tournament with one game remaining in the group stage.
Pochettino said Pulisic remains central to his plans, but added that success at the World Cup will require the contribution of the entire team.
“If you want to be competitive, you need the whole team,” he said. “Every player needs to be important.
“Of course, Christian is one of the best players in the world. I hope he recovers as soon as possible and can enjoy helping the team on the pitch.”
Coach Weston McKennie praised the depth of the U.S. team and said Friday the team showed it can accomplish everything.
“We’re able to play a physical game because we have players on the field who are ready to step up and have quality players who can play possession-based football,” he said.
The U.S. shut out Group D on Thursday against Turkiye at Los Angeles Stadium.
