They may only have played one round in Group D, but the door to the 2026 World Cup finals remains open for both the United States and Australia, with the second leg to be played in Seattle on Friday (7pm GMT).
The USMNT qualified by defeating Paraguay 4-1 in their first game, and could win their group with one game remaining if they beat the Socceroos on Friday.
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However, the same was true for Australia, who shocked Turkiye 2-0 in their opening game with a brilliant counter-attack.
Everything will depend on the result of the showdown in Seattle, and the match between Paraguay and Turkiye, which will be played a few hours later in Santa Clara (3:00 p.m. Japan time).
Will Christian Pulisic play against Australia?
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He was behind the opening goal seven minutes later. He weaved between two defenders to find Weston McKennie and his cross was deflected into Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla into his own net.
Pulisic played second fiddle after the 30th minute with a pass to Folarin Balogun, but with the Americans up 3-0 at halftime, Pulisic did not reappear after the interval and was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter.
The 27-year-old AC Milan playmaker joined the team’s huddle before training on Thursday with his calf tied, but did not take part in the session and instead headed to the gym with backroom staff.
“He’s progressing. He’s been a lot better since Friday. We’ll see. If it turns out he’s unavailable, he’ll be available for the next game (against Torquier in Los Angeles on June 26 at 2 a.m. Japan time),” USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino said at a pre-match press conference.
The Argentine added: “I think he has put in a lot of effort to be ready. I think for all the players who love their country, this is a great opportunity to enjoy themselves and contribute to the team’s performance and winning matches.”
“It always hurts when something like this happens, but I think Christian is strong and has a great mentality and is making a great effort to get ready as quickly as possible,” Pochettino said.
McKennie, Pulisic’s teammate, told reporters: “I hope he can play. I know he really wants to play and he’s doing everything he can and the staff are doing everything they can as well.”
Who will replace Pulisic?
If Pulisic is ruled out, Pochettino has plenty of options to replace him.
Balogun is certain to lead the lineup following his double in the game against Paraguay. He became the first USMNT player to score a World Cup hat trick since Berthe Patenaud became the first player to score a World Cup hat trick 96 years ago against Paraguay.
The three-goal victory matched the previous World Cup record, which the United States finished third in the inaugural tournament in 1930.
Giovanni Reyna came on in the final stages of the game against Paraguay, scoring a wonderful tripela in stoppage time to secure a 4-1 win. However, he has not played more than 60 minutes in a game for German club Borussia Mönchengladbach or his country since last December.
Timothy Weah also replaced Sergino Dest with 18 minutes remaining, and could be slotted in on the right or support Balogun from the center, which could require McKennie to switch to a left-sided attack.
Although lacking the same X-factor, Berhalter replaced Pulisic against Paraguay, adding set-piece ability that the United States would miss in Pulisic’s absence, while Leeds United’s hard-working winger Brenden Aaronson and Club America’s Alejandro Zendejas, who remained on the bench last Friday, are alternative options, neither of whom are favorites for Pochettino.
Pochettino said: “We are considering all possibilities and will make a decision as soon as we receive confirmation in either direction.”
Will the USMNT qualify for Friday’s knockout stage?
Yes, in fact, they could even secure the top spot in Group D.
If the United States wins against Australia, they will be guaranteed a place in the top two of the Round of 32 with six points.
However, if they win and then draw in the match between Tolkien and Paraguay, or if Paraguay wins, they will secure first place in Group D.
The finishing position of the group stage is determined first by points, then by direct results between teams that finish on the same level in points, and goal difference is only used to separate teams drawn against each other.
The winner of Group D will play the third-place team in Groups B, E, F, I, or J (possibly Bosnia, Ecuador, Sweden, Norway, or Algeria) on July 1 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
Who is Nestry Irankunda?
History was made in the opening match in Vancouver, with Irankunda calmly scoring a goal after 27 minutes, becoming Australia’s youngest ever World Cup scorer.
The 20-year-old is one of the youngest players to start a World Cup game since 2018 against France, and the first overseas-born Australian to find the back of the net on the biggest stage.
Ilankunda was born there in 2006 and immigrated to Australia as a toddler after her parents fled their homeland of Burundi from civil war to a refugee camp in Tanzania.
He came through the youth ranks at Adelaide United in the A-League and scored 16 goals and provided eight assists for the first team before making a surprise move to German giants Bayern Munich in 2024.
Although he did not make the first team appearance, he trained with some of the best players in the world, including 2018 Golden Boot winner Harry Kane.
He made his debut for Australia in a World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in June 2024 and scored his first goal in his second appearance against Palestine.
He moved on loan to Grasshopper Zurich in Switzerland before making a permanent move to Watford in England in order to gain playing time to ensure World Cup qualification.
He played in 42 games for the Hornets in the championship, scoring four goals and providing five assists, and drew attention for his Michael Jackson-inspired goal celebrations, including donning white gloves after scoring in a friendly against Curacao in March.
What does it take for Australia to reach the finals?
Considering the win in the opening game, the equation is the same for Australia and America, despite the fact that Tolkier was unable to dominate the ball and find a way to break through the Socceroos defense.
A victory in Seattle will ensure a place in the finals, but if Tolkien and Paraguay draw late on Friday night, or Tolkien win, they will secure first place in Group D with three points and one game remaining.
Regardless of the result of the final group game, they will finish above the Turks in head-to-head competition, but this will take precedence over goal difference in this competition.
