USA’s path to potential World Cup glory is now set after they clinched Group D thanks to Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Turkey.
Mauricio Pochettino‘s team claimed an impressive 2-0 win over Australia on Friday afternoon thanks to an own goal by Cameron Burgess and Alex Freeman’s header.
The win in Seattle extended the USA’s 100 per cent record in the group stage after they also beat Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles last week. Now they can’t be supplanted at the top of Group D.
That means, as group winners, they have booked their last-32 game against one of the third place teams from another group. That game will take place in Santa Clara on July 1 at 8pm ET.
As it stands, the USA will play Bosnia-Herzegovina but that is very much subject to change with so many games still to be played in the group stage.
If they win that last-32 game, Pochettino’s men will return to Seattle for their last-16 encounter on July 6 at 8pm ET. A clash with the star-studded Belgium is a possibility here.
USA’s path to potential World Cup glory is now officially set after they clinched Group D
Mauricio Pochettino’s team claimed an impressive 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle on Friday
Another victory will take them into the quarter-finals, where they would play in Los Angeles on July 10 at 3pm ET. There is a strong possibility they could play Spain, the reigning European champions, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal at this stage.
If the Americans are still alive in the tournament at this point, then they will play for a place in the World Cup final in the semi-finals in Dallas on July 14 at 3pm ET.
Germany, France and the Netherlands are all potential semi-final opponents for the USA if they also win their respective groups and subsequent knockout ties.
The World Cup final is then scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19 at 3pm ET.
Christian Pulisic’s injury absence didn’t hurt the USA one bit on Friday. The star attacker, who plays for AC Milan and has 33 goals in 87 international appearances, missed Friday’s match because of a calf injury.
The USA has won consecutive games at a World Cup for the first time since 1930 and they have scored six goals, one off their record for a World Cup.
They took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute after a run down the left sideline by Folarin Balogun. He directed a cross towards striker Ricardo Pepi but it deflected off the helpless Burgess and into the Socceroos’ net for an own-goal.
If the USA reaches the quarter finals, there is a chance they could play Lamine Yamal’s Spain
Germany, France and the Netherlands are all potential semi-final opponents for the USA
Alex Freeman, the youngest player on the team at 21 and the son of former NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman, made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute off a set piece.
Freeman headed in a deflected shot by Sergino Dest for his first career World Cup goal. The goal was confirmed after a video review.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic said after the game that he believes the millions of Americans supporting the USA team can power Pochettino‘s men to World Cup glory.
‘If you didn’t believe before, I will repeat; start believing,’ Ibrahimovic said on Fox shortly after the USA victory.
‘They have the country behind them, and when you have this support, it’s difficult to beat you. They had a good performance today. To be honest, Australia was not a threat today.
‘I said it before, that whatever happened before the World Cup (doesn’t matter). It is important what happens now. Now, the momentum they have, that is what they need.
‘They just need to continue bringing confidence from game to game. The third game, let’s see what happens now, they can rest some players now that they have qualified. It is looking good.’
Asked by Rebecca Lowe to give a one-word answer on if the United States could win the World Cup, the legendary striker said: ‘Yes.’
