USA
Arguably USA put in the perfomance of the first phase of matches when they demolished Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles. Folarin Balogun was the hero for the stars & stripes scoring twice.
There were fears that Mauricio Pochettino was not the man for the job after some poor results over the last 2 years but they entered the tournament with a bit of momentum following a 3-2 win over Senegal and carried that into the opener.
From the first whistle it looked like there was only going to be one winner in Los Angeles as USA swarmed all over Paraguay and after they took the lead through a Damian Bobadilla Own Goal it was just a case of how many.
Balogun hasn’t had the impact many thought he would have for the USMNT but that all changed in LA. The former Arsenal man was on the scoresheet in the 31st and 50th Minutes.
The tempo did drop in the last 30 minutes but the job was long done by that point but it won’t have pleased Pochettino they conceded in the 78th minute but they restored the 3 goal margin through Gio Reyna in stoppage time.
Injuries & Team News
Following on from such a dominant victory over Pargauay it would be a surprise to see any changes in the starting team but Christian Pulisic did cause concern when he finished training early on Thursday.
This comes after he was taken off at half-time in the win over Paraguay. Multiple team mates have confirmed it wasn’t serious and he should face the Socceroos.
Form
| Last Match | Last 6 Matches |
|---|---|
| 4-1 vs Paraguay | W L W L L W |
Predicted Line-Up
USA (4-2-3-1)
Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream, Robinson; Adams, Tillman; Dest, McKennie, Pulisic; Balogun
Australia
The Socceroos delivered the first real shock of the 2026 world cup when they beat a much fancied Turkiye team 2-0 in Vancouver on Sunday in the Group D Opener.
Despite seeing very little of the ball over the 90 Minutes Australia managed to soak up the pressure and took the few opportunities they created. They faced 30 shots and Turkiye had 72% Possession.
Patrick Beach was not known on the world stage before the victory in Vancouver but he has made a real name for himself with his performance making 8 saves, the most of any goalkeeper so far in the world cup.
No doubt that victory will have given the Oceania nation a huge boost in confidence and they know that a victory here in Seattle will guarantee them a place in the Round of 32, infact any kind of positive result here should ensure that.
Manager Tony Popovic has acknowledged his team is unlikely to have a great deal of the ball against USA, but they proved they can cope with the pressure of that. They must arest a slide of two consecutive defeats to the USA though.
Injuries & Team News
Popovic has a largely fit squad at his disposal ahead of the Seattle fixture. The one concern is Mo Touré, who suffered cramp late in the Turkiye match and has been assessed since, though he remains in contention to lead the line tonight. The coaching staff will have monitored his recovery closely, given Australia conceded 72% possession in the opener — a physically demanding shift for every player on the pitch.
Patrick Beach keeps his place in goal after a stunning competitive international debut against Turkiye, in which the 22-year-old made eight saves to preserve a clean sheet.
Form
| Last Match | Last 6 Matches |
|---|---|
| 2-0 vs Turkiye | W D L W W L |
Predicted Line-Up
Australia (5-4-1)
Beach; Circati, Souttar, Burgess; Italiano, O’Neill, Okon-Engstler, Bos; Metcalfe, Irankunda; Toure
Betting Odds
| Team | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| USA Win | 4/6 (1.67) | Grand Ivy |
| Draw | 7/2 (4.50) | Dream Vegas |
| Australia Win | 9/2 (5.5) | 247Bet |
Prediction
USA 2-0 Australia
Both sides will be full of confidence and the winner knows they will guarantee a round of 32 place and we expect it tpo be the US, They looked very good vs Paraguay and i worry what the Turkiye win took out of the socceroos.