The United States men's national soccer team defeated Australia 2-0 on Friday in Seattle, securing a spot in the World Cup knockout round with one group-stage match still to play. It was the team's second straight win in the tournament, following a 4-1 victory over Paraguay the previous week.
According to ABC News, the U.S. men's team has not won back-to-back games at a World Cup since the first tournament in 1930, a milestone confirmed by FIFA records.
Star player Christian Pulisic did not play. He suffered a calf injury during the Paraguay match and was replaced in the starting lineup by Ricardo Pepi. Coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed Pulisic's absence earlier in the day. Al Jazeera reported that the Americans still found a way through without him, taking the lead in the 11th minute through a Cameron Burgess own goal. Alex Freeman, son of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman, headed in a second goal shortly before halftime after a VAR review overturned an initial offside call.
The U.S. moved to six points in Group D with the win.
Pochettino addressed Pulisic's absence directly after the match. "It's always difficult because we want to have all the players," he said. "Christian is an important player for us, but … it was impossible today for him to play. We hope that next game he will be available."
He added that a successful World Cup run would require more than any single player. "If we want to win the competition, we need the whole team," he said. "All the players need to be important. Of course, Christian is one of the best players in the world. I hope that he can recover as soon as possible and can enjoy being on the pitch and helping the team."
Midfielder Weston McKennie spoke to the team's depth after the match. "We can play the physical game because we have guys on the field who are ready to step up for that, and we have guys with quality who can play possession-based football," he said.
The U.S. closes out Group D play against Turkey on June 25 at Los Angeles Stadium.
