No Christian Pulisic, no problem for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men rode an Australia own goal and a Alex Freeman finish to defeat Australia 2-0 in Group D play at Seattle Stadium on Friday, sealing their spot into the Round of 32. Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Turkey later Friday night, officially sealed the USMNT top spot in Group D with one match to spare.
Pulisic, who did not train with the rest of the USMNT squad this week, missed the match due to a calf injury that he re-aggravated against Paraguay.
“I think this win just shows that we have a really good roster and whatever players step on the field, they are going to give 100% and execute,” Freeman said in a postmatch interview on FOX. “Christian is such a vital part of this team but if he is not available then somebody else is going to have to step in and I think you saw that with Ricardo Pepi, who had a good game today.”
Early pressure from the USMNT led to their opening goal of the match after 11 minutes. Antonee Robinson played Folarin Balogun up the left wing before Balogun’s low pass for Ricardo Pepi deflected into the Australia net off of defender Cameron Burgess for an own goal.
The goal marked the USMNT’s fifth-ever own goal at a FIFA World Cup.
Weston McKennie and Balogun had later chances blocked by Australian defenders, but one of the final blocks of the first half eventually led to the Americans’ second goal of the match.
Sergino Dest’s shot from the top of the Australia box was blocked into the air but Freeman reacted first to head home past Patrick Beech for his first World Cup goal.
VAR reviewed the play for a potential offsides call on Dest by Australian right wing back Jacob Italiano was guilty of keeping Dest onsides on the play.
Australia picked up the pressure in the second half but the USMNT backline stood strong while goalkeeper Matt Freese finished the match with a two-save clean sheet.
Sebastian Berhalter, Auston Trusty, Joe Scally, Gio Reyna, and Haji Wright all featured off the bench in the result, with Trusty, Scally, and Wright earning their first minutes of the competition.
“I think it was a fantastic game again,” Pochettino said postmatch in a FOX interview. “A very good first half, I think we dominate the game against a very tough team. When the draw happened last December I said it was going to be very difficult. The players were amazing today.”
Pochettino was also asked about Pulisic, whose status remains unknown for the USMNT’s final group stage match against Turkey in Los Angeles on June 25.
“We always want to have all of the players available and it was tough to not have Christian but it was impossible for him to play today,” Pochettino added. “We know he is one of the best players in the world and we hope that he can recover and be with us for the next game and show his abilities on the field.”