Latest Sports Stories

Football News

The Group D clash between the United States and Socceroos has been hyped as next step in a heated rivalry but the nations are on similar football journeysListen to the hyperbole spewed by the loudest voices, and the World Cup clash between co-hosts the United States and Australia in Seattle is the latest contest in a heated sporting rivalry streaked with disrespect and even downright hate.Indeed, the sometimes spiteful clash between the teams in a friendly last year serves as a preview for what is now one of the marquee matches in the pool stage, and set to determine the winner of Group D.But for each country’s football – or indeed, soccer – community, to hate the other is to hate oneself. While the match will be a compelling contest, it also serves as a mirror for two unusual footballing countries, where the world’s most popular sport sits on the periphery.This match is a lesson in empathy. Socceroos midfielder Aiden O’Neill, who plays for New York City FC, understands football in both countries does not have the same status it enjoys elsewhere in the world. “[Soccer in the US] is similar to Australia, it’s starting to change here in America,” he says. “You’ve got some massive other sports, but I think it’s starting to grow in popularity.”While the AFL and NRL dominate the winter sporting discourse in Australia, with cricket the leader in summer, the dominant trio in the US are American football, basketball and baseball.Both countries share another parallel. “It’s one of the great oddities in this country,” says longtime sports writer John Shea, who now works for the San Francisco Standard. “It’s the number one participation sport among boys and girls, yet in the high school ranks, it’s not as popular as [American] football, basketball, and even baseball.”According to the National Sporting Good Association, there were more than 7 million Americans aged between 7 and 17 playing soccer in 2025. The sport is second only to basketball, which has more participants in the same bracket but skews more towards recreational play, leaving soccer as the leader among organised sport.In Australia, football had about 850,000 participants among those aged 17 and under, about 300,000 more than basketball and behind only swimming in terms of activities, according to the government’s Ausplay survey.Bernardo Ramallo, who works with non-profit Soccer Without Borders in the San Francisco Bay Area, says young US soccer players have historically faced taunts and insults from those who play other sports. “Growing up there’s been jokes saying, like, ‘soccer is weak, [American] football’s a real sport’,” he says. “I grew up in Virginia, which is in the south – which is very different to California – it was always ‘soccer is a girls’ sport’, because of the success of the 1990s and Mia Hamm.”Noelle Shaw, a soccer fan from Oakland and former junior goalkeeper, says she believes the sport does not receive the respect it deserves in the US. “Soccer is a hard sport, and I don’t think a lot of people realise that to run back and forth on that field for 90 minutes, no time-outs, no anything, that takes a different level of grit and drive.”Ramallo works on social programs for recent migrants and refugees, and sees people engaged in US soccer tend to be younger and more diverse. “Soccer has always been the first sport that many children play,” he says. “But as well, now, it’s a lot of immigrants, people that come from Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, African countries, and they come here and they bring that love, that craziness, that support, so it’s a nice mix.”Edreece Arghandiwal, co-founder of the Oakland Roots club in the second-tier USL competition, believes in the sport’s capacity for growth in the US. The club was only founded in 2018, and averages about 6,000 fans per home game. “America is a very diverse place, especially here in Oakland,” he says. “Soccer belongs here, it always has been here, it just needs the right vehicles, the right voices, the right stories to get to the minds and hearts of people and I think we’re trying to do that here at the club.”Shea worked in sports media in the aftermath of USA ‘94. He is enjoying the current World Cup, but is not sure whether it will trigger structural change. “I’ve heard about that narrative every few years for decades, and it hasn’t changed to the point where soccer has emerged as a first or second or third sport nationwide in viewing, so I’m not sure it’ll be anything like that,” he says.He compares the current World Cup buzz with the Olympics, which might draw short-term interest in gymnastics or track and field, before Americans return to the established sporting habits. “Which is blasphemy when I hear from all these other countries where soccer is absolutely number one, you get a taxi or an Uber and all they do is talk about soccer,” he says. “And I just don’t get that here. I don’t think I ever will.”The clash between the US and Australia on Friday local time is highly anticipated, given the teams’ victories in their respective World Cup openers last week. The fixture will also be a spark to reflect on the two countries’ close but complicated relationship: of the uncertainty of defence deal Aukus, the record of President Trump and the retreat by many Americans from a global to a more domestic outlook.Ramallo says the similarities will be impossible to ignore. “Beer, drinking, laughs, jokes … so I think there shouldn’t be hatred. Instead, it should be a giant party.”

Football News

Pulisic has been training individually all weekUS face Australia at 3pm ET in Seattle on FridayUS men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino offered very little clarity on the injury status of playmaker Christian Pulisic on Thursday, casting further doubt on his availability before the Americans’ second World Cup group-stage match against Australia on Friday.“I think as you know he was training individually all week,” Pochettino told reporters at his pre-match press conference. “Like always, I think tonight or the day before the game we have a meeting with our medical area, we will assess the whole group, and tomorrow we will communicate if we agree on something tonight. He is evolving, he is much better from Friday, we’ll see.”Pulisic injured his calf in training last week and was pulled at half-time of the USMNT’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay after aggravating the injury. He has been following what US Soccer has deemed a “modified training program” ever since, with US players and coaches offering little else in the way of clarity.The Milan midfielder was not seen with the full group in the portions of training open to media this week at the team’s training base in Irvine, California. Pulisic was in the auxiliary gym next to the team’s training pitch on Monday and Tuesday, then emerged on to the field with trainers doing drills with a ball on Wednesday.After arriving in Seattle, Pulisic trained separately from the rest of the squad again on Thursday at the University of Washington’s soccer complex. He was briefly spotted on the training pitch during a huddle before the session began in earnest, sporting a wrap around his left calf. Pulisic then disappeared into a nearby training facility, accompanied by US performance staffers, and was not seen again during the portion of training open to media.The tenor from Pulisic’s teammates has evolved through the week.“I know he really wants to be [on the field tomorrow],” said US midfielder Weston McKennie on Thursday. “And he’s doing everything that he can and the staff is doing everything that they can as well.”Brenden Aaronson, speaking Wednesday, said similar. “We’re really hoping that Christian’s going to be back for the game, of course,” he said. “We know that he’s going to give us his all to get back into the team and be there for the game.On Tuesday, Tim Weah said, “I think [Pulisic will] be ready for the game and ready to be with the team … I’m just praying to God that he feels 100% fit.”“Christian will be ready, everyone. Let’s relax,” midfielder Tyler Adams said on Monday. “He’ll be fine.”The US could go several different routes in terms of replacing Pulisic. Pochettino could adjusting his approach further back in the starting XI, roll out an in-form Gio Reyna or deploy Aaronson. Undeniably, though, the absence of Pulisic against Australia could prove significant, given how well he played against Paraguay and how much of a central figure he is to the team.“When this type of thing happens it’s always painful,” said Pochettino. “But I think Christian is strong, with a great mentality and is doing a fantastic effort to try and be ready as soon as possible. … He is doing a massive effort to be ready.”

Football News

After Mauricio Pochettino’s passionate half-time speech last October, the USA shaped up and started on the path to a rematch against the Australians in SeattleHaji Wright’s finish was cool, but Mauricio Pochettino’s reaction was cooler. It was the 35th minute of the US men’s national team’s friendly against Australia last October, and the Coventry City striker had just equalized after Jordan Bos put the Socceroos up earlier in the half. Wright celebrated by walking calmly away, while his coach had a blank expression on the sideline.Pochettino’s mind may have been on Australia’s aggressive approach, including one challenge that forced Christian Pulisic out of the match midway through the first half. Or he may have been focused on his team’s reaction.“[Pochettino] wasn’t too happy with letting them punch us in a way, without punching back,” Wright said this week. The Argentinian made his feelings known in a passionate half-time speech, captured in part on a recent docuseries covering the team’s journey to the World Cup. The pep talk was forceful enough to have had an impact even on the players who did not hear it first-hand.“You could tell by the reaction of the guys,” said Brenden Aaronson, who was out on the field warming up to come on as a sub during the speech. The US matched Australia’s intensity in the second half, securing the first of three straight wins that sent them into 2026 with positive momentum.“Even though he’s Argentinian, he has that mindset of like, look, this is what we do, you know, and this is who we are, and this is what America’s about,” Sebastian Berhalter said. “We’re American, and we don’t take shit.”Now, almost exactly eight months after that last meeting between the teams, the US and Australia meet again on Friday on soccer’s grandest stage.The World Cup, of course, is a different beast than a friendly, no matter how intense the competition may have been. The US starting lineup is sure to look different – the only holdovers from that friendly in the World Cup opener against Paraguay were Weston McKennie in midfield, Chris Richards anchoring the backline, and Matt Freese in goal. Cristian Roldan assisted Wright on both goals in the friendly; it would be a surprise if either player starts on Friday, even with the game coming in Seattle, where Roldan is a favorite among the fans of his MLS team, the Sounders.Australia, meanwhile, saw just four changes between that friendly and last week’s win against Turkey. Leicester City center-back Harry Souttar captained the side after missing the friendly, Patrick Beach enjoyed a standout performance in goal after replacing longtime incumbent Mathew Ryan, Paul Okon-Engstler comes into midfield, and Mo Touré starts up top instead of Nick D’Agostino.The personnel that remain, though, highlight the areas the US may once again find dangerous. Nestory Irankunda, who knifed through the US defense on a few occasions last October, had a great start to his World Cup with a goal and a Man of the Match award in the win over Turkey. His pace on the counter was cited by multiple US players as a primary danger this week, along with Australia’s comfort without the ball. The Socceroos held just 30% of possession against Turkey, but were able to cause danger against the run of play consistently – a slightly different approach than the one they employed in October.“Speaking to the boys who played in October, they said the game against Turkey looked completely different than how they played them last camp,” Antonee Robinson said.“To me, it seems like they’re more fine tuned,” Wright said. “They looked really good defensively. They look really stable. They didn’t look like Turkey were able to really get behind them very much. That’ll be a challenge for us to break them down.”Midfielder Tyler Adams called the match “one of the most difficult games we’ll play,” adding that Australia are “combative,” “smart,” and “unbelievably tactically sound.”The challenge now, then, is for the US to match Australia’s aggression just as they did after half-time in the teams’ last meeting.“You could see that they were up for it, and they were putting in challenges, and I think that’s when Mauricio had the half-time rant,” said Berhalter, who was not a part of the team that day but noticed a striking similarity between the US and the Socceroos. “You like teams that have that brotherhood, you like teams that, when you go against them, you can see, they’re hungry and that they want to fight. It makes you, you know, raise your level that much more.”

Football News

The Socceroos and United States both made a fast start to their campaign – here is what the Group D rivals must do to maintain momentum in SeattleBack Nestory Irankunda: the 20-year-old was expected to be an impact player at this World Cup, coming on as a substitute to affect matches against tiring opposition. A player of the match performance when starting against Turkey showed how Irankunda has become one of the Socceroos’ most important players. While still learning his wing-craft, his speed and determination without the ball are vital in a Socceroos outfit seemingly happy to give their opponents’ possession, and his ability to make the most of transition and direct opportunities – as seen for his opening goal against Turkey – can be a superpower.Bring in the reinforcements: Australia used five substitutions against Turkey, including three when it was still 1-0. In a squad with few standout players, Australia will be wise to spread around the physical load of the tournament with one eye on the knockout rounds. This week’s health concerns for midfielder Aiden O’Neill – only able to walk the day after the Turkey game – and Mo Touré, whose calf keeps Socceroos fans up at night, underscore the need for rotation. The striker in particular is a vital player for the Socceroos, given his anticipation and pace make him the primary outlet when the defence is under pressure with the ball.Play for the draw: one point will almost certainly secure a place in the round of 32 for the Socceroos ahead of the third pool match against Paraguay, widely seen as the weakest team in Group D and the least equipped to chase a result. Yet it would also leave Australia in the box seat to go through as group winners, as they would just need to eclipse the result recorded by the United States in their final match against a motivated Turkey. Securing top spot in the group means the Socceroos stay in the San Francisco Bay Area for the round of 32 and play one of the third-placed finishers from the other groups. The Socceroos already have a setup to murder a football spectacle, now they also have the motive.Midfield rotations are key: this is the kind of thing that any USMNT fan would have known before last week’s fantastic opener, but the nature of the US’s play in that game made it especially so. Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro took time in his presser to specifically compliment the starting trio of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman, whom he described as “floating” and a key part of a “pentagon” of play. For as well as Australia played against Turkey, they did not dictate the tempo, conceding more than 70% of possession and getting overrun in the centre of the park. If the US are going to do something with similar levels of possession, they’ll need their midfield to continue rotating effectively to help pull the Socceroos’ back two lines out of shape, manufacturing gaps in what had proven to be an airtight defence.Don’t get carried away: after the US’s emphatic opening statement, fans were over the moon, and journalists (including us) speculated that it may well have been the team’s best game at a men’s World Cup. That is, of course, those people’s jobs. But so far, US players and head coach Mauricio Pochettino haven’t been buying into it publicly. Immediately after the game, Pochettino stressed that the 4-1 win was just the beginning. All week in training, players have spoken about how they see this Friday’s match as a tough test. Given the degree to which the Socceroos stunned Turkey, the US would do well to keep doing privately what they have done publicly: prepare for what could easily be a very different type of game from the one they enjoyed at Los Angeles Stadium last week.Score early (if you can): Australia’s calling card is their organised defence, their intensity and the knowledge that they would always be up for a physical battle. Funny thing is, those exact same traits could also have been said about Paraguay, a team who conceded just 10 goals over the 18-game Conmebol qualifying gauntlet and survived because they scored just enough (14 times) to get results when needed. Last week, that plan was dashed with a seventh-minute own goal from Damián Bobadilla. No longer could Paraguay hope to sit back and absorb pressure – they had to press higher, which opened gaps in the midfield. Getting on the scoreboard early will not only ignite what is sure to be a raucous environment in Seattle, it will force Australia to come out of their defensive shell slightly more than they may be comfortable doing.

Football News

The US star was on a ‘modified’ training schedule for the third day in a row after coming out at half-time in the opener. Other options must be consideredMauricio Pochettino now has the privilege of giving the new World Cup format a practical test.The Argentinian wisely played it safe at half-time of the United States’ 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay, pulling Christian Pulisic before his calf could be kicked any more. The attacking midfielder said after the match that he had taken similar punishment before, and he was optimistic he would be fit for the next match. As of Wednesday, he was still training away from his teammates and wearing a sleeve on his left calf.And so, Pochettino must weigh a question many have wondered since Fifa announced this would be the first World Cup with 48 teams. How much will teams gamble with players’ fitness after securing the three points many expect should be enough to ensure safe passage to the round of 32? The team’s strong performance against Paraguay has US fans thinking about the long game. But the Americans could find themselves on the end of some hefty challenges when they face an Australian team who have clearly been irritated by disparaging comments about the Socceroos in the US media. All this with control of Group D on the line too.All of this could be posturing, of course. Keeping Pulisic off to the side during training could invite the slightest bit of uncertainty into Australia’s preparations after such a decisive first US performance in their opener. It’s the World Cup, where the smallest of advantages must be found.But even so, such was the emphatic nature of their opening win that the United States may want to protect Pulisic from harm in their remaining group games. But it’s not as simple as that: there’s no like-for-like replacement for Pulisic.Gio Reyna last logged a 60-minute shift for club or country on 19 December 2025. But after his incredible late goal against Paraguay, one can’t rule out the possibility of a larger role against Australia.While he continues to struggle to establish himself at the club level, Reyna’s rare talent kept him in Pochettino’s rotation as the Argentinian tested alternatives in midfield. Reyna would help the US with ball retention – he has proven technical acumen in tight areas – and his incisive passing comes in handy against well-organized defensive structures.Reyna came off at half-time of the May friendly against Senegal, then entered as a substitute against Germany (30 minutes) and Paraguay (nine minutes). Reyna was originally expected to be a super-sub given his lack of time for his club, Borussia Mönchengladbach. But Pulisic’s injury and Reyna’s own heightened confidence could make him an option to start against Australia.Pochettino could still unleash Reyna against Australia after they’ve been adequately tired out by the industrious Brenden Aaronson. The 25-year-old was a key figure in Leeds’s return season to the Premier League, bringing tireless off-ball movement and pressing and steadily improving his end product. Still, it’s the stuff away from the box score that has endeared him to the coaches he has played under. Aaronson is the kind of player who makes the team around him a little bit better due to his thankless efforts.Then again, Aaronson hasn’t been a regular part of Pochettino’s teamsheets. No outfield player earned less time in March camp than Aaronson’s 11 minutes, while he logged just 18 against Germany and didn’t leave the bench against Paraguay. His lack of goals and assists for the US have been an issue, but he could open up more space for Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie and others while tenderizing Australia’s defense.With Balogun now a priority for opponents to mark, Pulisic has relished having more time and space on the ball over the last three games as opponents drop deeper. Often, he’s now the US’s second-greatest scoring threat when everyone is available: a crucial second proven option to make opponents sweat their rotations in the final third. While Reyna’s worldie against Paraguay showcased his finishing chops, neither he nor Aaronson could replicate Pulisic’s threat in front of goal.It could be time for Tim Weah to return to the lineup. A versatile option who can play along the right flank, Weah also rose up the youth ranks as a center-forward and can credibly play a slightly wider interpretation of an attacking midfield role. The reality is that the US haven’t played identically in any consecutive games of the Pochettino era, both in terms of style and often of formation. The trick is to combine the right roles to put it all together in a roster with plenty of chemistry and movement.Weah thrived in a break behind Wales’s backline at the last World Cup, nimbly prodding home his team’s first goal in Qatar. It may require McKennie to shift to the left in that attacking midfield line, but getting Weah on the field adds another capable shooter to the mix.Pulisic’s presence and McKennie’s impact in a more advanced role has recently shunted Malik Tillman back a line. He’s made an incredible first impression despite little prior experience in central midfield, a key link in the US’s unbalanced midfield. Tillman played the joint second-most progressive passes (eight) and led the US with five balls played into the opponent’s box against Paraguay, per Futi, including his assist on Balogun’s second goal of the night.When the US last faced Australia, none of the four attacking midfielders listed above had an assist. Instead it was Cristian Roldan who scythed up the channel to provide Haji Wright with a pair of assists. For much of the last year, Pochettino has shown Sebastian Berhalter even greater trust to break lines. Berhalter is also the roster’s dead-ball specialist, another factor to consider, since Pulisic still takes the occasional set-piece.Tillman and McKennie could then operate in the advanced line in tandem while one of Berhalter or Roldan could help Tyler Adams in the engine room. In a game that could be hard-fought, that extra bit of midfield steel could go a long way toward staying in control of proceedings.

Football News

From Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson to Sergiño Dest and Folarin Balogun, the Socceroos will have their hands full in the Group D clashIn the so-called “Battle of Seattle”, the Socceroos face a range of threats against the USA on Friday (Saturday AEST): physical, technical and tactical. A draw will almost certainly secure a place in the round of 32 for the Socceroos and, after their heroics against Turkey, Australia can rightfully feel this is a game they can win. To do so, they will need to neutralise the most dangerous components of the USA menace.The focal point of the USA attack, and the face of the team across many of the advertisements screening during the World Cup, Pulisic has become a consistent performer for AC Milan since the end of his up-and-down stint Chelsea in 2023.The 27-year-old operates in an inverted left wing role, leaving him the scope to cut inside when the team has possession or drive wide on counter-attacks. Both strategies were evident in his electric first half display against Paraguay.Pulisic suffered a knock in that game and came off at half-time, but is due to play against Australia. He will pose a challenge for Alessandro Circati on the right-side of the Socceroos’ three central defenders. The young defender will not always be marking the American, but will be responsible for ensuring the right full-back – likely Jacob Italiano – and the right-sided central midfielder – probably Aiden O’Neill – are on Pulisic watch.The problem for Circati and the others on the Socceroos’ right flank is that they cannot worry about just Pulisic. The preference of Mauricio Pochettino to use wingbacks – which is not dissimilar to Tony Popovic’s preferred system – means Robinson becomes an outlet in possession and an attacking complement to Pulisic on the left side.The Socceroos are likely to concede the bulk of possession to the tournament hosts, leaving Connor Metcalfe – set to be Australia’s right winger again – as the first line of defence against Robinson. The American finished last season strongly for Fulham, and offers pace, endurance and capacity to overlap in an area targeted by Switzerland in the World Cup warm-up game and Turkey at the weekend. They both clearly saw something they liked down Australia’s right.Unfortunately for the Socceroos, the USA pose threats on both flanks. Dest is a skilful right-sided wingback or winger who helped PSV to the Dutch title. His duel with Jordy Bos, Australia’s dangerous left full-back, is set to be the game’s most compelling one-on-one contest. The pair played each other twice in the Eredivisie last season, and Bos’s Feyenoord – who finished second in the league – were beaten on both occasions.Of course, they will not always face down each other in possession. Both players will also be marked at times by opposition midfielders, but Dest’s tendency to attack is likely to place him in the proximity of Bos more often than not. The Australian’s ability to gain possession behind Dest, and force the Americans onto the back foot, will help relieve pressure in what is likely to be a 100-minute-long assault from the hosts.The striker scored twice against Paraguay, including a gorgeous second which highlights the risk for Australia. Balogun’s speed will test Australia’s loping central defence, whether that’s Harry Souttar in the middle, or on the left where Cam Burgess or perhaps Lucas Herrington will be called upon.The Socceroos conceded a similar goal to Balogun’s second against the USA in their friendly last year, when a quick free-kick in midfield found Burgess napping. That time it was Haji Wright – a likely substitute on Friday – who cut in and scored. The danger will be even more intense with Balogun, who finished with 19 goals in all competitions for Monaco last season.The midfielder looms as a lock-pick against what is likely to be Australia’s low block, even if he comes off the bench as he did against Paraguay. Reyna has the technical ability to find spaces for him and his teammates in between the lines, and the polish to make the most of half chances. His finish against Paraguay, with the outside of his right foot, was a delight.Paraguay came into the World Cup with a similar reputation to the Socceroos, as conservative and physical opponents. Despite the Paraguayans’ outstanding defensive record in South American qualifying, they were dismantled by an irresistible American display in the first half last week.The USA players can take credit, but the foundation of their success was coach Pochettino. The Argentinian – whose tactical nous helped Tottenham to their first Champions League final in 2019 – is not afraid to tweak his system to exploit opponents’ weaknesses. That pragmatism, together with the technical flexibility and athleticism of his squad, mean Australia will need to be prepared for surprises. Or, hopefully, have some of their own.

Football News

Former USMNT players have disparaged AustraliaAustralia and US face each other on FridayFormer US players, perhaps caught up in the swell of confidence brought about by the team’s 4-1 romp over Paraguay in their World Cup opener, have fired barbs at Australia, their next opponents. The Socceroos have fired back. And current US players are having none of it.“All this talk is just nonsense to me,” US winger Tim Weah told the media on Tuesday, seconds after rolling his eyes and giving an incredulous look when told about comments from US pundits describing Friday’s match as a “layup,” or that the Australian team itself is “average.”“When you look at the Australian team, they’re a young team that has a lot of fight, a lot of grit, and a lot of hunger, just like us,” Weah said. “We respect them in the same way that we respect any other opponent. I think it’s going to be a lovely game. I don’t know what the media is trying to do, but we’re not really focused on that.”The comments have come most directly from three former USMNT players. After the draw placed the US in Group D with Australia, Turkey and Paraguay, former US striker Landon Donovan called Australia coach Tony Popovic “smug,” adding “you can get back on the Qantas airplane and head back home, pal.”Fox Sports commentator and US World Cup veteran Alexi Lalas said Australia are “an average team by any measure, and certainly not a great team.” CBS Sports pundit Mike Grella, in comments that most inflamed the Socceroos, called Friday’s match a “layup” for the US.Australia’s players have taken note. “I mean, I’ve seen all the US stuff, and I’m just sick of it, to be honest I just am,” Metcalfe said this month. “Like all this talk – it’s just – let’s just wait for the game, whatever happens, happens.”Tyler Adams attempted to act as a peacemaker on Tuesday.“I don’t think any commentary helps anybody,” the US midfielder said. “It’s not going to be a layup. If anything, it’s going to be one of the most difficult games we play.”The US got a measure of what a match against Australia will be like in 2025, in a fiery 2-1 win in Colorado. That match, ostensibly a friendly, was notable for scuffles between the two sides – an experience that US players say has given them a preview of what’s to come.“That game in Colorado was fun,” said Weah, who started and went 64 minutes in that game. “It was aggressive, and I think from that game in Colorado we’ve changed a lot, and we’ve got a bit more aggressive as well … I’m someone who respects Australia a lot.”

Football News

Against Paraguay, the Monaco striker provided the ruthless finishing the USMNT have often missed in recent yearsEven after they conceded an early goal on Friday, Paraguay kept affording the United States ample room up the channel. As the ball reached Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie in midfield, their disoriented opponents never quite seemed to know how to station themselves to stem the tide. The US’s off-ball movement further complicated those efforts, dizzying Paraguay’s defense before it could establish an ideal structure.“I just tried to run in behind,” McKennie said after the US had completed their 4-1 victory. “I think I realized early on that they were struggling to follow my deep runs. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. I keep trying to do it until they figure something out. I was able to find more space than usual, and it was fun. I really enjoyed to get on the ball as much as I did.”Throughout a remarkable first half, the heart of the park seemed fully in the co-hosts’ control. The spacing between Tyler Adams and the more advanced tandem of McKennie and Tillman seldom proved an issue as Paraguay struggled to position themselves in the passing lanes. In those rare moments, the US weren’t shy to recirculate, knowing the on-ball acumen of the defensive trio.Throughout the 2022 World Cup, the US at times resembled a club team, in part because of how effectively their midfield trio operated. In Qatar, Adams and McKennie were joined by Yunus Musah for an “MMA” engine room that kept the ball moving and shifted itself accordingly to be sturdy when defending. Musah’s club career has since stagnated and he was barely in contention for this summer’s World Cup, but Tillman’s progress and the emergence of others – such as Johnny Cardoso, Sebastian Berhalter, Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris – made Musah’s regression a non-issue for Mauricio Pochettino.While the personnel have changed, the dimensions of the field have not. The extra spaces McKennie scampered into on Friday weren’t due to some quirk concocted by this summer’s co-hosts. It’s an evolution of Pochettino’s design, built on the back of the progress of the US’s best players since Qatar.By the time the Copa América came around in 2024, the midfield seemed to be the only dependably functional facet of Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT. Teams could operate in a low-to-mid defensive block, allowing the US to advance into the attacking half where they’d quickly run out of ideas. It had become clear that the system was designed to funnel the attack through Christian Pulisic, and opponents planned accordingly.The one real boon to emerge from getting grouped at the Copa was the validation of Chris Richards’s bona fides. At that point, he had two seasons under his belt with Crystal Palace, but only became a regular starter along their backline after Oliver Glasner arrived in February 2024. Richards’s partnership with Tim Ream kept the US in games, but wasn’t enough to produce positive results against Panama and Uruguay.Richards has since evolved further. He’s become even more vital to Palace since Marc Guéhi’s departure, and logged the most minutes of any player in the club’s triumphant 2024-25 FA Cup campaign. He was similarly regular as the club captured the Uefa Conference League this past season.Richards has gained confidence from his success with Palace as well as his recovery from an ankle injury sustained late in the season, and he didn’t put a foot wrong against Paraguay. He set a World Cup record for passes with a 100% success rate (83), and worked with Adams to assess the Paraguayan structure before dishing off to Ream (to his left) or Alex Freeman (to his right) to begin the next advance upfield.“It felt good,” Richards told the Guardian in the mixed zone. “Honestly, I wasn’t second guessing myself. That was the main thing. Playing with pain’s OK as long as I’m not second-guessing myself.”Up the field was the US’s most vital newcomer of this World Cup cycle. Folarin Balogun’s commitment to the US – despite his eligibility for England and Nigeria – was a massive coup for a program that operated without a dependable striker from 2016 to 2023. Famous for his finesse, Balogun isn’t shy to outmuscle opponents and buy his teammates time to get into dangerous positions.Balogun’s upbringing in Arsenal’s academy has given him exceptional movement and excellent reading of the game. As McKennie and Tillman navigated the channels, Balogun could comfortably drift into the correct spots to get the service he needed, giving Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill plenty of practice at picking the ball out of his net.Without the gauntlet of Concacaf qualifying, and given the team’s inconsistency throughout Pochettino’s reign, there was understandable cause for concern that this group wasn’t ready for the World Cup. After several weeks refining their movement, the US were more than comfortable shunting the ball up and down their lines to keep control of the game. It didn’t take long for the fans at Los Angeles Stadium to break into the polite applause that accompanies savvy recirculation.Joining big clubs hasn’t always worked for this generation of US players. Musah’s move to Milan ultimately set back his development: he never settled into one role as the club changed coaches with regularity after his arrival in 2023. Gio Reyna’s struggles cost him precious refinement with Dortmund and Mönchengladbach.But right now, the US have the type of players they have often missed in the past. They have Richards, a defensive anchor who was vital to his club’s FA Cup and Conference League titles. And they have Balogun, a striker who, despite some dry spells, ranked fourth on Ligue 1’s goalscoring charts.Opponents have to contend with Balogun while still facing the threat of Pulisic, who led Milan in goals just a year ago and has been in rare form since the Senegal friendly at the end of May. Reyna provided a timely reminder of why the program remains so optimistic about him in spite of scarce usage at the club level. McKennie (Juventus) and Adams (Bournemouth) have established themselves as vital midfielders for Europa League qualifiers.Of course, plenty of other nations can go toe to toe with the US on talent. The US’s Group D rivals, Turkey, will arguably be the first such foe they face. The Turks have dazzling attackers who ply their trade at Real Madrid and Juventus, the brilliant Hakan Çalhanoğlu pulls the strings, and the tidy Merih Demiral is in defense. By the round of 16 the US will probably resume underdog status, and Belgium, France and Spain could fall in the same side of the bracket should the co-hosts top their group.But there’s time for the US to build a head of steam as they consider those obstacles. Fans should thank their stars for birthright citizenship – without it, the US would still be without Balogun, a striker who can stretch the field and make life easier for his teammates.

Football News

The United States are no longer a workmanlike outfit built on grit and grind – and Mauricio Pochettino says they are ‘winning a lot of fans’To find a precedent for the United States’ win over Paraguay, one must return to a time when World Cup teams were forced to drop out due to the Great Depression, and the ones who did make it arrived via ship, playing with a leather ball held together by seam and laces.The dominant 4-1 win matched a 96-year-old landmark – the largest margin of victory for the USA in a men’s World Cup game (they won 3-0 twice in the inaugural 1930 tournament, against Belgium and, in a neat bit of symmetry, Paraguay).Friday’s four-goal romp also marked the most goals scored by the USA at a men’s World Cup. It featured a 3-0 first-half blitz that matches the previous most unexpected 45 minutes of World Cup soccer played in the modern history of the program: the 3-0 lead built in 2002 against Portugal, a result the ESPN commentator Jack Edwards famously guaranteed was “stopping traffic all over Europe”.The result will live on in the record books for these reasons. But it will hold a special place in the hearts and minds of US fans because of the ethereal, less-fungible stuff.“I think we are winning a lot of fans, and adding fans for this sport,” Mauricio Pochettino said of his side’s performance. “I think it was a great match; was amazing for our fans to see this type of game.”No longer were the USA the same workmanlike outfit that had featured at previous World Cups, white-knuckling through on the strength of their grit and grind (though they showed some of that too, not letting a second-half Paraguay goal knock them off course).The iconic element of the USA’s opening victory was the very manner of it. Combinations flowed freely in midfield, defenders were split and dragged with alacrity. Neat finishes off moves well-worked enough to make the opening Paraguayan own goal an afterthought. Oohs and aahs stirred in the sold-out crowd of 70,492 at Los Angeles Stadium.“It’s pretty special to watch,” said Christian Pulisic, who was on a heater of his own before being pulled at half-time due to a knock picked up in the first half, and later brushed off as nothing serious. “It’s fun to look around and know that there’s different guys that can pull off these different skills and moves and things going on. It’s great. I feel like there’s such a good connection between us right now.”The USA midfielders tied Paraguay’s defensive unit in knots with rotations, in a manner that the Paraguay manager, Gustavo Alfaro, compared with “floating”. “This is a team that is complex, because they have answers to every element you throw at them,” Alfaro said. “We knew they were a very complex rival. We knew they have coordination, broadness, triangulations, and we were not ready … They dominated technically, tactically and physically as well.”One could call it, by some distance, the best World Cup performance ever by a USA men’s team. And it contained within it two of the best individual performances by US players at a World Cup.Pulisic became USA’s leader for World Cup assists and was dangerous throughout his 45 minutes. And in Folarin Balogun’s double, the US has its first multi-goal scorer in a single World Cup game since 1930 – that year again – when Bert Patenaude put three past, you guessed it, Paraguay.But in the same breath as he praised Pulisic and Balogun, Pochettino emphasized the collective nature of the performance, naming every starter on the pitch in quick succession, calling their performances “amazing”.“You want to push me to talk about names, and it’s about the team … the collective approach,” he said. “Of course, we have talented players that you can observe … but one thing we need to praise is the collective effort.”It was a collective approach that led to what Balogun called a “dreamy night” in Southern California. “I felt like it was a real statement.”“I’m not one to speculate,” Pulisic said. “I haven’t seen all of them.”