USA vs Australia - prediction, team news, lineups

USA and Australia volition bid to support their cleanable starts successful Group D of the 2026 World Cup erstwhile they conscionable connected Friday astatine the Seattle Stadium.

The Stars and Stripes secured a superb 4-1 triumph implicit Paraguay connected matchday one, portion the Socceroos recorded a astonishment 2-0 triumph against Turkey successful their opening game.

Match preview

The USA were the taxable of aggravated treatment up of the 2026 World Cup, with galore questioning whether Mauricio Pochettino's broadside could marque a heavy tally successful the competition.

There were encouraging signs successful the USA's warm-up fixtures, including a 3-2 triumph against Senegal and a constrictive 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Germany, and they carried that momentum into their opening crippled of the tournament.

The Stars and Stripes were connected the beforehand ft from the archetypal whistle, and it took them conscionable 7 minutes to instrumentality the pb erstwhile Damian Bobadilla turned into his ain net. 

Folarin Balogun past announced himself connected the planetary signifier for the USA, scoring successful the 31st and 50th minutes to go conscionable the 2nd subordinate successful the nation's past to people much than erstwhile successful a World Cup game.

Paraguay did negociate to propulsion 1 backmost done Mauricio successful the 73rd minute, but Giovanni Reyna capped a superb nighttime with a stunning extremity successful the 98th infinitesimal to seal an emphatic 4-1 triumph for the USA. 

Pochettino volition present beryllium anxious for his squad to physique connected that effect and show erstwhile they instrumentality connected Australia successful Seattle, though the manager volition beryllium alert of the menace posed by the Socceroos pursuing their daze triumph connected matchday one.

Taking connected a Turkey broadside galore had tipped to beryllium the World Cup's acheronian horses, Australia secured an improbable 2-0 triumph acknowledgment to goals successful either fractional from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.

Australia were nether immense unit for overmuch of the encounter, conceding 72% possession to Turkey portion managing conscionable 9 shots to their opponents' 30. 

However, a resilient antiaircraft show was epitomised by the heroics of goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who made an awesome 8 stops successful his competitory debut for the nationalist team. 

The triumph volition person fixed Australia a immense assurance boost moving forward, particularly with the cognition that a triumph connected Friday would each but corroborate their spot successful the circular of 32.

Tony Popovic's broadside are apt to beryllium nether unit erstwhile again erstwhile they instrumentality connected co-hosts USA, who person managed to triumph each of their past 2 clashes with Australia, including a 2-1 triumph successful October 2025. 

The Socceroos person besides been provided plentifulness of added substance up of the clash, with respective notable USA pundits taking purpose astatine Australia, tipping them to decorativeness bottommost of the radical and describing them arsenic a "lay-up" for the USA and an "average team."

USA World Cup form:

USA signifier (all competitions):

Australia World Cup form:

Australia signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Pochettino is apt to sanction an unchanged starting 11 pursuing the USA's fantastic 4-1 triumph against Paraguay, though determination are flimsy concerns implicit Christian Pulisic's fitness.

Pulisic was taken disconnected astatine half-time aft picking up a knock, but Pochettino and Tyler Adams person some stated the the guardant volition beryllium acceptable to look the Socceroos.

Meanwhile, Popovic could besides look to sanction the aforesaid squad that started successful Australia's triumph against Turkey. 

Beach was the standout performer successful that triumph, and the 22-year-old goalkeeper should clasp his spot down a backmost 3 of Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar and Cameron Burgess.

USA imaginable starting lineup:

Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream, Robinson; Adams, Tillman; Dest, McKennie, Pulisic; Balogun

Australia imaginable starting lineup:

Beach; Circati, Souttar, Burgess; Italiano, O'Neill, Okon-Engstler, Bos; Metcalfe, Irankunda; Toure

We say: USA 2-1 Australia

USA demonstrated their attacking prime successful their opening game, and though Australia kept a cleanable expanse against Turkey, Beach was called into enactment connected respective occasions and produced a career-best performance.

Replicating specified a show is unlikely, and with the backing of a bulk location crowd, the USA volition beryllium expected to asseverate themselves and yet unafraid the win.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.