United States Advances to Knockout Round Without Pulisic in World Cup

The United States continued their strong run in the expanded 48-team World Cup, advancing to the knockout stage despite the absence of star forward Christian Pulisic. The American team defeated Australia 2-0 on Friday, marking their second consecutive victory. The U.S. emerged as the winner of Group D after Paraguay defeated Turkey 1-0 later that evening in Santa Clara, California.

Folarin Balogun, who scored two goals in a previous 4-1 victory over Paraguay, acknowledged Pulisic’s importance, saying, “C.P. is a fantastic player — the quality and the leadership that he gives us. We didn’t have him today, but I think you saw we’re still capable to go out there and get a result and put up a performance.” As Group D winners, the U.S. will face a third-place group finisher in the round-of-32 match on July 1 in Santa Clara, California.

Pulisic, who represents AC Milan with 33 goals in 87 international appearances, was sidelined due to a calf injury. Previously, losing a key player like Pulisic might have hindered American teams. In 1994, the U.S. advanced by ranking as one of the best third-place teams but lost to Brazil in the round of 16.

This World Cup marks the first time since 1930 that the U.S. has secured consecutive wins, with six goals scored, nearly matching their tournament record. Contributions came from all across the roster. Alex Freeman, at 21, became the youngest player to score for the team, netting a goal off a set piece in the 43rd minute. Freeman’s goal was confirmed after a video review.

“(He) is doing a fantastic job,” said coach Mauricio Pochettino about Freeman. “The evolution is massive. He’s so humble. He wants to learn. He always listens. He’s a player that you really enjoy being with him. Not only coaching, but being with him.”

The U.S. opened the scoring in the 11th minute with Folarin Balogun pushing down the left and delivering a pass that deflected off Australia’s Cameron Burgess for an own-goal. Balogun expressed his attacking mindset, “I want to be dangerous, I want to create opportunities. It might not always be myself that scores, but if I can force an error that gives us the lead, then for me it’s like a goal as well.”

Despite not scoring after halftime, the U.S. displayed dominance in the first half, impressing Australia’s coach Tony Popovic. “It did not surprise us because their quality is clear,” said Popovic. “Their power is clear. Their athleticism is clear. They are not surprising in what they did.”

As momentum grows, so do expectations for the American team. Coach Pochettino remains optimistic, emphasizing the importance of belief. “I think it’s much better when you show good performances and win the games,” he stated. “That makes it easier, everything. But, at the same time, it’s (important) to keep believing.”

The team has proven they can progress without Pulisic. Alex Freeman highlighted the depth of the roster. “We know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game,” Freeman said. “For us, it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is.”