This USA Team is Special. Really Special.
June 19, 2026, Seattle, Washington, USA: United States of America forward Folarin Balogun (20) and United States of America defender Antonee Robinson (5) celebrate a goal in the first half of the game US national team, IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Day 9 of the 2026 World Cup opened with the United States putting on yet another really convincing performance against a solid opponent, with a 2-0 win over Australia. Following the victory, the United States became the 2nd team to qualify for a spot in the knockout stage, behind Mexico’s win last night.
What’s impressive about the US so far isn’t what they’re doing, but how. The US this year isn’t just continuously landing in the right spot at the right time (a sophisticated way of calling it luck), but they’re controlling games; putting teams in uncomfortable positions and out-athleticising them from that point on. The same things on paper we’re used to seeing big caliber teams like Argentina and Germany do to throw their opponents onto their script is the same level of strategic genius that the US is playing with.
This isn’t just another regular “I believe that we will win” USA team that operates off morale and the rollercoaster of emotion, but one that clearly shows high levels of preparation and even higher levels of execution. Australia is certainly a step up from Paraguay, but they looked lost today. Australia is relatively known for their ability to at least compete with many of the world’s best, but they looked far from expectant of the US being the team to inevitably outplay them from start to finish.
A lot of credit belongs to the Argentinian born USA manager, Mauricio Pochettino. Very few modern philosophies that dwell in European leagues and generate South American talent have been planted in the United States soccer team; Pochettino is a very drastic change of scenery. The high press is one of football’s current metas, and the United States finally got the memo. The overwhelming numbers of the midfield provide almost endless support in dangerous transitional scenarios, giving the US many good looks on counter attacks.
To add on, the positioning of USA players has been the best we’ve seen in quite a while. It feels like every pass from their opponents so far has had some type of American disruption attached to it, whether that be pressing the receiver immediately after, or simply beating them to the point of the ball. All these things sound cliche, but for the US to finally adopt them is dangerous.
The 2026 World Cup has evened out the tactical playing field. African and Asian nations have been on par if not superior to many of their European and South American counterparts. America is taking part in this revolution as well, and with the combination of young talent flying all over the field, who knows how dangerous things could get for this host nation, especially with unlimited home field advantage wherever they play.
One thing Pochettino does well is bringing the youth into the spotlight. The poster boy for the USMNT has been Christian Pulisic for quite some time, but Folarin Balogun, Alexander Freeman, and Malik Tillman have been the stars of this World Cup so far, all of which are under 25 years of age. Its one thing to have athleticism, its another to know what to do with it. If the United States can continue correctly applying these things to the correct in-game scenarios, be prepared for some very astonishing upsets towards the end of the tournament.
The next US game on June 25 should be relatively stress free but at the same time important for group standings. Turkey will come in looking to stamp their place in the knockout round as well, with the possibility of needing help from other teams around the tournament. But for now, the USA can sleep well at night; we’re witnessing American History in real time.