Pulisic Who? USA Advances To World Cup Knockouts, Makes History In Star's Absence
Lumen Field, home of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders, often boasts crowds so loud that the fans in attendance have earned the nickname "The 12th Man."
One of the biggest plays from Team USA's second game of the 2026 World Cup happened at the FIFA-named Seattle Stadium because of an accidental "12th Man:" a defender for Australia.
The outside influences helped make up for the fact that American star Christian Pulisic (calf) didn't dress due to his injury sustained versus Paraguay.
Though an own goal started USMNT's party, the host nation soon added tallies of their own power to defeat the Aussies 2-0, officially advancing through Group D by earning a spot in the tournament's knockout phase.
With Paraguay's subsequent, dramatic 1-0 win over Türkiye late Friday night, Team USA clinched the Group D title and will play one of the third-place qualifiers in the new Round of 32.
Follow 2026 World Cup news at Lindy's Sports throughout the tournament.
US 2:0 Australia: Every goal scored
11' Cameron Burgess (own goal): US 1-0
Falorin Balogun's attack from the side paid off in an accidental kick into the net by the Australian back.
More angles of the @USMNT's opening goal against Australia in Seattle pic.twitter.com/Ar7YdL0ZS0
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026
43' Alex Freeman: US 2-0
Freeman made the most of a deflected Sergiño Dest entry, heading the sky ball past Australia keeper Patrick Beach for insurance.
ALEX FREEMAN MAKES IT 2-0 AMERICA!
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026
The goal is confirmed for the @USMNT after a VAR check! pic.twitter.com/jTGJxaXk52
Stellar follow-through off a broken play by the 21-year-old right back, son of former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON IN SEATTLE
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 19, 2026
1996: Antonio Freeman - 7 REC/108 YDS/2 TDS vs. Seahawks
2026: Alex Freeman - 1 goal vs. Australia at the World Cup pic.twitter.com/q0q2MHZ1RH
US 2:0 Australia: Match notes
- This is the first World Cup appearance in which Team USA clinched a knockout round spot before the final match of group play.
- Without Pulisic, Dest moved up to the right wing and earned a respectable 6.6 rating, pressuring the Socceroos this shape would likely continue should Pulisic sit again.
- Balogun looked primed for another goal early in the second half but sputtered out at the tail end of the fast break:
Big opportunity for Balogun and the @USMNT early in the second half pic.twitter.com/44MVH4fkNF
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026
Related: Folarin Balogun's Dominant World Cup Debut Revives Team USA's Hope For Deep Run
Did USA clinch the Group D title?
Yes, but not by their victory over Australia alone: Paraguay's 1-0 victory over Türkiye cemented USA's group win.
USA joins fellow host nation Mexico in capturing their group through two matches.
Two-thirds of groups still need to play their second round of games as of Saturday morning.
World Cup Group D table
Through two matches:
Rk | Tm | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
1 | *USA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 |
2 | Australia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
3 | Paraguay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
4 | X-Türkiye | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
*: USA has won Group D. | X-: Türkiye is eliminated and will not advance to the knockouts.
When will Christian Pulisic return to action?
With Team USA already advancing as D1 regardless of their Game 3 result, they may just choose to rest Pulisic for a full contest once again.
At best, Pulisic likely would come on as a second-half substitute, but little logical reason exists to risk his health further ahead of the knockouts.
The dynamic front play of Balogun, Dest, and Weston McKennie under the revamped scheme of manager Mauricio Pochettino has eased the team's overall reliance on Pulisic, especially in low-leverage matches like their upcoming battle.
News on his status likely will break in the days leading up to USA's group finale Thursday.
Related: Lionel Messi Responds to Kylian Mbappe to Claim Share of Record
When does Team USA play its next World Cup match?
USMNT closes out its Group D play Thursday versus Türkiye, at 10 p.m. ET from Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers).
Neither nation has anything tangible to play for.
USA has already clinched the group title and will advance to the knockout round, regardless of result.
Türkiye was eliminated from advancement with its loss to Paraguay.
When will Team USA start play in the knockout rounds?
Because USMNT won Group D, they will start their knockout round on Wednesday, July 1, by hosting a third-place finisher from either Group B, E, F, I, or J.
Match 81 will take place at San Francisco Bay Stadium (Levi's Stadium, home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers).
Kickoff time will be revealed when the full Round of 32 bracket is set.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 6:48 AM.