It wasn’t pretty. At times, it was actually quite ugly, like when 6'6" Australian center back Harry Souttar wrapped his arms—each the length of a goal post—practically twice around Folarin Balogun, appearing twice the size of the U.S.’s 5'10" star striker, resulting in a small scuffle and yellow cards all around.
Nevertheless, the USMNT achieved what it set out to do, toppling the sneakily-talented team from Down Under 2–0 on Friday under the Seattle sun. The 2026 World Cup co-host maintains its place atop the Group D standings, with winning out now an incredibly real possibility.
