- USA have won their only home game in Group D, conceding just one goal
- Australia are yet to earn a point on the road in the 2026 World Cup, losing their only away match
- The USA beat Australia 2-1 at home in the last head-to-head meeting eight months ago
Pochettino’s possession players face Popovic’s counter-punchers
Mauricio Pochettino's structured and proactive possession game faces off against Tony Popovic's disciplined defensive blocks and rapid counter-attacks when USA host Australia in Seattle Stadium on Friday.
The Stars and Stripes have three points in Group D at the top of the table, with Australia trailing them only on goal difference, after beating Paraguay 4-1 at home last time out.
Pochettino has instilled the team with some real structure in terms of transitions and pressing, as evidenced in USA's World Cup opening win over Paraguay.
The former Chelsea boss is a possession-based coach and his USA team are aggressive in their pressing, particularly in wide areas where they often overload the opposition.
Australia will counter with pace and set pieces
USA are not blessed with the greatest of goalscorers, so much of their work comes from the wings and their ability to break down the opposition with vertical play.
Pulisic is still the creative spark in midfield. Weston McKennie is an excellent box-to-box midfielder and relentless presser, but it is the forward line that will worry Australia.
Folarin Balogun is USA's top scorer in Group D with two goals in one game, while he has scored three of USA's last nine goals. The home side are worthy favourites at 63/100 to grab another Group D win, although Australia's counter-attacking ability should see both teams score.
Popovic has added more discipline and set-piece threat to the Socceroos
Popovic's appointment as manager has made Australia a much more structured and disciplined team, while they are always a threat on set pieces. In their last Group D game, the Socceroos beat Turkey 2-0 at home, showing how solid they are defensively and how ruthless they can be when the ball falls to them.
Nestory Irankunda is the one to watch for Australia, having scored three of the last nine Australia goals across all competitions. Paul Okon-Engstler has been in excellent form for his country, with one assist in the Group D opener, orchestrating his team from deep.
Australia are in good form with three wins, one draw and only one defeat in their last five games, so we're going to take a lively encounter between two evenly-matched sides that could both score. Take both teams to score at 47/50 and over 2.5 goals at 49/50.
