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23 hours ago
9
Key events
68 min USA complete about 40 passes, but Ream’s effort to find Robinson racing down the flank goes out of play.
Hydrate!
67 min USA pass around a bit and drop it back to Freese, who blasts it upfield. USA win possession.
66 min Long play forward to Irankunda, and Freese very awkwardly plays it outside of his own area. Richards makes contact with Irankunda, VAR checks, but nothing is called.
65 min Pochettino needs to get a sub ready. Soon. The defense nearly give up another breakaway.
Australia maintain possession, pounced on an errant clearance, and Freese has to save a shot from Metcalfe.
64 min Tillman sends a long throw-in to Balogun, who nearly manages to make a neat turn and play for Pepi, but the Australian defense recover well.
62 min Another great ball from McKennie to Balogun, but again, the striker misplays it.
Australia counter, and Ream switched off long enough for Irankunda to race behind him. He centers, and Volpato shoots way high. An Australian player tumbled in the area, and VAR checks it, but there’s nothing to it.
61 min Leckie won’t continue – Volpato is in. That’s four of five subs for Australia.
58 min A half-chance for Australia and a half-decent cross, initially awarded as a corner kick. VAR can now check such things, and it does. Goal kick.
Leckie is down, and after a few moments, physios come in. The referee is trying to get everyone to please leave the field, and they do not.
56 min Robinson is late on a tackle and trips Italiano. The referee plays advantage, then goes back and shows yellow to Robinson. Not a controversial call.
55 min More former Seattle Seahawks players shown on the feed. That explains who was able to afford tickets.
54 min Balogun takes another knock – you wonder if they might sub him out at some point.
Play restarts while the broadcast feed remains fixated on former Seattle Seahawk Marshawn Lynch in the luxury boxes (he can afford it).
53 min McKennie plays in to Balogun, who wins a corner that they take quickly. Patient buildup, and Tillman’s cross is deflected for another corner.
51 min Australia get a sniff of the the ball for the first time in a while BUT they leave Balogun open in his own half, so the through ball to him is not offside! He isn’t able to get a clean shot, though – despite Balogun having a firm grasp on Bos’ shirt. Balogun won’t want to see that on the game film.
From Wilmington, NC, where I lived in the early 1990s:
“I’m sneaking peeks at the match in between trying to actually do my job (US east coast) but it appears to me that the referee is letting a lot of stuff go uncalled on both sides. Which could lead to a rather scrappy second half if he doesn’t take a bit more control.” – Jeff Necessary
“At this point, I’m just hoping that Balogun stays off the scoresheet so I can enjoy a full day of Jonathan David being above him in the scoring charts. That’s all I ask.” – Matthias Hoenisch
49 min Another late tackle and a US free kick. Just a split-second late on so many of these.
48 min Foul on Australia just past midfield. USA bump the ball around.
“My sister, who is the biggest bandwagon jumper I know, is texting me non-stop with relentlessly pro-USA spam. I need some help from the English here: how do I tell her that the USMNT will both implode and flame-out at some point in the next two weeks, and that all her fervor is vanity and striving after wind?” – Daniel Stauss
46 min The US defense look extremely susceptible to making a disastrous play under pressure. Freese barely gets the ball away in time.
Three halftime subs for Australia
Burgess, Touré and Velupillay are out.
Enter Geria along with the two goal-scorers from the Turkiye game – Irankunda and Metcalfe.
Halftime mailbag III
I’m going to have to flip through and just pick one or two more … thanks for the deluge of entertaining mail!
“Antonee “Jedi” Robinson is amazing, with his work rate and skill up and down the left side. He’s like a cheat code. I’m surprised he’s still plying his trade at the likes of Fulham and not Manchester City or Liverpool.” – Desi Duncker, who would also rather see Reyna than Pepi
From Australia, James points a finger at the bench:
“Popovic has got the lineup and tactics completely wrong. He managed to select the most unimaginative lineup by taking out the only 2 players with a goal - which sends the wrong message of negativity to the players. We don’t look like a threat on the counter at all, we’re not playing forwards or getting support up front. Compete opposite to the first game and this is all on Popovic. He has shown his complete lack of European experience.”
“On what are you basing your statements thst Australia will score? They haven’t even had a sniff at goal, 70 to 30 percent US possesion and outmuscled at every ball.” – Mark Horan
Maybe it’s just memories of 1998 Iran. USA dominated and gave up two counterattack goals.
Halftime mailbag II
Please tell me Peter Oh does standup comedy …
“24C is pleasant enough but not exactly Australian Beach weather. A relative deep Freese, actually.” – Peter Oh
“Very hard to get through that extremely packed Australian defense, USA needs to stay patient and not allow a quick counter.” – Rick McGahey (this came in before the second goal)
“It’s dismaying to see so many boot soles on so many calves. Seattle Stadium is seeing more stapling than a county clerks office!” – Benjamin Poremski
I once reffed a game in which a player from a high-level travel team had moved into rec soccer. Early in the game, she was tripped in the box because a defender was clearly not used to marking someone so quick. That’s what I’m seeing in this game. These late Australian tackles aren’t malicious – the ball is just gone before they can get there.
“Australia really aren’t offering much of anything so far. Of course rather than 47 minutes played, it’s about 10 minutes fewer, but when’s the last time they had it in the US half?” – Alexander Whitney (I’m not sure what time this came in)
“I missed the game, so can anyone shed some light on how Australia managed to beat Turkey?” – Shaun Wilkinson
Hot take: Turkiye aren’t good.
“Since Australia is going to lose this game, I would recommend they not come out for the second half but negotiate a settlement with the USA instead. That way, they will win.” – Colin Livingstone
Halftime mailbag I
“Nice call back by Peter Oh to the Le Coq Sportif Roma 8 boots…” – Dean Moull
Peter has another good one:
“If I were an Australia fan, I would react to the ‘U-S-A!!!’ chant ‘A-U-S!!!’” – Peter Oh
“Why is Poch persisting with his “Executive in The Bush” look? It’s bordering on Partridge in Paris.” – Russell Brady
Not everyone can dress as well as Jesse Marsch.
Alternate take:
“I am probably late to the party, but Mauricio Pochettino in the hair and cool dad clothes looks like Javier Bardem. A compliment to them both.” – Martin Bolme
Australian take:
“Popovic and his staff will be livid at conceding from a set-piece, particularly as it was a simple routine to the edge of the area, with the entire defense ball watching until it was too late. And that sums up our first half: missing out on the finer details, second to the loose ball too often, on top of offering zero attacking threat. Mike Grella is laughing through his Happy Meal as he farts gleefully in his bed...” – Chris Paraskevas
“This is probably the best kit the US men’s team has worn at a World Cup in living memory. Only 1950 compares, really. It’s feels like a riff on the shirt they had in 2012, which is the best they’ve ever worn, in my opinion. If they went back to that kit design for good, it would also sort out their nickname: The Waldos.” – Kári Tulinius
I still have a 1994 denim shirt.
“Which is preferred, the USA’s Own Goal, or Harry Kane’s favorite strike partner, Penalty Spot?” – Daniel Stauss
“I enjoyed the brief debate about nicknames. Given the frequency with which American defenders pull Australians shirts upwards, perhaps Shirtlifters is the perfect name for the USA team?” – Kimberly Thonger
I think it’s usually outwards rather than upwards, but yeah, a few grabs have gone uncalled.
The stats at ESPN suggest I might be giving Australia too much credit – they’ve completed just 62% of their attempted passes. The USA have completed 88%. Completions: 259 to 78. Yikes.
Still – Australia have an advantage in the air, so if they can get some set pieces in the second half, anything’s possible.
Halftime: USA 2-0 Australia
Another excellent half for the US attack. But Australia have shown themselves more than capable of pressing the US defense into a few mistakes. Can they capitalize on two of them?
45 min +7 Dest is having a game. He takes a pass from Freeman and blasts a shot that forces a save from Beach.
45 min +6 Balogun accidentally backs his own head into Souttar’s chin, and the US forward falls down. He gets up, though, and seems OK. Perfectly clean play from Souttar – Balogun just backed into him.
45 min +5 Minimal Australian pressure, but it’s almost enough to win a free kick.
I’ll say again – this will not be a clean sheet for the USA.
45 min +4 The fancy tech graphic shows Freeman wasn’t even close to being in an offside position. VAR to the rescue.
Richards fouls on a USA corner.
Australia in possession. Bos probably should’ve won a foul there, but he’s called for a handball.
45 min +2 Seven minutes of stoppage, and that is a dagger for Australia, who had defended with firm resolve but have now given up two goals, with deflections playing a role in each one.
Goal! USA 2-0 Australia (Freeman 43)
VAR check, and the crowd drowns out the ref. He pauses. The crowd goes quiet to hear.
“After review, the player was NOT in an offside position …”
US subs race to run in celebration alongside Freeman.
No goal?
This is going to be close. Dest blasted a shot from 22 yards out. Freeman ran on to the deflection and headed it in. There were two US players in an offside position … but Freeman wasn’t one of them!
43 min McKennie draws a gaggle of yellow-shirted defenders. Some wrestling ensures later, and … never mind …
42 min Fun stat – we’ve had exactly one shot on goal, and it was about a minute into the game. By Australia. The US goal technically wasn’t a shot on goal because they didn’t shoot.
40 min Okon-Engstler is getting treatment for something on the back of his head. Freeman is being checked out just a couple of yards from the sideline – not sure why they haven’t moved off the field yet. They both stay in the game.
37 min Awkward time at the back for Australia after Souttar convincingly wins an aerial duel with the much shorter Pepi. They clear it out for a throw-in, but the USA immediately turn it back over.
We have a collision between Alex Freeman and Okon-Engstler, and both players are down. Physios are on the field.
36 min USA patiently working against the tightly packed Australian defense. Until they get impatient and turn it over.
35 min Dest draws some ooooohs with a backheel to McKennie.
34 min Camera finds Kasey Keller, Alex Morgan and Jill Ellis in nice seats at the game. Morgan is in a couple of ads in frequent rotation in the US, including one making fun of the “international media” for playing up her “tea” celebration against England in the World Cup.
33 min US foul amid the tangle of bodies in the mixer.
32 min Circati is late to a tackle on Tillman and gets a boot on the US midfielder’s calf. Yellow card and a free kick 30 yards out.
31 min USA with a corner, attacking the goal in front of a sea of yellow-clad Australian fans. Tillman takes it, Richards goes up but can’t get it. Alex Freeman is way up the field and manages to earn a deep throw-in.
30 min I’ve been remiss in not mentioning the weather. It’s gorgeous. Currently 24 degrees Celsius.
29 min Robinson is a menace on the left flank. He beats the defense again and sends in a cross, but it goes out of play.
Question: Can Australia take advantage when the USA’s left back is 100 yards from his own end line?
I think Australia will score in this game. Touré looks dangerous.
And one more:
“Match going pretty much as anticipated, but Vellupilay is not providing an outlet and needs to work so much harder. Ditto the three central midfielders, who have to wrestle a bit of momentum back here and put their foot on the ball. Critical that we get to half time without conceding again...” – Chris Paraskevas
Quick inbox check:
“Who needs Christian Pulisic when the USA have the prolific Own Goal?” – Justin Kavanagh
24 min Australia loft the corner kick for the towering Souttar, who flicks it on. The US defense tap it over the line for another corner, and this time, there’s a foul as a player bundles into Freese, who rolls into his own goal.
With that, we’ll hydrate.
22 min Australia with their longest spell of possession now, as the USA drop back a bit. Leckie ends up with the ball on the right, and his excellent cross forces Freeman to slide for a vital intervention. Corner kick for Australia.
21 min Long ball to Balogun, but he can’t control it immediately and the young Australian goalkeeper Beach alertly comes out to claim the ball.
20 min Good pressure from the USA deep, but the pass eludes Adams.
And now Australia attack with a long ball down the flank to Touré. Matt Freese races out of his goal to clear, and it’s a nervy moment as his clearance stays in play, albeit in the other half of the field.
