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The U.S. men's national team drew the attention of over 18 million American viewers as their 4–1 triumph against Paraguay became the second-most watched men's World Cup match in the nation's history.
For many watching, the bold, attack-minded style reflected the character of head coach Mauricio Pochettino and matched expectations for a U.S. side. They were physical, relentless and technically sharp, as Folarin Balogun netted twice and they thoroughly outplayed their South American Group D rivals.
Much of that was attributed to what Pochettino said to the squad at halftime, according to USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who came on for an injured Christian Pulisic at the interval.
"We're American, we don't take s---. That's something he really drilled into us," Berhalter told reporters regarding Pochettino's team talk. "Even though he's Argentinian, he has that mindset. This is what we do, this is who we are, and this is what America is about."
With the second Group D fixture approaching against Australia, the USMNT anticipates another intense battle. The Socceroos are looking to claim top spot in the group through their defensive solidity and physicality, along with a dangerous counter-attacking threat spearheaded by Watford youngster Nestory Irankunda.
October's Friendly Ignites Rivalry
A friendly fixture in October in Commerce City, Colo., ignited a rivalry between the two nations, with heated challenges and altercations breaking out, resulting in Pulisic exiting the match with an injury. In the buildup to Friday's encounter in Seattle, those memories have resurfaced and been fueled by a war of words in the press.
Notably, CBS pundit and former USMNT player Mike Grella's commentary has drawn attention after he labeled Australia a "layup" for the co-hosts following December's World Cup draw. The players, when asked about it this week, largely disagree.
"The game was fun," Tim Weah said Wednesday, rolling his eyes and smiling at a group of reporters. "It was aggressive. I think from that game, we've changed a lot. I think we've gotten a bit more aggressive as well. It's going to be a wonderful clash, a wonderful game."
Since securing that 2–1 victory, which featured two goals from Haji Wright, the team has displayed greater intensity. In November, a confrontation with Paraguay stood out, and the USMNT entered this World Cup carrying a noticeably more aggressive edge—much of it stemming from that evening in Colorado.
Australia Primed for an Upset
Likely backed by a sea of yellow-clad passionate supporters as they were during a 2–0 win over Türkiye in Vancouver, Australia believes it can produce a similar result against the tournament co-host. In that opening match, the Socceroos struggled to dictate play, finishing with just 28% possession and allowing 30 shots, yet kept high-quality chances to a minimum and converted their transitional opportunities.
In the buildup to that match, Türkiye's Hakan Çalhanoğlu told reporters that his side would "dominate" the game, and in the tunnel before the anthems, Arda Güler said—in Turkish—that "we are better than them," before his team fell to a goalless defeat.
"They came, they did their talking but they couldn't back it up on the field," Irankunda said after that match a few hours drive north of the Canada-U.S. border. "We got the win at the end of the day, and people can talk all they want, but if they're not gonna put a performance out there on the pitch, then there's no point in talking. Obviously, that gave us fire in our belly. It obviously did piss off a few boys, but at the end of the day, these guys can talk all their s---, so we don't really care."
For the USMNT, there's certainly some talking of their own. Yet, even with the boldness, it isn't quite as sharp as Türkiye's, even if Weah's eye roll and Berhalter's passionate remarks convey more than the words themselves.
With Pulisic's availability uncertain, having trained separately for much of the week, Berhalter could earn a starting role as well. If he does, the intensity will only rise further in a match set to determine who leads the group.
"It's going to be a great game, they're going to fight," Berhalter said. "We like teams that have that brotherhood, you know? We like teams that you can see they're hungry, they want to fight."