The U.S. men's national team has already won its group and secured a spot in the knockout round of the World Cup, marking the first time since 1930 that the Americans have won consecutive matches in the tournament. With six goals in their first two games—one short of the team record for a World Cup—the squad's quick and creative offensive attack has energized home crowds and raised expectations for a deep run.
Early success and growing optimism
After a 2-0 victory over Australia on Friday, U.S. defender Chris Richards expressed the team's ambition. "I don't think it's ridiculous to say that we want to win it," Richards said. "We want to lift a trophy by the end of this." Striker Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in the opener against Paraguay, echoed that sentiment. "You know, (if) someone said before the tournament 'Two games and you're through to the knockouts,' I think we all would have took it," Balogun said. "We're delighted."
Pochettino's impact on the team
The architect behind the resurgence is Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, who was hired in 2024 with an eye on this year's World Cup. Best known for his European club stints with Tottenham, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino had never coached a national team before. As a co-host, the U.S. was an automatic qualifier, giving him time to experiment. He was blunt earlier this month when he said the U.S. does not have any players among the top 100 in the world, but the lineup he has fielded has been rock solid. Pochettino said after the win over Australia, he could feel the fan support reverberating throughout the stadium in Seattle. "Today, even if I'm not American, after the game I was emotional," Pochettino said. "It was an amazing and perfect connection between the energy from the stands and the team. This makes us feel very proud."
Pulisic's injury and squad depth
Star midfielder Christian Pulisic missed the Australia match with a calf injury, but his absence allowed the U.S. to showcase depth. Striker Ricardo Pepi started in his place and combined with Balogun on the run that created the first goal in the 11th minute. "We know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game," said Alex Freeman, who scored the second goal against Australia. "For us it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is." Still, the U.S. will want Pulisic's steady hand and creative playmaking as they get deeper in the tournament. He has scored 33 goals in 87 international appearances, including the game winner against Iran in the 2022 World Cup that sent the U.S. to the round of 16.
History and home advantage
The U.S. will enjoy home support for as far as they can go. The U.S. is co-host with Canada and Mexico. Since 1930, the host nation has won the World Cup six times, most recently France in 1998. When Mexico hosted in 1970 and 1986, it reached the quarterfinals both times. In 2002, co-host South Korea reached the semifinals. Host Russia reached the quarterfinals in 2018. The U.S. finished third in the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and reached the quarterfinals in 2002. When the U.S. hosted in 1994, the underdog Americans played in front of huge crowds and slugged their way through the group stage before being eliminated by Brazil. Back then, just reaching the knockout round was the goal and a huge achievement. The expectations this time are for much more, and growing with every goal. "I think people can see what we're capable of as a team," Pepi said.
