Everything To Know About USA vs. Australia: Storylines, Projected Lineup, Predictions

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Doug McIntyre and 5 more
Doug McIntyre Soccer Journalist Laken Litman College Football & Soccer Analyst Walker Zimmerman Soccer Analyst Melissa Ortiz Soccer Analyst Maurice Edu Soccer Analyst Brian Sciaretta Soccer Analyst

If Australia’s group-stage opener against Türkiye is a sign of how motivated the Socceroos are to advance to the World Cup knockout stage for just the third time ever, the United States might have to work even harder than it did in its emphatic 4-1 win over Paraguay.

Australia opened its tournament with a shocking 2-0 win over Türkiye that put it level in points with the U.S. in Group D. However, the U.S. can win the group and advance to the round of 32 with a win on Friday and a Paraguay win or draw. Australia has never won its group at a men's World Cup.

Here is everything you need to know about USA vs. Australia on Friday:

Key Storyline: Will Christian Pulisic Play?

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

That’s the pressing question on the minds of U.S. fans and players alike. "I don't really know what's going on," said midfielder Brenden Aaronson, who could take Pulisic’s spot in the starting lineup if the USA’s top attacker isn’t sufficiently healed from his calf injury. "We know that he's gonna give us his all to get back into the team and be there for the game, so we'll see."

Coach Mauricio Pochettino has other options, too. There’s Gio Reyna, whose playmaking ability could be useful against an Australian team expected to clog their own 18-yard box with defenders. But since Reyna’s probably better coming off the bench, I wonder if perhaps Alex Zendejas could be considered; like Pulisic, the lefty can also beat opponents off the dribble. He also gives the Stars and Stripes a different look.

(Photo by Alex Livesey – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

I also think we’ll see Cristian Roldan at some point on Friday. The Seattle Sounders captain set up both U.S. goals when the Stars and Stripes came from behind to beat the Socceroos in a World Cup tune-up last October. What a story it would be to see the Qatar 2022 veteran finally get onto the field on the biggest stage in the city he’s called home since arriving at the University of Washington more than a decade ago. Roldan’s teammates would love it, too. — Doug McIntyre

Player To Watch: Christian Pulisic

(Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Given the spotlight that’s been bearing down on Christian Pulisic this week due to his left calf injury, he's the clear choice. Pulisic hasn’t practiced fully with the team all week, and his status has remained day-to-day after he was kicked in the back of the leg and missed the second half vs. Paraguay. This is crucial for many reasons.

For starters, he’s an irreplaceable member of this squad and was so dangerous in the last match, contributing to the first two goals. But how healthy is he really? Is this all a bit of a facade, or is he struggling? Australia is a physical group, and the last time these teams played in October, Pulisic exited in the first half after a hard challenge. You know the Aussies are going to come after him, so seeing how manager Mauricio Pochettino manages his minutes and his health, and then how Pulisic looks when he’s on the field — if he’s on the field — will be a key part of this game. — Laken Litman

Projecting USA's Starting Lineup

Goalkeeper: Matt Freese

Defense: Alex Freeman

Defense: Chris Richards

Defense: Tim Ream

Midfield: Antonee "Jedi" Robinson

Midfield: Tyler Adams

Midfield: Malik Tillman

Midfield: Weston McKennie

Forward: Sergiño Dest

Forward: Alex Zendejas

Forward: Folarin Balogun

Given that it took a long time for Mauricio Pochettino to find that right tactical approach, I don't think he is going to want to change everything just because Christian Pulisic isn't likely to start. I think the best approach is to make a direct swap and keep the tactics the same. The three most likely options are Alex Zendejas, Tim Weah or Brenden Aaronson.

Mexican-born Zendejas is not as explosive as Pulisic, but he is left-footed and can help the attack in a variety of ways. I think he will be the surprise starter, while everything else stays the same. — Brian Sciaretta

Scouting The Opponent: Australia

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

There will be a similar defensive approach from Australia on Friday, like what the USA saw against Paraguay in its opening game, but it will be slightly different.

Paraguay played in more of a mid-block. What does that mean? While the team had plenty of numbers behind the ball, its focus was more on defending the middle of the field.

Australia will play a lower block and sit even deeper than Paraguay. The Socceroos will defend in a back five compared with Paraguay's back four. With that, the Aussies will sit further back and be very content to soak up pressure.

I'd expect that there's only going to be about 20 to 25 yards of space between the Australia defense and its striker. One way to look at that is the cut of grass. Usually, those are about six yards long. — Walker Zimmerman

USA's X-Factor: Mentality

(Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Mentality is everything here, especially with the USA coming off such a big Paraguay win. Confidence is important, but it can't overshadow the grind with so much time between matches.
I've been in scenarios where the first match feels ages away from the second. And you don't forget about the win, but you have to stay calm, recognize it's in the past and keep building. I'm excited to see the type of mentality the U.S. will bring to Australia, especially as there's some beef brewing between the teams. — Melissa Ortiz

The Star-Spangled Stat To Know

This is the first-ever competitive meeting between the United States and Australia at a men's FIFA World Cup. The U.S. has played Australia on four occasions, most recently in October, but never in a competitive setting. The U.S. leads the all-time series with a record of 2W-1D-1L. — FOX Sports Research

One Mo Thing: A Prediction

I think the USA will get its second win of the tournament. Will it be easy? No, it won't.

Overall, I'm very encouraged by what I've seen so far on both sides of the ball from the USA. The style of play has been great and really positive, playing good soccer that is fun to watch. You also see little things from them, intangibles that generally lead to winning games.

So, I'm expecting three more points from the matchup on Friday in Seattle, but I'm not expecting that it will be a walk in the park for us. — Maurice Edu

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