Four Reasons Why USMNT Should Be Worried About Australia Ahead of World Cup Clash

VANCOUVER — Across the first three days of the 2026 World Cup, no side won by a greater margin than the U.S. men’s national team, who put down a 4–1 win over Paraguay in front of a rocking crowd at Los Angeles’s SoFi Stadium.

The emphatic win set the tone for the USMNT in its first World Cup match on home soil since 1994 and secured a vital three points. Yet, just 48 hours later, the Stars and Stripes had company atop Group D, as they were joined by an Australian team that was already defying many fans and pundits.

Playing in front of a largely Turkish crowd in Vancouver on Saturday, Australia relied on pace, tenacity, counterattacks and strong goalkeeping to secure a 2–0 upset victory over Türkiye.

While the USMNT should be confident after beating Paraguay, a team tested through South American World Cup qualifying, the path ahead may have become more treacherous than it previously seemed. Australia’s performance was eye-opening, while an abundance of stars, including Real Madrid’s Arda Güler, Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Ferdi Kadıoğlu, among others, should still provide a significant test.

With the USMNT set to clash with the Socceroos on Friday in Seattle, here, Sports Illustrated takes a look at why it may be a more tense affair than previously expected—and should Türkiye, who largely outplayed Australia, beat Paraguay, anything but a win could be a big hit to the USMNT’s hopes of winning the group.

Irankunda and Australia’s Transition

Despite the result, Australia was not the better team. The golden underdogs finished with a strikingly low 28% possession and had just 201 passes, compared to Turkiye’s 635. When it came to match momentum and controlling the play, it was all Türkiye—yet, that’s exactly how Australia wanted it.

On the Aussies’ first goal, Paul Okon-Engstler floated a pass over Türkiye’s defenders for Nestory Irankunda to run onto. The 20-year-old pushed his way past the center backs and bolted through into space, before a deft touch and smashed right-footed finish into the bottom corner.

The quick break left Türkiye’s defense frozen, as Irankunda went towards the corner flag to punch it and fall in celebration, in a tribute to Socceroos legend Tim Cahill.

The Watford attacker has electrifying attacking prowess, with the skill and pace to match. Coming up against the likes of Tim Ream and Chris Richards should be enticing for him—and the idea of beating one of Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson or Sergiño Dest in wider areas likely doesn’t faze him either.

On the second goal, Connor Metcalfe’s long shot after charging through space found the back of the net just seven seconds following a turnover, showcasing another moment where they found success on the break.

Australia’s plan is clear and the USMNT will have prepared for it, but the execution came in two flashes, canceling out what was otherwise a strong performance from Türkiye.

A Fearless Backstop

Patrick Beach , Australia — Patrick Beach became a surprise star for the Australians on Saturday. | Stu Forster/Getty Images

In a tournament that, through the first three days, saw most teams struggle to finish chances, the USMNT had no issues putting four past Orlando Gill. It might be a tougher test against Australia, and goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who at 22, played fearlessly and made eight critical saves against Türkiye.

It was Beach’s third cap for his country and his first World Cup game. Largely seen as the third goalkeeping option, his promotion to the starting lineup stunned Australians, but quickly paid off. By the night’s end, he stopped 1.46 goals above expected, a metric that indicates how important a goalkeeper was to the overall number of goals conceded relative to the quality of shots faced.

Whether it was his stops on Güler’s free kick or a key positional save on Kerem Aktürkoğlu, he has likely claimed his spot as Australia’s starter for the rest of the tournament. Beach will be flying high on confidence, which could be a challenge for the USMNT’s attackers.

“His composure. He looked very at ease on the big stage,” said manager Tony Popovic. “He made some good decisions in the first half with playing out; he did not panic and just kicked the ball long. He changed sides, the point of attack, and he looked composed.

“And then he made the saves that he had to make. They had some wonderful free kicks, and he was up to the task. I’m sure he probably won’t sleep much tonight, and he’ll remember this day for a very long time.”

Australia’s Defensive Shutdown

Australia soccer — Australia’s defensive setup forced Türkiye to take most shots from low-percentage scoring areas. | FIFA/TSN

Australia knows they might not play many teams off the pitch. As seen on Saturday, they were more than happy to give up a large share of possession and make the most of their key moments. As such, Popovic’s men sit comfortably in a 5-4-1, with both Irankunda and Metcalfe dropping back and helping in defense.

Throughout the match, the blocks of five and four, as seen above, were clear and forced Türkiye to take less-than-ideal shooting attempts, often opting for shots well outside the penalty area. With that setup, Australia surrendered 30 shots, but held Turkiye to just 1.36 xG, with 16 shots from outside the penalty area.

The USMNT, a team that thrived off getting Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic in behind Paraguay’s attacking 4-4-2 could have troubles and may need a player like Robinson to step up with a long-range goal as he did against Germany.

The Australian Fans of the Pacific Northwest

THE AUSSIE FANS ARE GOING OFF IN THE STREETS OF VANCOUVER 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺#WorldCup pic.twitter.com/hEv1QzQhQK
— Football360.com.au (@football360au) June 14, 2026

The atmosphere at Lumen Field will be intense. Unlike SoFi Stadium, the venue is downtown and will create an immense atmosphere around the ground in the hours leading up to the match. In Vancouver, Australian and Turkish fans flooded the streets in massive numbers and created an equally impressive atmosphere in the stadium.

Facing Australia in the Pacific Northwest is also a challenge, given the large community in Western Canada, where many young Australians opt to work due to simple employment laws in the British Commonwealth. It meant there were thousands in Vancouver’s streets, a scene that should make the three-hour drive south of the Canada-U.S. border worthwhile.

Seattle’s stadium, known to be the loudest in MLS and the NFL with metal bleachers at either end, will create an intense atmosphere, while also testing both teams under the grilling sun with a noon kickoff. How will the two teams adapt? Either way, it could be a challenge.

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