After wins for each of them in their first game, we’ve got three USA vs Australia predictions as they clash in the World Cup on Friday, 19 June. We’re backing the USMNT as they play host to the Socceroos, but they can expect a tough fight for all three points.
Things couldn’t really have gone much better for the United States of America as they began the World Cup with a convincing victory. Mauricio Pochettino put four past Paraguay to get off to a perfect start. Confidence among the USMNT will now be sky-high. Their pre-tournament results weren’t great, but that will count for little at this stage.
Australia also got off to an excellent start, as they beat Türkiye 2-0 in Vancouver. Tony Popovic’s team rode their luck at times. Still, they got the job done as they seek to book their place in the knockouts once again. The USA will be their biggest challenge in Group D.
USA expected lineup: Freese, Freeman, Richards, Ream, Robinson, Tillman, Adams, Dest, McKennie, Pulisic, Balogun. Australia expected lineup: Beach, Souttar, Burgess, Circati, Italiano, Okon-Engstler, O’Neill, Los, Metcalfe, Irankunda, Toure.
Confidence couldn’t be much higher for the United States after their opening game victory. Despite their victory, Australia weren’t quite as convincing. Yet, we still think they can cause problems in Seattle. Ultimately, we can see the hosts coming out on top, but it won’t be straightforward.
There are question marks over Christian Pulisic’s availability after he took a kick against Paraguay, but he should be fine. The Aussies, meanwhile, are in good shape as they aim to book their spot in the knockout stages this week. Riley McGree was ruled out a month ago, but there have been no further issues for the Socceroos.
This will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides, although they have met recently. The USA ran out 2-1 winners in October, 15 years after winning 3-1 ahead of the 2010 World Cup. We can see a similar result when they clash at Seattle Stadium.
Neither side goes into the competition in particularly good defensive form. Pochettino’s side haven’t kept a clean sheet in nine games and have managed only five since the start of 2025. Australia have been slightly more successful, with two in five games. Yet, they have still conceded against Curacao, Mexico and Switzerland in recent games.
That’s why we’re backing goals in Washington State. Both sides have players capable of hurting their opposition, and both have been shaky at the back on occasion. That’s a recipe for an exciting clash from the neutrals’ perspective.
It could be a fascinating encounter. We expect plenty of drama and action at both ends. Still, the hosts could prevail come the end of 90 minutes.
No player is seen as more likely to score or assist in this game than the home side’s captain. Pulisic set up the USA’s second against the Paraguayans. He now has 56 direct goal contributions for his nation. There’s no doubt that plenty of the USMNT’s hopes rest on his shoulders.
The attacker picked up 14 goals and assists for AC Milan in the season gone by. He has regularly shown his quality. Pochettino, and the rest of America’s football fans across the country hope he’s given the green light to feature. We think he will be, with the US managing him on a day-to-day basis.
Whether he starts or comes off the bench, we’re backing Captain America to have a big role to play in this one. There’s no doubt that Popovic will be working on a plan to keep him quiet.
