Our USA vs Australia player ratings mark every USMNT player out of 10 after the United States beat Australia 2-0 in their World Cup 2026 Group game in Seattle, a second win from two to secure their place in the knockout stage.
How the game unfolded
The United States made it two wins from two at their home World Cup, beating Australia 2-0 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Mauricio Pochettino shuffled his pack and switched to a 3-5-2, and the hosts were ahead inside 11 minutes when Australia defender Cameron Burgess turned into his own net under pressure. They doubled the lead two minutes before the break through an unlikely source, centre-back Alexander Freeman turning in a rebound to make it 2-0 at the interval.
It was built on defensive control. The back three of Chris Richards, Tim Ream and Freeman were barely breached, Richards making a game-high seven clearances and Tyler Adams shielding them with a game-high four interceptions. Matt Freese was largely a spectator, called into just a couple of saves to preserve his clean sheet as Australia mustered only five shots worth 0.51 expected goals.
Going forward the USA were comfortable without being ruthless, racking up 10 shots worth 1.33 xG. Weston McKennie pulled the strings with a team-high three chances created and Sergiño Dest was a livewire from wing-back. Captain Christian Pulisic missed out with a calf injury picked up in the opening win over Paraguay, but a second straight win secured the United States’ place in the knockout stage.
USA player ratings out of 10
Ratings are editorial marks, informed by the match data. Substitutes are marked where they played a meaningful part.
| Player | Pos | Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Freese | GK | 7 | Largely a spectator behind a dominant back three, but made the two saves he was asked to in order to keep his clean sheet. |
| Chris Richards | CB | 7.5 | Commanding in the middle of the three: a game-high seven clearances, plus two tackles, two interceptions and six duels won. |
| Tim Ream | CB | 7.5 | Composed and assured, with five clearances, two interceptions and a game-high 12 passes into the final third. |
| Alex Freeman | CB | 8 | Our man of the match. Won a game-high 10 duels and made five clearances, then turned in a rebound for the decisive second on 43 minutes. |
| Sergiño Dest | RWB | 7.5 | A constant attacking threat from wing-back, firing off a team-high three shots while winning four duels of his own. |
| Antonee Robinson | LWB | 7.5 | Excellent both ways: seven duels won, three clearances and two interceptions, plus a chance created down the left. |
| Tyler Adams | DM | 7.5 | Outstanding as the screen, with a game-high four interceptions, two tackles and six duels won in front of the back three. |
| Weston McKennie | CM | 7.5 | Did it at both ends: a team-high three chances created and two shots going forward, four interceptions and two tackles behind. |
| Malik Tillman | CM | 7 | Busy and combative, creating two chances while winning a team-high-matching seven duels and making three tackles. |
| Folarin Balogun | ST | 6.5 | Led the line willingly with a game-high six touches in the box and two efforts, but could not find a goal. |
| Ricardo Pepi | ST | 6.5 | Worked hard alongside Balogun and had two efforts before making way on 74 minutes. |
| Sebastian Berhalter (sub) | SUB | 6.5 | Tidy after coming on, helping the USA control the closing stages with four passes into the final third. |
| Auston Trusty (sub) | SUB | 6.5 | Slotted into the back line late and made a couple of clearances to protect the clean sheet. |
| Joe Scally (sub) | SUB | 6.5 | Solid in his cameo, two clearances as the hosts saw it out. |
| Gio Reyna (sub) | SUB | – | Stoppage-time cameo, too brief to rate. |
| Haji Wright (sub) | SUB | – | Stoppage-time cameo, too brief to rate. |
The standouts
Alexander Freeman was our man of the match, a defender who won a game-high 10 duels, made five clearances and still found time to turn in the decisive second goal. Tyler Adams was immense as the midfield screen with four interceptions and two tackles, while Weston McKennie caught the eye at both ends, creating a team-high three chances and adding four interceptions of his own.
Key match stats
| Stat | USA | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 0 |
| Shots | 10 | 5 |
| Shots on target | 2 | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.33 | 0.51 |
What is next for the USA
See the full squad in our USMNT roster guide, our World Cup 2026 hub, and the latest World Cup 2026 winner odds. Heading to a game? Grab seats with our World Cup 2026 tickets guide. More on the team at U.S. Soccer. Must be 21+ and present in a state where betting is legal. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
The United States beat Australia 2-0 in their World Cup 2026 Group game in Seattle, with both goals coming in the first half.
The USA led through a Cameron Burgess own goal on 11 minutes, before defender Alexander Freeman made it 2-0 on 43 minutes.
We made defender Alexander Freeman our man of the match, rating him 8/10 after he won 10 duels, made five clearances and scored the second goal in a clean-sheet win.
Back-to-back wins have secured the United States’ place in the last 16 ahead of their final Group game. See our USMNT roster guide for the full schedule.