Live: US set to be without key star for Socceroos World Cup clash

After a tense and at times spiteful build-up, knockout-stage qualification goes on the line as the Socceroos lock horns with tournament co-host the USA in Seattle.

The Socceroos will secure progression from Group D with victory.

And Australia has already swung two major changes, with Nestory Irankunda set to start the game on the bench.

Follow all the action in our live blog.

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Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:57am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:57am

Live updates: Socceroos vs USA

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Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:11am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:11am

11' Goal USA!

By Simon Smale

Folarin Balogun makes a superb run from the left side - the USA is threatening down both flanks now.

He gets to the byline and powers a shot in towards the six yard box, where Burges puts into his own net.

Brilliant start of the USA, as the crowd almost blows the speakers out of my computer with a roar that echoes all the way from the American Pacific West.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:11am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:11am

9' Good chance USA

By Simon Smale

The USA make more moves down the right side and the ball is hammered into the defence.

No way past the twin towers of Aberdeen there.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:08am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:08am

8' Foul by Leckie

By Simon Smale

Tyler Adams is smashed by Mat Leckie and the crowd is furious.

It's definitely a free kick but nothing more - a sore one as Adams is smashed on the shin.

Adams is remonstrating with the referee, Germay's Felix Zwayer, now he's got up after writhing on the floor.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:07am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:07am

7' Half chance Socceroos

By Simon Smale

Mo Toure gets the ball played towards him after the US team howl for a free kick in midfield.

He is sandwiched off the ball by Richards though.

It's more open that I expected at this early stage.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:07am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:07am

6' Chance USA

By Simon Smale

The USA move the ball down the left, Tyler Adams with a cross and then Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi both have a chance to do something in the box but can't get a shot away.

The referee spots a foul there - I have to admit I didn't see it.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:04am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:04am

4' US crowd gets up after Socceroos awarded a goal kick

By Simon Smale

The US think they should have a corner after Anthony Robinson gets to the byline.

Mathew Leckie does well though and there is a double touch.

Not that the crowd like that - it's a visceral boo that cascades down from the stands.

This crowd is going to have an impact - the Socceroos will need to keep them quiet.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:03am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:03am

Morning all

By Simon Smale

Good morning Simon and Tom, Looking forward to a good game free of armadillos. Hoping Big Harry has another blinder today.

- Mike

Morning Simon. Hell of a game coming up I hope. This game is a big deal in USA . I have American friends who are not soccer aficionados but are taking time off work to watch. As far as Popovic’s starting choices go , I think after his great decision on Beach last game he should have free rein.

- Phillip

Conflicted... born and raised in Seattle, but am also Australian via my mum. I just hope both teams have fun? 💚💛

- Austin

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:02am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:02am

2' Chance Socceroos!

By Simon Smale

Freeman sees a pass cut out and that releases Toure down the right side.

He shoots straight at the keeper, Matt Freese, who is never gunna be beaten at his near post like that.

The high press of the Socceroos just catching the US out there.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:00am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 5:00am

1' Kick off in Seattle

By Simon Smale

The US are in their white and red shirts, they're defending as the Aussies kick off in their all-gold kit.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:59am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:59am

Electric atmosphere in Melbourne

By Simon Smale

- Andi Yu in Melbourne

At least four more flares have just been set off during the playing of the Australian anthem.

During the US anthem fans have booed loudly.

The starting line up for the Socceroos is causing some angst for fans given the two goal scorers from last weeks match against Türkiye are not in it - Irankunda and Metcalfe.

But fans still say they're optimistic and the team has what it takes to beat the US.

Fed Square event management capped numbers more than an hour before the match start time, directing people to a live site at AAMI park.

The atmosphere is electric here.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:57am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:57am

Support from the highest office in the land

By Simon Smale

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:54am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:54am

Here come the teams

By Simon Smale

There are pockets of gold in the stadium, but it is, as you'd expect, an overwhelmingly pro-US crowd and they all rise for the teams as they walk onto the pitch.

Time for the national anthems, starting with Advance Australia Fair, which is being belted out by those Aussie supporters - it's enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, a real visceral roar of patriotism and hope.

And now the Star Spangled Banner is roared - it's an awesome sound.

It's rare enough to hear the US anthem sung by a crowd and not as a backing to a singer - and I like it.

And there's the obligatory fly over by a quartet of Chinook helicopters.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:52am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:52am

I am inclined to agree

By Simon Smale

My one cent's worth on Irankunda being Pop'd onto the bench; it gives Toure more breadth up front to show what he can do. Having both on was great and works, here now it'll give the US something different to deal with. If that yields results then wonderful, otherwise simply Pop Irankunda back on. Best of both worlds.

- Big Ben

Also, superb punning there Big Ben.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:51am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:51am

Highway to Hell blasting, again

By Tom Wildie

We heard it in Vancouver, and it's on the speakers again. AC/DC reverberating around Seattle Stadium, and the Aussie fans are in full voice singing along.

They are going to have a hard job silencing the huge US crowd here though.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:51am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:51am

Mates turn World Cup trip into tribute after mate's sudden death

By Simon Smale

Some people following the Socceroos have been planning their trips for years.

That was the case for this group of mates, who were in the throes of excitement about heading off when tragedy struck and one of their party, Brett Niven, passed away suddenly.

He was 44.

The trip, which now included Brett's father, "has a healing element to it," for the group.

Check out this really gorgeous piece by Widia Jalal right here.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:49am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:49am

Tactic talk

By Simon Smale

Turkish midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu copped a fair bit of flack for saying his Türkiye side "dominated" the Socceroos in their 2-0 defeat.

"We didn't dominate?" Çalhanoğlu said to an Australian journalist after the match, when questioned about his pre-game comments.

"We dominated today. Australia was just behind, defending good. Two long goals they scored. It was our mistakes."

That got plenty of laughter, but in every stat apart from the most important one, Türkiye did dominate the Socceroos.

They had 30 shots, over 70 per cent possession, made two-and-a-half times as many passes and almost double the number of crosses.

And that's OK.

Because the only stat that actually matters is the one at the top, the score.

The Socceroos got their tactics absolutely perfect against Türkiye, a deep five-man defence with three enormous centre backs, a four-man midfield and a sole striker ready to hurt on the counter attack.

That worked brilliantly against a Türkiye side that simply didn't have the quality in the final third to open them up.

And it will do the job against plenty of other teams.

The USA lined up in a 4-2-3-1 in their opening win against Paraguay and dominated with their forward press.

The Socceroos set up wont allow them the same space they enjoyed against the South Americans though, so it will be interesting to see if anything significant changes.

The USA had 53 touches in the attacking box against Paraguay, tied for the eighth-most in a World Cup match since 1966.

That was 17 more than any other match the US have managed in that time.

Expect more backs against the wall defending today.

Read more about Nestory Irankuna's thoughts on how much Türkiye dominated here.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:47am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:47am

Listen: ABC Sport Daily: How US disrespect reminds him of Uruguay in 2006

By Simon Smale

Listen to the ABC Sport World Cup Daily episode where Socceroos great Mark Schwarzer harks back to memories of beating Uruguay in 2005.

Schwarzer was at the heart of that clash against the Uruguayans, that the Socceroos won, ending a decades long drought without a World Cup finals appearance.

The Socceroos legend explains why the lead in to this USA clash reminds him of that historic win, before breaking down some other key themes ahead of the enormous clash.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:45am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:45am

Heated rivalry

By Simon Smale

This match may not have been one that many outside of the US or Australia would have circled before the tournament got underway.

But after the US dismissed the Socceroos in the lead up to the tournament and both sides won their opening matches healthily, this potential Group D decider comes with a lot of added spice.

When the draw was made, former Major League Soccer player Mike Grella said the Socceroos represented a "lay-up" for the hosts.

Landon Donovan, now a Fox Sports analyst, tipped the Socceroos to finish ​bottom before the tournament and described coach Tony Popovic as "smug".

That being said, Donovan has been made to look like an idiot almost every time he opens his mouth at this tournament, calling France "arrogant", which earned Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry's ire.

I mean, if you want to talk football, I'd rather hear from them than him.

It has to be said, the players are really not buying into that.

"All the talk is nonsense to me," Tim Weah said on Tuesday.

"When you look at the Australian team, they ​are a young team that have a lot of fight, a lot of grit and a lot of hunger, just like us.

"We respect them in the same way that we would respect any other opponent.

"I don't know ​what the media is trying to do, but we're not really focused on that. We're focused ​on the bigger picture and doing what we have to do as a team to be prepared."

What is the media trying to do?

My theory is the US media may have been worried about the USA's chances and were latching onto what they legitimately thought would be a game that the US could win.

The Socceroos, out here at the ends of the earth, are easier to pick on than big names like perennial European dark horses Türkiye and a South American team that carries the mysticism of its continent to any tournament despite their actual ability in Paraguay.

So I kinda get it.

Does make the Americans look pretty stupid now that it's the Aussies who are their biggest challengers to win the group, though.

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:43am

Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 4:43am

Fight night in Seattle?

By Simon Smale

- with AP

The US are expecting a physical battle against the Socceroos today, following from a bad-tempered friendly match in Colorado last October.

That was the Socceroos first defeat under Tony Popovic.

Mauricio Pochettino lambasted his team at halftime, imploring the players to stand up for themselves after the Socceroos kicked the USA about with physical tackles.

I was covering that game and the refereeing was absolutely atrocious - both sides getting away with murder.

Christian Pulisic left the field with an injury as a result of some rough treatment by Jason Geria.

"Watching that game last year, you could see they were up for it,” Sebastian Berhalter said this week.

"They were putting in challenges, and I think that's one of the reasons Mauricio had that halftime rant, and said, 'These guys can't kick us around.' I think he was right."

The US won that game 2-1, with the USA upping the ante in the second half, refusing to be bullied.

"That game in Colorado was fun," winger Tim Weah said.

"That experience was fun. It was aggressive. I think from that game, we’ve changed a lot. We’ve gotten a bit more aggressive as well."

The Americans scored both their goals against the Socceroos last time when Pulisic was off the pitch, and they believe they can go toe-to-toe with Australia again.

"I think we need to play on the edge of the line," Pochettino said yesterday.

"With not crossing the lines of the rules."

Berhalter could play an important role after he made his World Cup debut by replacing Pulisic for the second half against Paraguay.

"It's going to be a physical game, but a fun game, and we’re excited," Berhalter said.

"[The Socceroos] are going to fight. We like teams that have that brotherhood, you know? We like teams that you can see they’re hungry, they want to fight."

Read more here.

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