Australia’s match against the United States was always going to be the toughest of the Socceroos’ three fixtures in their World Cup group, and that proved to be the case. The US has backed up its emphatic opening win against Paraguay with a 2–0 victory that assures the host nation’s passage into the tournament’s knockout phase.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic’s ultra-defensive formation may have worked effectively against Turkey, but having revealed Australia’s approach, the US appeared tactically superior.