How to Watch: USA World Cup Soccer vs. Australia

SEATTLE, WA — The United States men's national team is back in action on Friday against Australia for its second game of group stage play at the World Cup.

Coming off an electric 4-1 win over Paraguay last Friday, the USA looks to cement itself atop the Group D standings with another win this afternoon.

USA's Folarin Balogun scored twice and Gio Reyna also found the net in the opening game — along with an own goal by Paraguay — while Australia won its first game 2-0 against Türkiye, with Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe each scoring.

How to Watch: 

• When: Friday, June 19, at 2 p.m.
• Where:  Lumen Field - Seattle, WA
• TV: FOX
• Stream: FOX One, FOX Sports

The United States should have the edge in this matchup based on recent form, including an international friendly meeting between the two sides last October, when the rosters were largely similar. Still, those results don’t always translate directly, especially in tournament play.

One of the big question marks headed into Friday's matchup is Christian Pulisic. Can Captain America play? America's most dynamic player sustained an injury last week after he was kicked in the calf during the first half against Paraguay. He left the match during halftime after the United States went into the break up 3-0.

Updates show that he is fully available and will go, but if he cannot, the United Sates will have to fill a major loss.

For Team USA to maintain momentum, it will need to stay aggressive in the attack. If the Americans can consistently push the ball forward and create chances in space, they should be able to generate quality opportunities against an Australian defense that can be tested.

Despite Australia's 2-0 win over Türkiye, the underlying numbers suggest that result may have been somewhat misleading. Australia held just 28% possession and recorded half as many shots on goal as Türkiye, relying instead on efficiency and defensive resilience. The Australians committed 12 fouls compared to Türkiye's four, but their back line and goalkeeper stood strong, stopping all eight shots on target.

That defensive discipline could be key again. If Australia can slow the pace and limit chances, it may keep the match within reach. However, the lack of sustained possession and attacking volume raises concerns about whether that approach is sustainable against a more dynamic U.S. side.

While Australia has shown it can capitalize on limited opportunities, it may need to be more aggressive offensively to keep up. That said, a more conservative style appears to be its identity.

Expect the United States to control the tempo and ultimately come away with the win, but in a tightly contested, lower-scoring game. The under 2.5 goals looks like a reasonable betting play.