Expert Picks

Christian Pulisic has been ruled out for the USA and really all this is. With my limited soccer knowledge, he is our top striker. Falorin "Flo" Balogun seems to have taken Pulisic's place as our top goal-scoring threat, but a low-scoring draw actually benefits both sides in terms of advancing. And you'd think fewer scoring chances for the USA without Pulisic.

USA blew the roof off their opening game and have already outscored their entire 2022 World Cup campaign in a single match. USA took down a defensively sound Paraguay side 4-1 in a matchup that saw Folarin Balogun shine picking up two goals, while Captain America beside him picked up an assist. Loads of former USA players have come out and said that’s the best the USA have looked in decades. Manager Mauricio Pochettino is being credited for helping USA put their best attacking foot forward and the team is creating an exciting style of play from the middle upwards

The USMNT produced a superb performance to beat Paraguay 4-1 in their opener. Striker Folarin Balogun scored twice, and fellow stars Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie also looked lively. They should extend their winning streak when they face Australia. The Socceroos pulled off a shock 2-0 victory over Türkiye on Matchday 1, but they were outplayed for large parts of that game, and they could struggle against this fired-up USA team, which will benefit from home advantage in Seattle.