USMNT World Cup roster implications: Wright, Roldan make cases

COMMERCE CITY, Colorado -- Haji Wright scored goals either broadside of half-time to assistance the United States decision Australia 2-1 successful a affable connected Tuesday night.

The Coventry City striker's brace helped the hosts flooded Jordan Bos' 19th infinitesimal opener, with some goals assisted by midfielder Cristian Roldan.

The triumph for the U.S. extended its unbeaten streak to 3 games, portion Australia saw its ain 11-game tally nether manager Tony Popovic travel to an end. It was besides the archetypal clip successful 9 games that U.S. won nether Mauricio Pochettino aft conceding first.

Jeff Carlisle and Joey Lynch instrumentality a look astatine the large talking points from the match.

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1. Wright shows striker contention is inactive open

After Folarin Balogun scored successful each of his past 2 U.S. games, it was opening to look similar helium had gained immoderate separation successful the contention to unafraid the starting striker spot. It was possibly a spot puzzling past erstwhile Pochettino decided to manus Wright a commencement successful Balogun's place. After all, Wright hadn't started for the U.S. since September of 2024 against New Zealand.

The determination proved to beryllium a maestro stroke, arsenic Wright scored twice, though it wasn't evident astatine the start. In the opening minutes Wright looked a spot lost, and seemed oddly reluctant to exploit the abstraction successful down that the Australia back-line was giving him.

But Wright stuck to his task, latching onto a done shot from Roldan successful the 33rd infinitesimal to people with his close ft past Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. Then, six minutes into the 2nd half, helium ran done connected different Roldan pass, near defender Cameron Burgess successful a heap connected the ground, and curled his effort past Ryan into the Australia goal.

If the World Cup were to commencement tomorrow, Balogun would apt get the commencement for the U.S., but Wright's goals person kept him successful the running, and person boosted his chances of earning a spot successful the U.S. World Cup roster. -- Carlisle

2. Socceroos' unbeaten streak yet snapped

It was going to person to travel to an extremity astatine immoderate point. For the archetypal clip successful the Popovic era, the Socceroos person mislaid a match, ending an 11-game tally that began with his archetypal crippled successful complaint past September and that had produced wins crossed the side's past 7 games.

There are each the indispensable qualifications astir this be...