USA defeat Australia 2-1 in international Kind
Sydney, Australia – Haji Wright scored twice as the United States men’s national team overcame a first-half deficit to defeat Australia 2-1 in an international friendly at CommBank Stadium on Tuesday. The result marked the first loss for Australia under coach Tony Popovic and denied the Socceroos a potential advantage in World Cup qualifying groups for next year’s tournament.
Australia took an early lead, but the USA responded after the break. Wright’s first goal came after a swift free kick, allowing him to cut inside the Australian defense and curl a shot past goalkeeper Mat Ryan. He then secured the win for the USA,capitalizing on a defensive lapse to score his second.
Despite a radiant start to the second half for Australia, with chances for O’Neill and D’Agostino, their momentum faded. Popovic made four substitutions on the hour mark, introducing Mo Toure and Nestory Irankundo, but the USA maintained control.
Australian winger Marco Tilio continued to threaten, and Ryan made a crucial save to deny Luna a one-on-one opportunity late in the game. A late surge from Irankunda proved unsuccessful, his shot easily collected by USA keeper Matt Freese.
The match was briefly disrupted by a heavy collision between Tilio and Alex Freeman,and an off-ball incident involving Balogun.The USA’s victory represents their first win in recent matches.
