USA vs. Australia score: USMNT result, stats as Haji Wright brace leads friendly win over Socceroos

Kyle Bonn

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USA vs. Australia score: USMNT result, stats as Haji Wright brace leads friendly win over Socceroos image

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A slow start for the Mauricio Pochettino’s side gave way to a promising finish as a brace from Haji Wright led the USMNT back from an early deficit to beat Australia by a 2-1 score in Colorado on Tuesday evening.

The United States came out of the gates completely asleep, allowing Jordy Bos to open the scoring for the Socceroos off a throw-in just 19 minutes in. Australia got away with excessive physicality throughout the match, with a pair of bad tackles early by Jason Geria leaving Christian Pulisic to depart with a recurrence of his pesky ankle injury.

The injury to their in-form attacker seemed to wake up the hosts, and from there the U.S. picked up their level to spark victory. Cristian Roldan twice fed Wright for goals, one on either side of halftime.

From there, both goalkeepers made quality saves to keep the scoreline unmoved, as Maty Ryan kept out Pulisic replacement Diego Luna in the 79th minute, while Matt Freese did well at the end of regulation to prevent highly-rated substitute Nestory Irankunda from finding his second goal of this international break.

Coupled with an impressive 1-1 draw against Ecuador on Friday, the U.S. complete an unbeaten pair of matches in the October international break with a squad that is expected to be a close reflection of next summer's World Cup participants on home soil.

The Sporting News is following the USA vs. Australia match live, providing score updates, commentary, and analysis.

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USA vs. Australia final score

 Score (2H)Goal scorers
USA2Wright (34', 51')
Australia1Bos (19')

Location: Dick's Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, CO)
Referee: Kwinsi Williams (T&T)

Starting lineups:

USA (3-4-2-1, right to left): 24. Freese (GK) — 12. M. Robinson, 3. Richards, 22. McKenzie — 16. Freeman, 6. Roldan (Morris, 76'), 15. Sands (Tessmann, 64'), 21. Weah (Aaronson, 64') — 10. Pulisic (Luna, 30'), 8. McKennie (Arfsten, 76') — 19. Wright (Balogun, 64').

Australia (5-4-1, right to left): 1. Ryan (GK) — 20. Italiano (Miller, 78'), 22. Geria (Duke, 89'), 21. Burgess, 23. Circati, 5. Bos — 7. D'Agostino (Irankunda, 60'), 13. O'Neill, 16. Ballard (Yazbek, 60'), 8. Metcalfe (Hrustic, 60') — 6. Boyle (Toure, 60').

USMNT HQ: Predicted World Cup roster | 2025 schedule and results | How World Cup draw will work

USA vs. Australia stats

USAStatAustralia
10Shots9
4Shots on target3
64%Possession36%
514Accurate passes254
3Corners3
16Fouls10
1Yellow cards1

USA vs. Australia live updates, highlights from October friendly

90+1 min: Chance, USA! OH NO, Aiden Morris is in a wonderful position to seal the victory for the U.S. but puts his shot wide! Dribbling in from the left, he slides into a good position and wrong-foots a defender to open up the space, but also puts himself off balance in the process and falls over trying to cut the ball into the corner, sending it just wide of the near post!

90th min: Chance, Australia! Shortly after the Socceroos throw Mitch Duke on for defender Jason Geria, they nearly have an equalizer! Nestory Irankunda skates by Miles Robinson and ends up one-on-one with Mark McKenzie, and he squeezes off a shot from six yards out which is saved very well by Matt Freese to maintain the lead!

Four minutes of stoppage time are shown.

81st min: OOF. Alex Freeman and Jordy Bos collide hard in the air and both are down in a heap on the turf needing treatment. Freeman came flying through laterally and Bos failed to get his body up, instead taking the blow and sending both to the turf.

Both players eventually get to a seated position as they receive lengthy medical treatment. The stadium in Colorado is quiet. Freeman is the first to his feet and has a smile on his face, while Bos eventually rises as well but looks hazy.

79th min: Chance, USA! WHAT a save by Maty Ryan to deny Diego Luna a goal! Brenden Aaronson, standing still on the ball with two defenders in front of him, somehow manages to flick the ball through the legs of Cameron Burgess to Luna on the doorstep of goal, but Ryan stonewalls the redirected shot to keep the deficit at just one!

That seemed a certain goal once the ball got through the defender's legs! A fantastic stop!

75th min: The match has completely devolved since the substitutions. Jordy Bos tried to counter-attack through the middle of the U.S. formation but after getting all the way to the penalty area he fails to find a pass and is meekly dispossessed.

The U.S. makes another two substitutions, with Weston McKennie and Cristian Roldan make way for Aidan Morris and Max Arfsten. Brenden Aaronson will move higher up the field into McKennie's spot with Arfsten slotting in at left wing-back.

64th min: Now it's Mauricio Pochettino's turn to make a slew of changes, as Folarin Balogun, Brenden Aaronson, and Tanner Tessman enter the match. The man on a hat trick, Haji Wright, is one of three to make way alongside James Sands and Tim Weah.

60th min: Australia are making a whopping four changes to their side. Most notably, highly-rated 19-year-old Nestory Irankunda is coming on, along with fellow youngster Mohamed Toure.

56th min: Chris Richards is shown a yellow card for persistent fouling. The Australia physicality has angered the U.S. defender, and he's been looking to exact revenge since Christian Pulisic went off. He'll have to hem it in from here on out.

51st min: GOAL! USA! HAJI WRIGHT HAS A BRACE AND THE U.S. ARE IN FRONT! It comes off a quick free-kick on the near side by Cristian Roldan, and Australia are caught pressing too high!

Wright does most of the business hismelf, cooking Swansea City defender Cameron Burgess before providing the finish. The hosts have a lead for the first time this international break!

50th min: Australia are right back on the juice they were on to end the half, as Nicholas D'Agostino again gets a talking to from the referee after flying in on Diego Luna which draws a quick whistle. The Socceroos have to be careful not to draw further ire from the official.

2nd half kickoff: They're back under way in Colorado with the U.S. looking to snatch the lead. Mauricio Pochettino told the TNT broadcast that they started the game "not in a good way," but that they controlled the game after the 20th minute, which is an accurate description of the proceedings.

No changes for either side.

HALFTIME: USA 1-1 Australia

The United States started this match incredibly slow, and their laxidasical approach led to an opener for Australia off a throw-in.

That goal saw the U.S. rise to the occasion, with Haji Wright bringing the sides level as the hosts managed to up their level. Still, it's highly problematic that the USMNT seemed so disinterested to begin the match, as Christian Pulisic was the only one who came to play from the opening whistle.

Unfortunately for U.S. fans, Pulisic was injured by a bad tackle, and James Sands was also the target of two late challenges which angered the hosts. The referee will need to improve his performance in the second half, as will Mauricio Pochettino's side if they are to come away with a win today against a bunkered Australia side that has plenty of venomous intent in their performance.

44th min: James Sands is the latest victim of a bad tackle by an Australia defender, as Nicholas D'Agostino scissors the back leg of the U.S. midfielder and brings him down painfully. The U.S. players, who earlier saw their leader Christian Pulisic injured by two bad tackles from Jason Geria.

Then, moments later, it's Aiden O'Neill who takes out Sands, causing the U.S. players to blow a gasket. The referee has a chat with O'Neill, but does not book him, which further infuriates the hosts.

Things are getting out of hand and the referee needs to take control of this match.

36th min: Chance, USA! After delivering a wonderful assist to Haji Wright for his third career international assist, Cristian Roldan nearly gets his first USMNT goal as his curler from atop the penalty area beats the goalkeeper but beats the post! He's feeling it!

34th min: GOAL! USA! HAJI WRIGHT BRINGS THE U.S. LEVEL! The man in form for Coventry City is on the end of a great ball from Weston McKennie and then Cristian Roldan, whose off-balance vertical ball is in perfect stride for Wright clean through on goal. He contorts his body to shield the defender and finishes with his right foot past his defender and the goalkeeper, bringing the U.S. level!

30th min: Chance, USA! With the USMNT down a man as the substitution has yet to take place, Tim Weah forces a big save out of Maty Ryan! He charges forward in transition down the left side and cuts into the middle, delivering a curler towards the far corner that forces the goalkeeper to dive at full stretch to beat away the effort!

26th min: A yellow card has been shown to Jason Geria who again tackles Christian Pulisic late from behind. This one is way less vicious than the previous one as he only just clips the heel of Pulisic, but it earns him the first booking of the game.

Pulisic, who has dealt with an ankle injury this camp, needs treatment, which is a problem for the U.S. side. He's been by far the most energetic attacker for the hosts so far.

With a considerable amount of frustration, Pulisic cannot continue and is forced out of the match. He yanks off the captain's armband and heads to the bench, to be replaced momentarily by Diego Luna who gets himself ready in a hurry.

19th min: GOAL! AUSTRALIA! AUSTRLAIA LEAD OUT OF NOWHERE! Nobody challenges a deflected throw-in that bounces down the attacking left flank, leaving it to bounce in the path of Jordan Bos who is the only one to react. He dribbles around Chris Richards after a lucky deflection, and then pokes it by Matt Freese for the finish!

The Socceroos score completely against the run of play with the first shot of the match for either side! 

16th min: Christian Pulisic is the target of a crunching tackle by Jason Geria, who somehow gets away without even a caution from the referee even though he caught the lower leg of the USMNT star in a scissor motion between his legs. A truly naughty challenge that leaves Pulisic in a lot of pain, but U.S. fans eventually breathe a sigh of relief as he eventually gets back on his feet.

10th min: The opening stage of this match has been cagey. The U.S. has dominated possession as expected, but Australia have been stubborn in their low block, making it difficult for the hosts to get through.

Kickoff: They're under way in Colorado! Can the U.S. repeat their strong performance against Ecuador and turn it into a victory? Can Australia secure a perfect October?

USA vs. Australia: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more

15 mins to kickoff: The U.S. returns to the Denver area, where they've won seven of eight all-time matches, including six straight in the state of Colorado. The only two states in which the U.S. has won seven or more consecutive matches are California and Washington.

Kickoff is right around the corner!

30 mins to kickoff: The Socceroos have a new generation leading them into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While the likes of Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Traore get the headlines, there's another face who has enjoyed a meteoric rise to his spot in the Australia XI.

22-year-old defender Alessandro Circati, who was born in Italy and plays for Parma, has already been tabbed as captain of the side despite just making his ninth international appearance. He wore the armband for the first time in the second friendly against New Zealand in September, and again captained the Socceroos on his birthday in the win over Canada a few days ago.

45 mins to kickoff: Mauricio Pochettino has come under some criticism during his time as USMNT head coach, but the players have really taken to his instruction.

Folarin Balogun, who scored the lone goal for his side against Ecuador, has spoken out about how much he has enjoyed playing for the former Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea boss. "He's given us so many ideas going forward, and added so much structure," Balogun said. "I feel like the confidence we have in Poch is obviously showing. And yes, I do think we're starting to build momentum and get better results against these top sides."

1 hour to kickoff: The U.S. lineup is out, and there are a few notable changes. However, the most intriguing selection is notable for not being a change, as Matt Freese starts his 10th game in a row in goal for the United States, seeming to indicate that he is the No. 1 choice now in net for Mauricio Pochettino, while Matt Turner is a clear second.

Christian Pulisic starts having shaken off his slight ankle issue, while Haji Wright is brought into the attack. Mark McKenzie gets the start along the back while Miles Robinson gets another run-out, meaning Cameron Carter-Vickers does not see either starting XI this international break. Cristian Roldan and James Sands pair in midfield, while Tim Weah likely flips to left wing-back to accommodate Alex Freeman.

1 hour 15 mins to kick: Australia has released their lineup, and much to the U.S. delight, rising young star Nestory Irankunda does not make the XI even after scoring the game-winner against Canada last time out. Additionally, despite his heroics in goal during that 1-0 victory, Paul Izzo is replaced by veteran Maty Ryan, while Mohamed Toure comes out not for Mitchell Duke up front, but Martin Boyle who has just two goals in 39 international caps.

It will be interesting to see if Mauricio Pochettino rotates his side similarly or goes with a similar group to the eleven that performed well against Ecuador.

1 hour 30 mins to kick: The United States and Australia have both confirmed places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside 26 other nations who have to this point sealed their spot at next summer's competition.

The latest to qualify are England, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, all of whom secured spots earlier today.

MORE: All teams to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to this point

1 hour 45 mins to kick: There are reports that Portugal and Belgium will be the first two opponents for the United States in 2026, as the two European nations are set to fly to the U.S. in March for a pair of international friendlies, the last before the World Cup summer.

A report from Steven Goff of the Washington Post says that these two friendlies could come in a slightly different manner, as U.S. Soccer is eyeing a double date at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with both matches coming at the same venue, a deviation from the norm where the USMNT travels across the country playing in various different venues.

It may be some time before these matches are confirmed, as both European nations lead their World Cup qualifying group but have not yet mathematically confirmed a place at the 2026 World Cup, and thus must leave the March international window open until that is set in stone, just incase they fall to second in their group and have to contest the UEFA qualifying playoff during that time.

2 hours to kickoff: These two teams were on the opposite end of similar-looking matches on Friday. While the U.S. was being stymied by repeated saves from Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez, Australia were frustrating their opponents in the same manner, leading to some pretty humorous posts from the Canada social media account.

It made the Socceroos the lowest-ranked team that has beaten Canada under Jesse Marsch.

USA vs. Australia kick off time

This October international friendly match kicks off from Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Tuesday, October 14 at 7 p.m. local time outside Denver, Colorado. Here's how that time translates across the major time zones in the United States as well as in Australia:

 DateKickoff time
Eastern TimeTue, Oct. 149 p.m.
Central TimeTue, Oct. 148 p.m.
Mountain Time*Tue, Oct. 147 p.m.
Pacific TimeTue, Oct. 146 p.m.
AWSTWed, Oct. 159 a.m.
AESTWed, Oct. 1511 a.m.
ADSTWed, Oct. 1512 p.m.

* Local time at kickoff

USA vs. Australia lineups, team news

Antonee Robinson only just returned to Fulham from offseason knee surgery, and while he's been included on the roster for the first time since March, he missed the Ecuador game and his status is unclear. Tyler Adams is not on the U.S. roster  the Basournemouth midfielder is expecting the birth of a child soon. Christian Pulisic came off the bench against Ecuador due to ankle swelling, while Alejandro Zendejas picked up a knee injury in training and returned to Club America for recovery.

Ricardo Pepi was brought off early in PSV's league match against Excelsior, and while the muscle injury is thought to be minor, he was left off the roster. His club teammate Sergino Dest was absent from PSV's Champions League draw with Bayer Leverkusen but returned for the weekend's league match, so it's unclear if he was omitted fitness reasons.

It was thought there woulud be a battle of goalkeepers this window between Matt Turner and Matt Freese, as 2022 World Cup starter Turner is back in the fold after ceding the last few camps to Freese, but Freese starts again today after doing so against Ecuador, indicating he is the clear frontrunner moving forward. Outside of that, Mauricio Pochettino makes six changes to the XI that drew with Friday's South American opposition.

USA starting lineup (3-4-2-1): Freese (GK) — M. Robinson, Richards, McKenzie — Freeman, Roldan, Sands, Weah — Pulisic, McKennie — Wright.

USA subs: (Lineups released one hour prior to kickoff)

Croatian-born Aussie international Fran Karacic was forced to withdraw from the squad due to an injury picked up in a league match just before the window while on club duty with Hajduk Split. He was replaced by uncapped Jacob Italiano, who plays for Grazer AK in the Austrian top flight.

Ageing veterans Jackson Irvine and Aziz Behich have been phased out of the international picture and have not been called in for a number of windows. In their stead, a young crop of talent has come through, headlined by 21-year-old Mohamed Toure who has been in strong form for Danish club Randers and bagged a brace in the September friendly win over New Zealand. Toure started against Canada, as did 19-year-old goal scorer Nestory Irankunda, but both are rotated out of the XI today.

Instead of veteran Mitch Duke, who has struggled this season for both club and country, Martin Boyle is given the opportunity to shine up front. Goalkeeper Paul Izzo was outstanding against Canada, but regular Mathew Ryan is brought back in regardless.

Australia starting lineup (5-4-1): Ryan (GK) — Italiano, Geria, Burgess, Circati, Bos — D'Agostino, O'Neill, Ballard, Metcalfe — Boyle.

Australia subs: Izzo (GK), Gauci (GK), Degenek, Mmiller, Rowles, Toure, Hrustic, Iraknunda, Duke, Devlin, Yazbek, Matthews.

USA vs. Australia live stream, TV channel

Here is how to watch the match in some of the world's major regions:

  • USA:
    • TV (English): TNT, truTV
    • Streaming (English): Sling, Max
    • TV (Spanish): Universo
    • Streaming (Spanish): Fubo, Peacock
  • Australia:

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.