USA don’t need Captain America to win Socceroos war
United States have now settled two wars this week. Donald Trump capitulated to Iran in the Middle East but, in Seattle, Mauricio Pochettino had considerably more success, his troops putting Australia in their place with another hugely impressive show of force.
The beef between the USMNT and the Socceroos pre-dates Trump’s excursion into Iran, back to the World Cup draw in December when pundit and ex-EFL journeyman Mike Grella described Australia as a ‘lay-up’ for the hosts.
That was the insult after injuries United States picked up in a friendly with Australia last October. Things were already strained when, two months later, Grella casually, cockily wrote off Mike Popovic’s side when the two nations were drawn together in Group D.
Shots were fired from both sides of the Pacific Ocean during the phoney war building up to the Battle of Seattle, where Pochettino showed Trump what a crushing victory really looks like.
The United States won bigly. The scoreline was not as grand as their 4-1 opening triumph over Paraguay, but their dominance was similar.
The game was as good as over in the 11th minute when Cameron Burgess stumbled into Folarin Balogun’s low cross to gift United States a lead Australia were woefully ill-equipped to overturn.
At least some of the blame for that must lay with Popovic.
The Socceroos beat Turkey in their opener last week while giving up 70 per cent of the possession and 30 attempts on their goal. It was a triumph for defensive organisation and incisive counter-attacking.
Popovic drew up a similar blueprint, but neglected the attacking plan. The two scorers against Turkey were omitted – the coach explained he was looking for ‘freshness’ in wide positions – and without Nestory Irankunda, the Aussies had no outlet on the rare occasions they were allowed to look up and forward.
That was problematic but nothing concerned to the way United States ran and passed through Australia’s massed ranks.
The dynamism of the hosts was perhaps the most impressive facet of their win over Paraguay and so it proved again, the Socceroos’ two banks of five pierced by man and ball at will during a dominant first half for Pochettino’s side.
It was a similar theme for United States’ second goal before the break. Australia defended a free-kick by the goal-line by pulling every player back within nine yards of their goal, 10 versus seven. So deep were they, Sergino Dest could even take a touch to set his shot on the edge of the box. A blocker belatedly got to the ball, but the subsequent loop took out the entire Australia defence, allowing Alexander Freeman a simple header into a half-empty net.
Popovic made a triple substitution at half-time, Irankunda among them, and the Watford forward got one opportunity to run in behind, ultimately going nowhere, like all Australia’s half-hearted attacks.
Once more, United States’ first-half intensity allowed the second half to become a procession. With no need to make the volume of direct and diagonal runs that so flummoxed the Aussies, they sat back and cruised into the knockout stages for only the second time ever.
What can we expect when they go into the last 32? Their impressive wins so far have to be put into context by Paraguay and Australia’s limitations. But United States have already proven themselves as one of the best-coached sides among the 48, three-quarters of their work so far completed in the absence of Christian Pulisic.
Captain America will be fine for the final group game against Turkey, if Pochettino chooses to use him. But the manager will already be thinking ahead to the last 32. How United States cope defensively in the face of better opposition will be fascinating but Pochettino has no reason to radically alter their run forward, pass forward approach.