United States and Australia clash this week to continue preparations for the 2026 World Cup. Gregg Berhalter will lead the USMNT to reinforce the key points in his squad and improve step by step, as the nation he leads will be one of the three hosts in the next international mega cup.
Australia qualified directly for the World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia and will play in their seventh World Cup, the sixth in a row. Both the Oceania and North American teams are already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, so these friendly matches can be crucial for the construction and planning of the starting team that will represent each country.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT comes from behind to draw against Ecuador
Of their last five matches, the US team has won two, lost two and drawn one. They beat Guatemala in the Gold Cup (2-1) but then lost to Mexico in the final of the same tournament by the same score; the USMNT lost to South Korea (2-0) and, in their last friendly, miraculously drew with Ecuador with one goal on each side of the scoreboard.
Ecuador took the lead in the 24th minute thanks to a goal from Enner Valencia. The Ecuadorian striker took advantage of a quick counter-attack led by John Yeboah, who assisted the striker to finish with a low shot, close to the left post of the American goalkeeper. In the second half, the North Americans managed to equalize the game after a collective play that ended with a shot by Folarin Balogun (71′).
The draw did not affect the rhythm of the match. Both teams continued with the attacking dynamic, with Ecuador looking for the lead again. In the 80th minute, Leonardo Campana had a clear header opportunity, but his effort was saved by goalkeeper Matt Freese. Despite the efforts of both teams, the scoreline did not move in the closing minutes of the match.
Australia beat Canada by the narrowest of margins
On the other hand, the Oceania nation has performed much better than the USMNT in its last five matches: during the knockout phase it overcame Japan (1-0), eliminated Saudi Arabia (2-1), lost by the minimum to New Zealand and then beat them 3-1 and, finally, ended up taking a complicated match against the Canadian national team (1-0); these results suggest that the upcoming duel will be more than interesting.
Speaking specifically about their last meeting, Australia went to Montreal’s Saputo Stadium and defeated Canada 1-0 with a late goal from Nestory Irankunda. The Maple Leafs tried by all means to take advantage of the momentum of their home crowd and find the equalizer, but time and again they came up against an impenetrable Australian defensive wall that allowed them nothing.
The score did not move any further, a painful home defeat for Canada, who are set to host the 2026 World Cup and have yet to find the consistency needed to convince their fans. They will now face Colombia, also in a friendly taking advantage of the FIFA date. Australia will also continue their warm-up matches when they face the United States, also away from home.
When, what time and where is the United States vs. Australia being played?
- City: Denver, Colorado
- Date: Tuesday, October 14
- Time: 9:00 p.m. ET.
- Streaming channels: Paramount+
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