USA Win Group Early. Pochettino: Players' Football IQ Is Above Average, In My Opinion

The Americans achieved their Group D objective despite the absence of their biggest offensive star, Christian Pulisic. The 27-year-old winger missed Friday's match due to a calf injury.

"He's a fantastic player, both in quality and the leadership he brings to the team. We missed him, but I think you saw that even without him, we can still go out there, get a result, and deliver a quality performance," Folarin Balogun, who scored two goals in the previous 4-1 victory over Paraguay, said of Pulisic, according to the AP agency. As Group D winners, the USA will play in the Round of 16 on July 1st in Santa Clara against one of the third-placed teams from other groups.

The co-hosts of the tournament secured their triumph in Seattle in the first half. After an own goal by Australia's Cameron Burgess in the 11th minute, Alex Freeman, the 21-year-old youngest member of the squad and son of former NFL star and Super Bowl winner Antonio Freeman, extended the lead just before halftime. He brilliantly followed up on a deflected shot from Sergino Dest and headed the ball over Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach.

"He's doing a fantastic job. His progress is immense. He's very humble, eager to learn, always listening. He's a player it's a joy to work with and spend time with," Coach Pochettino praised Freeman.

Earlier, Burgess scored an own goal after a cross from Balogun on the left wing.

"I want to be dangerous and create chances. I don't always have to score myself. If I force an opponent into a mistake that gives us the lead, I almost count it as my own goal. It was a great start to the match that put us in control," Balogun said.

The US national team has won two consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1930.

"We played another fantastic game in the tournament against a resilient opponent. We dominated possession and scored two goals in the first half. It's great that after just two group matches, we've secured our spot in the Round of 16. We need to focus on the next game. We must ensure we are as well-prepared as we were for the previous two matches. The football IQ of the players I have in the squad is, in my opinion, significantly above average," Pochettino was quoted by AFP.

There is excitement in the USA over the national team's opening two performances. Many fans dream of a long run in the tournament, even though the Americans are not among the favorites. Pochettino himself encouraged fans to dream big. In press conferences, he repeatedly asked: "Why not us?"

The Argentine coach also paid tribute to the fans in Seattle, comparing them to supporters in his native Argentina. "Amazing. I've said Argentina has fantastic fans, but I think we're matching them."

The USA still has a group stage match against Turkey. The Argentine manager did not rule out changes to the lineup: "In the first half, many of our players were physically and mentally tired. It's too early to say how we'll decide against Turkey. If we want to win and be among the best teams, if we want to dream big, we have to talk about the team, not individual names."

Australia coach Tony Popovic attributed his team's loss primarily to a lackluster first-half performance. The "Socceroos" won their opening match of the tournament 2-0 against Turkey, largely due to a disciplined defensive effort, but conceded an early goal against the USA, derailing their desired game plan.

"We struggled to win individual duels and pick up second balls. We were slower to every ball and couldn't regain momentum, which made things very difficult for us. We conceded two really cheap goals, but above all, we looked low on energy and lethargic," Popovic assessed.

The USA's first-place finish was definitively confirmed by another Group D result, as Paraguay defeated Turkey 1-0 on Saturday night, with Matias Galarza scoring after just 64 seconds. The Turks failed to capitalize even with a numerical advantage. In first-half stoppage time, Paraguay's Miguel Almiron received a red card. He became the first player in World Cup history to be sent off for covering his mouth during a confrontation with an opponent.

A VAR review revealed that he violated new rules during a verbal exchange with Turkish player Mert Müldür after a foul. The rule was recently introduced at the behest of FIFA President Gianni Infantino to more strictly penalize racist or other discriminatory behavior on the field. The impetus for the change was an incident in a Champions League match in February, when Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth with his jersey while insulting Vinicius of Real Madrid.

The Turks, who boast a strong generation of players like Arda Güler, Hakan Calhanoglu, Kenan Yildiz, and Merih Demiral, once again failed to capitalize on their overwhelming dominance in almost all statistical categories. Vincenzo Montella's side has yet to score in this World Cup, despite creating 62 shots.

According to Opta, this is the most attempts without scoring a goal in two World Cup matches since at least 1966, when these statistics began to be recorded. "We are very, very sad. It's a shame, we apologize to our fans. We are all crying," said Güler, Real Madrid's Turkish attacking midfielder, according to DPA.

Thanks to their narrow victory, Paraguay keeps their hopes alive for advancing to the knockout stage. "It was very tough, especially when you're playing with one less man. We have to highlight the great team effort and determination we showed as a squad to fight until the end," midfielder Andres Cubas was quoted by AP.

Turkey will conclude their group stage campaign on Friday, June 26th, at 4:00 AM CEST in Los Angeles against the host USA team. At the same time in San Francisco, Paraguay will face Australia in a battle for second place in the table.