The U.S. men’s national team keeps rolling at the World Cup, and Friday’s 2-0 win over Australia came with a moment nobody in the squad will forget anytime soon. Alex Freeman scored his first career World Cup goal, and the reaction from his teammates said everything.
Freeman’s goal in the 43rd minute doubled the USMNT’s lead after an own goal from Australia put the Americans ahead in the 13th. It took a VAR review to confirm he wasn’t offside before the celebration could really start. Once it stood, the bench cleared and the joy was impossible to miss.
Tyler Adams spoke about it after the match on Fox. He didn’t hold back on what that moment meant to the group.
“Freeman is an unbelievable character that we have in our team, such an amazing young player and amazing person. And I think you could see the excitement from everybody once he scored that goal. We were all stoked. I mean, the emotion is something special when you’re playing in a World Cup. For him to get his first World Cup goal in only his second World Cup appearance is special,” Adams said.
The U.S. came into this game with serious momentum after beating Paraguay 4-1 in the group opener. That win turned heads and raised expectations. Australia wasn’t going to be a pushover either — they stunned Turkiye 2-0 in their first match. So this wasn’t a gimme. The U.S. had to earn it.
Where the USMNT stands after two group wins
With the win, the U.S. sits alone at the top of Group D with six points. Australia, Turkiye and Paraguay are all still alive but chasing. The Americans control their own destiny but they still need results to break their way to lock down the top spot and get a favorable knockout stage path.
Freeman’s goal isn’t just a personal milestone. It’s the kind of thing that builds belief inside a locker room. A young player stepping up on the world stage, in only his second World Cup appearance, and delivering. That matters.
The USMNT wraps up group play against Turkiye on June 25 at 10 p.m. ET. They’re undefeated, they’re confident, and they’re playing like a team that knows something special might be happening.
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