The United States men’s national team is through to the knockout stage of the World Cup after a 2-0 win over Australia on Friday. But the moment everyone is still talking about? The celebration that followed 21-year-old Alex Freeman’s first international goal.
Freeman scored the second goal of the afternoon, a header that needed a VAR check before it counted. Once the referee confirmed he was onside, the entire USMNT bench and every player on the field sprinted toward him. And Freeman? He saw them coming and immediately went into survival mode.
“When it was confirmed, I look back, and they start all running, like, ‘Oh my god, I gotta run away from them, they’re gonna tackle me,’ and then we just end up running to the corner flag,” Freeman told Fox Sports after the match. “It was so emotional for me. Because I think you dream at this moment, and then to finally happen, and be able to have such a support system to kind of help you celebrate it, it just means so much.”
The U.S. opened the scoring earlier in the half when an Australian defender put one into their own net under pressure. That was gritty. Freeman’s goal was pure joy. A looping header that hung in the air just long enough for everyone to hold their breath before dropping in.
Freeman admitted the VAR review had him on edge. “I was kind of anxious when it went to VAR,” he said. “And just be able to kind of celebrate the whole thing with my teammates, I think that just made it come together as a whole, and just made the experience so well. Happy I can contribute to a clean sheet, but a win.”
The win puts the USMNT in position to win Group D. They’ll need either a win or a tie against Turkiye in their next match, or a Paraguay result that falls their way. But for now, the vibe is all about that moment.
U.S. Soccer posted the celebration on social media with the caption: “FREEMAN. PLAY FREE BIRD.” The kid is living it. And the team is riding that energy into next Thursday.
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