The U.S. men’s national team came out sharp against Australia on Friday and walked into the locker room with a 2-0 cushion. But the second goal took a video review to get there.
Alex Freeman was the hero of the sequence, but for a few long moments it looked like the goal might get wiped out. The referee initially flagged Freeman for offside after he headed in a rebound off Weston McKennie’s free kick. A VAR check showed he was onside by inches, and the goal stood.
The sequence started when Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman caught Australia napping on a free kick near the box. McKennie stepped up and smashed a shot that forced keeper Patrick Beach into a save, but he couldn’t control it. Freeman read the bounce, stayed even with the last defender, and put his header into the open net. Beach had no chance on the second effort.
Freeman was barely onside. The original call on the field was offside, which triggered the review. The VAR booth took a close look and determined Freeman’s shoulder was just behind the defender’s hip. It was the kind of call that gets overturned only when the evidence is clear, and it was.
The first goal came about 10 minutes earlier, and it wasn’t pretty. Folarin Balogun put a ball into the box that deflected off Australia’s Cameron Burgess and into his own net. It counted as an own goal, but Balogun’s pressure created the chance.
So the USMNT heads into the break with a two-goal lead, and the crowd is buzzing. Freeman’s goal was the kind of late-half dagger that can shift momentum for the rest of the match. Australia had some looks but couldn’t finish, and now they’ve got work to do in the second half.
The U.S. defense has been solid, and the midfield is winning the battle so far. If they keep this up, it could be a statement win for the squad before the next round of qualifiers.
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