{"id":2628,"date":"2026-06-20T17:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628"},"modified":"2026-06-20T17:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:09:11","slug":"without-the-injured-christian-pulisic-us-beats-australia-2-0-to-advance-to-world-cup-knockout-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628","title":{"rendered":"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><div><p>By<strong> ANDREW DESTIN, AP Sports Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>SEATTLE (AP) \u2014 Christian Pulisic\u2019s\u00a0injury absence\u00a0didn\u2019t hurt the Americans one bit.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2617\">Stanford\u2019s first proton therapy patient is 7. His case shows why the treatment matters<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. national soccer team found a way to advance to the knockout round without the injured forward on the field, beating Australia 2-0 Friday for its second straight victory at the largest\u00a0World Cup\u00a0in history.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cC.P. is a fantastic player \u2014 the quality and the leadership that he gives us,\u201d said\u00a0Folarin Balogun, who scored two goals\u00a0in the 4-1 victory over Paraguay on June 12. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have him today, but I think you saw we\u2019re still capable to go out there and get a result and put up a performance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>More: World Cup standings, results and brackets<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan and has 33 goals in 87 international appearances, missed Friday\u2019s match because of a calf injury.<\/p>\n<p>To play without a superstar like Pulisic could have derailed previous American teams in World Cup play. But much has changed since the last time they served as World Cup hosts in 1994, when they advanced by being one of the best third-place teams. They then lost to eventual champion Brazil in their next match, which was in the round of 16.<\/p>\n<p>At this year\u2019s 48-team tournament, the U.S. has won consecutive games for the first time at a World Cup since 1930. The Americans have scored six goals, one off their record for most in a single World Cup, and received contributions throughout their roster.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<div><ul><div><div><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Australia\u2019s Aiden O\u2019Neill (13) appeals for offside after United States\u2019...\" class=\"wp-image-2619\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Australia\u2019s Aiden O\u2019Neill (13) appeals for offside after United States\u2019 Alex Freeman (16) scored a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach (18) during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Maddy Grassy)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"United States\u2019 Christian Pulisic (10) during the World Cup Group...\" class=\"wp-image-2620\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6b2ae5abaf10c00823c6ef32beaa25e0-1024x684.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6b2ae5abaf10c00823c6ef32beaa25e0-1024x684.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6b2ae5abaf10c00823c6ef32beaa25e0-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6b2ae5abaf10c00823c6ef32beaa25e0-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6b2ae5abaf10c00823c6ef32beaa25e0-1536x1026.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6b2ae5abaf10c00823c6ef32beaa25e0.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>United States\u2019 Christian Pulisic (10) during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Manu Fernandez)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"United States goalkeeper Matt Freese (24) reacts during the World...\" class=\"wp-image-2621\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b5f62e93c401def9e3492c06d0958db5-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b5f62e93c401def9e3492c06d0958db5-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b5f62e93c401def9e3492c06d0958db5-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b5f62e93c401def9e3492c06d0958db5-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b5f62e93c401def9e3492c06d0958db5-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b5f62e93c401def9e3492c06d0958db5.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>United States goalkeeper Matt Freese (24) reacts during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ted S. Warren)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"United States\u2019 Ricardo Pepi (9) and Australia\u2019s Harry Souttar (19)...\" class=\"wp-image-2622\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/53deec1fcda8a383cafa6677f9dd34fc-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/53deec1fcda8a383cafa6677f9dd34fc-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/53deec1fcda8a383cafa6677f9dd34fc-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/53deec1fcda8a383cafa6677f9dd34fc-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/53deec1fcda8a383cafa6677f9dd34fc-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/53deec1fcda8a383cafa6677f9dd34fc.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>United States\u2019 Ricardo Pepi (9) and Australia\u2019s Harry Souttar (19) fight for the ball during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ted S. Warren)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"United States fans hold signs on the stand during the...\" class=\"wp-image-2623\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a2004ea858a9efa45aebcfa11ea60c2-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a2004ea858a9efa45aebcfa11ea60c2-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a2004ea858a9efa45aebcfa11ea60c2-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a2004ea858a9efa45aebcfa11ea60c2-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a2004ea858a9efa45aebcfa11ea60c2-1536x1025.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a2004ea858a9efa45aebcfa11ea60c2.webp 1859w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>United States fans hold signs on the stand during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Lindsey Wasson)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A group of United States fans arrive outside the stadium...\" class=\"wp-image-2624\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/91accebbea19f6df84d93511671d7b30-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/91accebbea19f6df84d93511671d7b30-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/91accebbea19f6df84d93511671d7b30-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/91accebbea19f6df84d93511671d7b30-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/91accebbea19f6df84d93511671d7b30-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/91accebbea19f6df84d93511671d7b30.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>A group of United States fans arrive outside the stadium before the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Lindsey Wasson)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Helicopters fly over the stadium before the World Cup Group...\" class=\"wp-image-2625\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d568f3538f5a7a707016672c15938ef5-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d568f3538f5a7a707016672c15938ef5-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d568f3538f5a7a707016672c15938ef5-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d568f3538f5a7a707016672c15938ef5-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d568f3538f5a7a707016672c15938ef5-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d568f3538f5a7a707016672c15938ef5.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Helicopters fly over the stadium before the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Maddy Grassy)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Paris Hilton stands on the pitch before the World Cup...\" class=\"wp-image-2626\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/97d2ac3c2a92db922f9cc15b8615a968-1024x683.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/97d2ac3c2a92db922f9cc15b8615a968-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/97d2ac3c2a92db922f9cc15b8615a968-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/97d2ac3c2a92db922f9cc15b8615a968-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/97d2ac3c2a92db922f9cc15b8615a968-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/97d2ac3c2a92db922f9cc15b8615a968.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Paris Hilton stands on the pitch before the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Lindsey Wasson)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"United States\u2019 Folarin Balogun (20) and Antonee Robinson (5) celebrate...\" class=\"wp-image-2627\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0d26da0446f133bc0f79d60755fc1428-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0d26da0446f133bc0f79d60755fc1428-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0d26da0446f133bc0f79d60755fc1428-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0d26da0446f133bc0f79d60755fc1428-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0d26da0446f133bc0f79d60755fc1428-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0d26da0446f133bc0f79d60755fc1428.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>United States\u2019 Folarin Balogun (20) and Antonee Robinson (5) celebrate after scoring during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ted S. Warren)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/ul><div><button>Show Caption<\/button><div><span>1<\/span> of <span>9<\/span><\/div><div>Australia\u2019s Aiden O\u2019Neill (13) appeals for offside after United States\u2019 Alex Freeman (16) scored a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach (18) during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Maddy Grassy)\n<\/div><span>Expand<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Alex Freeman,\u00a0the youngest player on the team at 21 and son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman, gave the Americans a 2-0 lead in the 43rd minute off a set piece. Freeman headed in a deflected shot by Sergi\u00f1o Dest for his first career World Cup goal. The goal was confirmed after a video review.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(He) is doing a fantastic job,\u201d coach Mauricio Pochettino said of Freeman. \u201cThe evolution is massive. He\u2019s so humble. He wants to learn. He always listens. He\u2019s a player that you really enjoy being with him. Not only coaching, but being with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute after a run down the left sideline by Balogun.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2607\">Kate Middleton probably didn\u2019t prepare her kids to be booed by protesters<\/a><\/p>\n<p>He directed a centering pass towards striker Ricardo Pepi, who started in place of Pulisic. The ball never reached Pepi, deflecting off Australia defender Cameron Burgess and into the Socceroos\u2019 net for an own-goal.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI want to be dangerous, I want to create opportunities,\u201d Balogun said. \u201cIt might not always be myself that scores, but if I can force an error that gives us the lead, then for me it\u2019s like a goal as well. It was a special start to the game to give us the momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Americans did not score again after halftime, but the manner with which they so thoroughly dominated Australia in the opening 45 minutes left a lasting impression on Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt did not surprise us because their quality is clear,\u201d Popovic said. \u201cTheir power is clear. Their athleticism is clear. They are not surprising in what they did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Expectations will only increase for the U.S. as they rack up more victories and\u00a0momentum\u00a0builds around the team. The way the Americans have started the tournament in dominant fashion has not changed Pochettino\u2019s perception of the team and what it is capable of, though.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s much better when you show good performances and win the games,\u201d Pochettino said. \u201cI think that makes it easier, everything. But, at the same time, it\u2019s (important) to keep believing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, the U.S. learned it can get out of the group stage without Pulisic. And, they have the roster to make a deep run in the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cFor us it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is.\u201d<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2605\">Word Game: June 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>AP World Cup: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. national soccer team advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup despite the absence of injured forward Christian Pulisic with a 2-0 victory over Australia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The U.S. national soccer team advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup despite the absence of injured forward Christian Pulisic with a 2-0 victory over Australia.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-20T17:09:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1860\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1240\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-20T17:09:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628\"},\"wordCount\":1065,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628\",\"name\":\"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round - Next City Digest\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-20T17:09:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":682},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=2628#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Next City Digest\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round - Next City Digest","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round - Next City Digest","og_description":"The U.S. national soccer team advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup despite the absence of injured forward Christian Pulisic with a 2-0 victory over Australia.","og_url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628","og_site_name":"Next City Digest","article_published_time":"2026-06-20T17:09:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1860,"height":1240,"url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/249649d1c9ae40729fa92d13d2695576.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"headline":"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round","datePublished":"2026-06-20T17:09:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628"},"wordCount":1065,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp","articleSection":["Sports"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628","name":"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round - Next City Digest","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-20T17:09:11+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/57e5e6b49f50775e4f5e195d8785e3fe.webp","width":1024,"height":682},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2628#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Without the injured Christian Pulisic, US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/","name":"Next City Digest","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/nextcitydigest.com"],"url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}