A brace from Haji Wright ended the international break the right way for the United States men’s national team with a 2-1 victory over Australia on Tuesday in Colorado. It’s a victory that now sees the USMNT unbeaten in their last three matches as the team is beginning to round into form under Mauricio Pochettino. Even Christian Pulisic leaving the match with an injury in the 31st minute wouldn’t slow the team down, with Wright translating his strong form from Coventry City and experienced players like Cristian Roldan getting in on the party.
“I think it was he [felt] something in his hamstring but tomorrow he will fly to Italy,” Pochettino said after the match about Pulisic’s condition. “Tonight we will assess, and we think we cannot say nothing at the moment.”
Wright was the last player to score at a World Cup for the USMNT, scoring against the Netherlands as they lost in the round of 16 in Qatar in 2022, but things have changed now. Roldan was also on that roster, and he knew where Wright wanted the ball, assisting both goals. That kind of familiarity will go a long way when Pochettino needs to determine his final squad for 2026, but it’s good to see that the team was able to come back and win after going behind due to a defensive error in the 19th minute of play.
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They won’t want to work from behind more often than they have to, but resilience is something that this team will need to survive the grind of a 48-team World Cup. It’s still early days for the USMNT, but they’re showing positive strides under Pochettino.Â