Haji Wright’s scores brace as USMNT rally to beat Australia in friendly

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Haji Wright scored in the 33rd and 51st minutes off passes from Cristian Roldan, and the United States rallied to beat Australia 2-1 on Tuesday to end the Socceroos’ 12-game unbeaten streak on a night Christian Pulisic left the game because of an injury.

Jordan Bos had put the No. 25 Socceroos ahead in the 19th minute on Australia’s first shot but Wright equalized just after Pulisic appearing to hurt his right leg.

The 16th-ranked Americans defeated a top 25 opponent for just the second time in 10 matches and improved to 12 wins, seven defeats and one draw since coach Mauricio Pochettino took over.

Pochettino, who had not won after trailing, has his team together for just four more matches before he calls in players for his pre-World Cup training camp. The U.S. hosts Paraguay on Nov. 18 and Uruguay four days later, then has two more friendlies in March.

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Australia had won seven straight games and had been unbeaten since a September 2024 loss to Bahrain in a World Cup qualifier.

Limited by an ankle injury to a substitute role in Friday’s 1-1 tie against Ecuador, Pulisic stumbled to the field when he was tripped by Jason Geria in the 26th minute. After being examined by an athletic trainer, Pulisic left the field and was replaced by Diego Luna in the 30th.

Australia went ahead after Bos bounced a throw-in that James Sands tried to clear only for the ball to spin into the penalty area. Bos chested the ball to himself, split Roldan and Sands, then beat Chris Richards to the ball and hooked it with his left foot past Matt Freese’s outstretched left arm for his second international goal.

Wright tied the score after Richards intercepted a pass and played it to Roldan, who headed the ball to Weston McKennie and then received a return pass. Roldan slid a through ball to Wright, who took a touch with his left foot and with his right lifted the ball over goalkeeper Mathew Ryan from about 10 yards.

Wright got his seventh international goal after Roldan took a quick restart and booted the ball two-thirds of the way down the field and into the penalty area. Wright ran onto the ball after four bounces and cut inside as Cameron Burgess fell, then curled the ball inside the far post with his left foot from about 14 yards.

Ryan blocked Luna’s point-blank, 6-yard shot in the 79th.

Pochettino changed six starters, inserting Pulisic, Wright, Roldan and Sands along with defender Mark McKenzie and right wing back Alex Freeman. Tim Weah shifted to left wing back. Sands made his first appearance since July 2023 and Freese his 10th straight start at goalkeeper. Midfielder Malik Tillman did not dress.

Freese stopped Nestory Irankunda’s close-range shot in the 90th.

Folarin Balogun’s second-half goal earns US a tie against Ecuador in Austin