Balogun's Own Goals Secure Win
USMNT Advances to World Cup Knockout Stage with 2-0 Win Over Australia, Bolstered by Balogun's Own Goals
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The United States Men's National Team defeated Australia 2-0 on June 19, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, clinching a spot in the knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fox 32 Chicago. The match drew a sellout crowd of 68,500 fans. Both goals came via own goals — two deflections forced by striker Folarin Balogun, who is now hunting a third goal that could give him the tournament's Golden Boot lead.
The win comes without key forward Christian Pulisic, who sat out due to a calf injury Daily News. Despite his absence, the U.S. controlled 52% of possession and put 6 shots on goal to Australia's 3. The result gives the USMNT 6 points in the group stage and mathematically punches their ticket to the Round of 32.
Balogun Forces Two Australian Own Goals in Historic Night
Neither U.S. goal was officially credited to Balogun — but he caused both. In the 23rd minute, his low cross deflected off Australian defender Harry Souttar and into the bottom-left corner Fox 32 Chicago. In the 67th minute, his powerful volley hit the post, bounced off goalkeeper Maty Ryan, and crossed the line. Both were ruled own goals by FIFA officials.
Souttar acknowledged the pressure Balogun created. "It's a cruel way to lose," he said. "Balogun's pace forced us into split-second decisions that didn't go our way." Balogun himself stayed focused on what's next. "In this tournament, you don't care how they go in," he said. "I'm hunting that third goal to lead the Golden Boot race, but the win for the team is the priority."
U.S. Now Has Five World Cup Own Goals — Second Most Ever
The two own goals gave the United States five total own goals in their favor across all FIFA World Cups Fox 32 Chicago. Only France has more, with six. The U.S. previously benefited from own goals in 1930 against Paraguay, 2002 against Portugal, and 2014 against Ghana. No other nation has reached five.
Analysts are split on what this means. The Boston Globe and other outlets noted the U.S. was relentless in forcing mistakes. Fox Sports analyst Alexi Lalas put it simply: "The U.S. wasn't just lucky; they were relentless. Balogun's movement in the box is elite. When you have a striker who terrifies defenders, they panic and put the ball in their own net." UK outlet The Guardian framed it differently, calling it "The Great American Escape" and pointing to Australia's higher expected goals in the second half.
Pochettino's High-Press System Designed to Create Chaos
Manager Mauricio Pochettino ran a 4-3-3 formation built around a high press — constantly pushing players forward to force errors in the Australian backline OC Register. The tactic worked. Australia had only 3 shots on goal all match. After the final whistle, Pochettino credited the system. "We pressured them into mistakes," he said. "If you put the ball in dangerous areas, 'luck' finds you."
The Athletic and The New York Times both framed the win as a tactical masterclass rather than a lucky result. Australia did push harder in the second half, but the U.S. defense held firm. The clean sheet — achieved without Pulisic — shows the depth of the USMNT roster Press Enterprise.
USMNT Eyes Round of 32 Matchup With Quarter-Final Odds Rising
The U.S. now moves to the Round of 32. Their opponent will come from Group G, with Switzerland and Cameroon as likely candidates. Analysts at FiveThirtyEight put the USMNT's odds of reaching the quarterfinals at 42% — a record high for the program at this stage Boston Globe. The team travels next to Dallas to prepare for the knockout round.
The economic stakes are real too. Bloomberg estimates that each round the USMNT advances generates roughly $150 million in U.S. consumer spending tied to the tournament. If Balogun scores in the next match and the goal is officially credited to him, he would move to three goals total and could lead the Golden Boot standings outright Fox 32 Chicago.
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