LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The United States Men’s National Team opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Australia, getting an early goal from Tyler Adams and a disciplined defensive effort to secure all three points.
The Americans wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. In the sixth minute, Adams met a pass inside the penalty area and blasted a one-time shot into the net, giving the USMNT an early 1-0 advantage.
While the United States controlled much of the match, it was unable to find a second goal to put the contest away. Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan kept the Socceroos within striking distance, making three saves on shots from Folarin Balogun, Joe Scally, and Adams. Despite generating 2.8 expected goals, the Americans were only able to convert once.
Australia struggled to create dangerous opportunities of its own. The Socceroos managed just three shots on target and finished with only 0.2 expected goals. Striker Mohammed Touré accounted for two of Australia’s attempts on frame, but neither seriously troubled the American defense.
The narrow margin may leave room for improvement, but the result is what mattered most. The United States collected a crucial three points to begin group play and will look to sharpen its finishing in the matches ahead as it pursues a spot in the knockout rounds.
“We created chances and controlled large stretches of the match, but we have to be more clinical in front of goal,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “The important thing is we won our first game. In a tournament like this, getting three points is always a positive start.”
As the saying goes, a win is a win. But if the Americans hope to finish near the top of the group, they’ll need to turn more of their chances into goals as the tournament progresses.
