World Cup: Group D: USA vs. Australia, 6/19/2026

[Live in the Now]

Game is at 3 PM Eastern in Seattle.

Two Group D powerhouses collide. Slightly at a loss for words due to what I just watched. Australia played horribly against Mexico in pre-tournament buildup and then that happens. I got nothing.

 

[McGarnagle]

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Australia is kind of like what would happen if you put America, England, beer and deadly animals together in a blender with a bunch of swear words

 

[Miles Kennedy]

 

[Basement Cat]

The Asian dude sporting a Germany jersey saying Poch is probably the German manager comes off looking the stupidest in that video.

 

[Basement Cat]

Give the shape of the Australian team and the size of their backline, I wonder if this is a game where we see two strikers on the field at some point. I don't think Poch will deviate from the starting XI that manhandled Paraguay, but I could see Pepi coming on for Tillman at some point early in the second half if Australia is frustrating us.

 

[maclean]

If there's one thing this World Cup is good for, it's a veritable machine for content

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Australia is kind of like what would happen if you put America, England, beer and deadly animals together in a blender with a bunch of swear words

Australia is British Texas.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

btw all this Pulisic nonsense is worrying me. They keep insisting he is "fine" but everything points to him being hurt again. Dude is brittle.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Australia is British Texas.

That's pretty spot on imo

 

[qcal1427]

btw all this Pulisic nonsense is worrying me. They keep insisting he is "fine" but everything points to him being hurt again. Dude is brittle.

Mind games IMO, he'll be fine

 

[Sweetnut]

Who scores the first two goals?
@Summer Rose

 

[Summer Rose]

Who scores the first two goals?
@Summer Rose

Tim Cahill and Cobi Jones.

 

[NyQuil]

The underlying narrative for this one is the perceived slight towards Australia when the groups were announced.

“I think we’re better at every position. In a game of football anything can happen, but for sure, in (Pot 2), they were the layup team. I fully believe that. I’m doubling down. I can’t wait to play them in the World Cup to see what they’ve got.”

A U.S. pundit sparked an international incident with a one-word analysis of USA-Australia

A knee-jerk reaction to the U.S.'s World Cup draw still lingers six months later and serves as the unlikely backdrop to Friday's match

www.nytimes.com

But Grella described Australia as a “lay-up” for America, and hasn’t backed down. In fact, he’s gone harder and harder since. He’s called the Socceroos the weakest team in Group D, says they have “no shot of doing anything” at the World Cup, mocked Nestory Irankunda, and even picked a fight with former AFL player-turned-influencer Dan Gorringe on social media.

Now he says there should be a statue of himself built in Australia if the Socceroos pull off an upset, that the Socceroos have “never won anything” (not true), and that as a country, we’re “insecure” because of the reaction to his comments (that old chestnut, eh?).

Yank hypocrisy: Why Mike Grella’s Socceroos slander rings so hollow

Why have Aussies been so affronted by the dismissal of the Socceroos as any sort of threat by American soccer pundits? Because of all people, they should know better.

www.smh.com.au

So hopefully it gets a little spicy.

 

[robertmac43]

Australia winning the chant game - that is for sure.

 

[luiginb]

I really wanted to watch this but unfortunately it´s played at the same time as Sabadell-Zamora. Somebody messed up bigly when making these schedules

 

[sabremike]

The underlying narrative for this one is the perceived slight towards Australia when the groups were announced.

A U.S. pundit sparked an international incident with a one-word analysis of USA-Australia

A knee-jerk reaction to the U.S.'s World Cup draw still lingers six months later and serves as the unlikely backdrop to Friday's match

www.nytimes.com

Yank hypocrisy: Why Mike Grella’s Socceroos slander rings so hollow

Why have Aussies been so affronted by the dismissal of the Socceroos as any sort of threat by American soccer pundits? Because of all people, they should know better.

www.smh.com.au

So hopefully it gets a little spicy.

Grelladinho = Metro Legend!


Here's his famous chirp of fellow Metro legend Thierry Henry (and technically what he said was true)

 

[McGarnagle]

Grelladinho = Metro Legend!


Here's his famous chirp of fellow Metro legend Thierry Henry (and technically what he said was true)

Mr. Grella, shush! Disparaging the boot is a bootable offense!

 

[BMOK33]

I suspect someone MAY be exposed here. The safe bet is 1-0 or 2-1 USA I think but would I be surprised by 4-1 US or 1-0 or 2-0 AU? Not at all. I do think neither team is as good as what we saw in game 1. The result of this game will lead to a ton of money coming in on Turkiye or Paraguay tonight once we get a feel for who played us like a fool in their first games.

 

[luiginb]

Grella talks a lot of shit for a League One lifer (ECHL would be the hockey equivalent). His career peak was Red Bull when for Henry that was his last cash-in.

 

[NyQuil]

I think Australia’s carriage turns back into a pumpkin.

 

[Summer Rose]

Australia winning the chant game - that is for sure.

In fairness, beating the USA at the chant game is like beating a toddler at chess because of how easy it is. We really suck at that kind of thing.

 

[Tuggy]

I'd love to see Australia win but I don't see it happening.

 

[sabremike]

Grella talks a lot of shit for a League One lifer (ECHL would be the hockey equivalent). His career peak was Red Bull when for Henry that was his last cash-in.

I'm strongly objecting to that last part: Henry came here and worked his ass off, he wasn't one of those guys who came over and half assed it. He's also a legend for forcing the soda people to acknowledge the MetroStars history by wearing a red and black striped captain's armband, absolutely love the guy.

 

[Karterthadon]

That Irankuda kid looks just as fast, if not faster, than Mbappé was at 19, that might cause problems for the US backline