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IRVINE, Calif. (AP) -- Although the cheers are still ringing in the Americans’ ears after their impressive World Cup-opening victory, this U.S. team says it’s prepared for the physical and mental challenges of the weeks ahead -- including what’s likely to be a physical meeting with Australia on Friday.
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter gives credit for this tenacity to coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has taken over a team that repeatedly flopped on the international stage and infused it with a stronger mentality grounded in a few core beliefs.
“I think one is that we’re American. We don’t take s---,” Berhalter said Tuesday.
“I think that’s something that (Pochettino) really put in,” Berhalter continued. “Even though he’s Argentinian, he has that mindset of, like, ‘Look, this is what we do, and this is who we are, and this is what America is about.’ So I think he just, you know, even from an outside perspective, he showed us Americans what we’re about. He really drilled that into us, and I think that’s something that has helped us this last cycle.”
That mentality was partly forged last October when the U.S. faced Australia in what turned into a scrappy 2-1 friendly victory in Colorado. Pochettino lambasted his team at halftime, imploring the players to stand up for themselves after the Socceroos delivered physical tackles and punishing play while U.S. midfielder Christian Pulisic left with an injury.
“Watching that game last year, you could see they were up for it,” said Berhalter, whose father, Gregg, coached the U.S. team before Pochettino. “They were putting in challenges, and I think that’s one of the reasons Mauricio had that halftime rant, and said, ‘These guys can’t kick us around.’ I think he was right.”
The players heard their coach’s pleas, and they responded with an increased physicality in a game that ended with a combined 19 fouls and two yellow cards.
The Americans have largely kept it up since then, playing with a confidence and assertiveness that manifested throughout their 4-1 victory over Paraguay last Friday in Inglewood, California. Although they haven’t racked up a string of impressive victories since Pochettino took over, the team’s improvements in temperament and tactics have been obvious, and the World Cup could be the place where everything blossoms.
“That game in Colorado was fun,” winger Tim Weah said with a grin. “That experience was fun. It was aggressive. I think from that game, we’ve changed a lot. We’ve gotten a bit more aggressive as well.”
Pulisic’s health is again a concern for the Americans after he was forced to work out on his own for the second straight training session Tuesday because of the calf injury that limited him to the first half against Paraguay. The team described its playmaking attacker as “day to day” for Friday’s match in Seattle.
Even if Pulisic is limited again, the Americans believe they can go toe-to-toe with Australia again. Berhalter could play an important role after he made his World Cup debut by replacing Pulisic for the second half against Paraguay.
“It’s going to be a physical game, but a fun game, and we’re excited,” Berhalter said. “(The Socceroos) are going to fight. We like teams that have that brotherhood, you know? We like teams that you can see they’re hungry, they want to fight.”
BOXING DAY
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Twenty years ago, when Tim Cahill scored a late equalizer for Australia in its opening match against Japan at the 2006 World Cup, he ran directly to the corner of the field for a shadow boxing match with the corner flag.
Cahill’s celebration in the 3-1 victory has since become something of a tradition for the Australians at the World Cup.
Months after Cahill’s retirement from soccer in 2019, Sam Kerr replicated the celebration in France at the Women’s World Cup during a match against Italy.
Kerr, then a budding star, would go on to reach the semifinals with the Matildas at the 2023 World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. In 2022, Kerr surpassed Cahill as Australia’s all-time leading scorer.
Now, another young Australian is adding his own chapter to that lineage.
When 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda became the youngest World Cup scorer in the nation’s history, with a goal in the Socceroos’ 2-0 upset victory over Turkey on Saturday night, he paid tribute to the man who inspired so many Socceroos and Australian fans before him.
The young winger sprinted straight to the corner flag and threw a series of punches in a recreation of Cahill’s iconic celebration.
Like Cahill and Kerr before him, Irankunda has developed a signature of his own, known for backflips and Michael Jackson dance moves to celebrate goals. Post-goal swagger has become synonymous with Irankunda’s identity.
“Tim Cahill was my biggest inspiration in Australian football, and I look up to him,” Irankunda said when asked about his celebration. “I look up to him and I want to be like him one day and I’m really really proud of myself to get the goal.”
Irankunda began his professional career in Australia, spending three seasons with Adelaide United before moving to Europe. In 2025, he made a permanent move to English club Watford.