The U.S. men’s national team defeated Australia to close the October international window thanks to two goals from Coventry City striker Haji Wright.
The USMNT carried over their momentum from a draw against Ecuador and responded positively despite going down a goal early once again. Wright’s brace lifted Mauricio Pochettino’s men in Colorado, giving the manager a decision to make come the next window. Both Wright and Folarin Balogun stood out as the battle for the starting striker job in 2026 heats up.
The only downside from the night was Christian Pulisic coming off with an injury in the first half. The AC Milan man only played 28 minutes after a tactical foul forced him off.
Overall, a third straight game unbeaten against FIFA top 25 opposition. The USMNT are back in action in November against Paraguay as World Cup preparation continues.
USMNT Player Ratings vs. Australia (3-4-3)
GK: Matt Freese—6.8: Likely frustrated to concede early, but did well to deny Australia a late equalizer. Freese should be the starter again come November, looking to put together some clean sheets before Thanksgiving.
CB: Miles Robinson—6.6: Handed another start, the FC Cincinnati man was accurate with the ball at his feet and strong in the air. If Pochettino sticks with three at the back, Robinson should be in contention for an important role.
CB: Chris Richards—7.0: Richards stood up for his teammates late in the first half after some heavy fouls. He continues to make a case for the captaincy after endearing himself to fans with his comments earlier in the window about taking friendlies seriously.
CB: Mark McKenzie—6.6: McKenzie replaced Ream in the starting lineup on the night. He had the most touches of the back three (107) and completed 81 of his 94 passes.
RM: Alex Freeman—7.1: Freeman was lively down the right flank. The 21-year-old Orlando City defender continues to make a case for himself being on the 2026 roster.
CM: Cristian Roldan—8.8: Many scratched their heads when Roldan was named to the starting XI, but he rose to the occasion. Assisting Wright on both of his goals should earn him another call-up and more minutes.
CM: James Sands—6.4: Sands came in for Aidan Morris in midfield, but faces an uphill battle given the available midfield talent moving forward.
LM: Tim Weah—7.0: Weah was dangerous at times looking to spring the USMNT on attacks. He remains a vital piece to Pochettino’s plans and system.
RW: Weston McKennie—6.7: Just like his performance against Ecuador, McKennie was tasked with roaming around and helping link play across all phases. It will be interesting to see if Pochettino drops him into midfield next time out.
ST: Haji Wright—9.0: Pochettino’s got a headache on his hands. Wright responded to Balogun’s performance with a brace and is well in contention for the starting striker job.
LW: Christian Pulisic—6.3: An unfortunate injury brought Pulisic’s October international break to a premature halt. Overall, a frustrating window for him personally, but he should be pleased with the progress the team showed in October.
Subs not used: Chris Brady (GK), Matt Turner (GK), Patrick Schulte (GK), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream, Malik Tillman, Patrick Agyemang
Australia (5-4-1)
Starting XI: Mathew Ryan (GK); Jacob Italiano, Jason Geria, Alessandro Circati, Cameron Burgess, Jordan Bos; Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Maximilien Balard, Martin Boyle; Nicholas D’Agostino
Subs: Ajdin Hrustic, Patrick Yazbek, Mohamed Touré, Nestory Irankunda, Lewis Miller, Mitchell Duke
Player of the Match: Haji Wright (USMNT)
USMNT 2–1 Australia—How it Unfolded at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Pochettino made six changes bringing in Pulisic, Wright, James Sands, Cristian Roldan, Alex Freeman and Mark McKenzie.
The first 15 minutes left much to be desired for the USMNT. The pace was not as frenetic compared to the Ecuador game, but progressing the ball often resulted in scrappy exchanges. Wright, on the back of leading the EFL Championship in goals, had a tough task stepping in for Folarin Balogun as he looked to hold up play early.
Despite not having much of the ball to begin, it was Australia who struck first. Jordan Bos caught the USMNT sleeping from a throw-in as some fortunate bounces helped the defender fire a left-footed strike past Matt Freese.
Fans held their breath 26 minutes in when Pulisic was fouled and required treatment. The AC Milan star had a cameo off the bench on Friday after dealing with an ankle injury earlier in camp. He was deemed fit to start, but Pochettino substituted him right away bringing on Diego Luna. After coming off, he went straight to the locker room.
Wright lifted the mood seven minutes later with an equalizer. Chris Richards intercepted a pass as the USMNT looked to break. Roldan played an incisive pass through the Australian defense as Wright made no mistake to beat Mathew Ryan at his near post.
Before halftime, tempers flared after a rough tackle by Aiden O’Neill. The Australian avoided a booking, but the USMNT players were clearly not going to let any more heavy challenges go unnoticed to the referee.
The USMNT had an inspired start to the second half as Roldan assisted Wright again in the 51st minute to take the lead. A quick shift of the ball sent Cameron Burgess to the ground as Wright curled the ball with his left foot into the back of the net. He did not get a chance to complete his hat trick, though, as he made way for Balogun.
Haji is Wright twice tonight. We've got the lead!#USMNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/pBYHVd6uPK
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 15, 2025
Luna should have scored a third in the 79th minute after a brilliant bit of play from Brenden Aaronson, but could not beat Ryan from close range. He had another chance moments later dragging his shot wide left.
Play halted late after a scary collision between Freeman and Bos, but both players were okay to see out the game. Nestory Irankunda caused a brief scare in the final moments, but Freese did well to deny the 19-year-old.
The game ended 2–1 with the only sour note on the night the Pulisic injury.
USMNT vs. Australia Halftime Stats
USMNT vs. Australia Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Player Ratings vs. Australia: Starting Striker Battle Heats Up .
