USMNT Edges Australia 2-1 in Friendly Match

Haji Wright scores twice as USMNT comes back to beat Australia

The US Men's National Team closes out October window with 2-1 win over Australia, despite losing Christian Pulisic to injury.

“Tomorrow he will fly to Italy. Tonight we will assess (him) but we cannot say anything at the moment...”

Haji Wright scored in both halves as the US secured a 2-1 victory over Australia in Denver, ending the Socceroos' unbeaten run under Tony Popovic.

The win was marred by an injury to US star Christian Pulisic, who was attended to by trainers after a challenge from Australian defender Jason Geria. Pulisic, who was wearing the captain's armband, felt something in his hamstring and was replaced by Diego Luna. Coach Mauricio Pochettino said Pulisic would fly to Italy for further assessment.

“Tomorrow he will fly to Italy. Tonight we will assess (him) but we cannot say anything at the moment,” said the Argentine.

The match saw Australia take the lead through Jordan Bos' volley, but Wright levelled with a clever finish in the 33rd minute. Wright then scored the winner five minutes after halftime, curling in a shot after Cristian Roldan's long free kick exposed the Australian defense.

Christian Pulisic faced a concerning moment when he was heavily challenged by Geria, resulting in the US captain clutching his right ankle. Despite getting back to his feet, Pulisic was soon felled again by a reckless heel clip from Geria, who was subsequently booked.

THAT'S A VICTORY IN COMMERCE CITY!#USMNT x @AmericanAir pic.twitter.com/ue32ZdiD5n

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 15, 2025

After receiving treatment, Pulisic was replaced by Diego Luna, with coach Mauricio Pochettino revealing that the AC Milan attacker had felt a problem in his hamstring. Pochettino's post-match comments heightened concerns about Pulisic's fitness ahead of the USMNT's upcoming fixtures.

Jordan Bos scored for Australia, capitalizing on a throw-in that led to a loose ball in the box. He skillfully weaved through traffic and scored with a close-range volley.

Haji Wright equalized for the US with a clever finish, latching onto a through-ball from Cristian Roldan in the 33rd minute. Wright's toe-poke at the near-post leveled the match.

Haji Wright scored twice for the USMNT, canceling out Jordan Bos' early goal for Australia. Wright's first goal came in the 33rd minute, a neat finish after a through ball from Cristian Roldan. He then scored the winner in the 51st minute, curling a shot past the Australian goalkeeper after Roldan's long free kick exposed the Australian defense.

The win marked a positive end to the October international window for the USMNT, who had been held to a 1-1 draw by Ecuador in Texas the previous week. For Australia, the loss ended a seven-match winning streak and handed coach Tony Popovic his first defeat.

“Our performance was good but I think the team is ready to perform much better,” said Pochettino.

“Am I happy? Yes. But I wanted to see more, to see individual players do better. That is my competitive blood.

“We cannot concede the goal we conceded at a World Cup. If we start a game like that, it will be difficult to get another chance.”

Australia's 12-match unbeaten streak came to an end, with their last loss dating back over a year. The Socceroos had been on a 12-match unbeaten run, and 11 matches without defeat under coach Tony Popovic.

The match saw both teams field new lineups compared to their previous friendlies, with several changes made by both coaches.

Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT lineup featured Haji Wright and Christian Pulisic upfront. In contrast, Tony Popovic's Socceroos restored goalkeeper Mat Ryan to the starting lineup, following Paul Izzo's impressive performance in the 1-0 win over Canada.

The match saw young Australian attackers Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Toure introduced as substitutes after the hour mark. Despite their efforts, they couldn't manage to equalize, ultimately ending the Socceroos' unbeaten record under Popovic.

Wright Night. 💪

Haji is your @michelobultra Man of the Match! pic.twitter.com/fI7vwi31Cj

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 15, 2025