America Cannot Look Down on Australia: 'There's More Work To Be Done'
The US team is preparing for an important World Cup match against Australia after an impressive victory over Paraguay. Experts stressed the need to respect Australia's abilities after their impressive victory over Türkiye.
For years, the US team has been looking for a World Cup squad that could meet its potential. After one game, this lineup looks like it could be the answer. An impressive 4-1 win over Paraguay fueled excitement ahead of the Americans' next challenge when they face Australia on June 19. Australia also entered the match with high confidence after a 2-0 win over Türkiye on Saturday night. Despite their shared World Cup history, the US and Australia have never met on soccer's biggest stage. Australia's impressive win over Türkiye left a strong impression on FOX Sports experts Kasper Schmeichel and Bob Bradley, who both believe the Socceroos will provide a much tougher test for the US team than many fans realize. "It's a good lesson for them," Schmeichel said. "Take this game seriously because they [Australia] are a tough team to play against. So I think maybe [this win] tells the US team and maybe even the US fans not to take the opponent lightly." Schmeichel praised Australia's discipline and organization, focusing on their ability to upset even the tournament's most talented teams. Tough defensive form and commitment to the plan will be what the US team needs to be prepared for, which is exactly what Türkiye found out on Saturday night. "There's still a lot of work to be done," Schmeichel said. "It's possible, but don't go too far because they are a very organized team." Australia's performance is a reminder that their structure can adapt well to higher-ranked opponents. Both Schmeichel and Bradley agreed that the US team will need patience and precision to break down defenses if they want to win. However, Bradley believes coach Mauricio Pochettino needs to make it clear that the US team must meet Australia's discipline, arguing that they are not a team to be taken lightly and should be considered a bigger threat than Paraguay. "At some point this week, Mauricio [Pochettino] will have to emphasize to the American players that Australia are a good team," Bradley said. "It will be easier for him to make that clear after tonight's result."
Related Articles
Related Articles
Teams
Players