A dream start for the United States Men’s National Team continued on Friday, and the dream will continue into the next round.

The United States World Cup team clinched a spot in the knockout stage with its 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle on Friday afternoon, its second win in as many games in this World Cup.

It’s the first time since the inaugural World Cup in 1930 that the United States has won back-to-back World Cup games.

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Team USA celebrates a goal vs. Paraguay in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

The United States’ second World Cup match got off to an awfully familiar start. Flo Balogun’s pass hit Australia’s Cameron Burgess and was directed into the net, resulting in an own goal in the 10th minute and giving the Americans an early lead in the group stage matchup.

It was the first time in World Cup history in which a team benefited from own goals in back-to-back games.

The field stayed tilted after the first goal, with the Stars and Stripes getting plenty of chances. Amazingly enough, though, they did not have a shot on goal for roughly 43 minutes.

But the U.S. found the back of the net at the tail end of that 43rd minute after a free kick was stopped, and then Alex Freeman, the son of former NFL player Antonio Freeman, headed a ball in. Officials initially ruled it offside, but a VAR check reversed the call, sending Seattle’s Lumen Field into a frenzy and giving Freeman, the youngest player on the roster at just 21-years-old, his first World Cup goal.

Through 71 minutes, the United States had possession of the ball for over 60% of the time as opposed to nearly 30% for Australia.

The United States is now 11-2-1 when scoring first in the World Cup.

It was announced before the game that Christian Pulisic would not play after suffering a calf injury last week. However, the Americans hardly missed a beat without him.

United States’ Alex Freeman heads the ball for a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Seattle on June 19, 2026. (Maddy Grassy/AP Photo)

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The team already has six goals in group play, tying its group stage record.

With its 2-0 record, the United States is in first place with six points, while Australia remains with three and in second place. Both Paraguay and Turkey, who face off on Friday to potentially determine the USA’s group fate, are winless with zero points.

The United States would clinch a Group D victory, and a favorable draw in the Round of 32, if Paraguay either beats or ties with Turkey — that game kicks off at 11 p.m. ET.

However, a Turkey loss may actually not affect the United States too negatively. Sure, they would be in last place in the group by three points; but the U.S. would be able to rest a lot of its players — namely Pulisic — to give Turkey a favorable matchup to potentially snatch a Round of 32 spot.

Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson celebrate after scoring during the World Cup Group D match between the United States and Australia in Seattle on June 19, 2026. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)

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The top two finishers from each of the 12 groups advance, as well as the eight-best third-place finishers. So while the U.S. may be able to sit comfortably for its own sake, it could certainly be involved in some mayhem.

No matter the case, the United States will take the pitch back in Los Angeles against Turkey next Thursday.

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Haiti have become the first team to be eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in their second Group C match.

The Caribbean side needed a positive result to keep their hopes alive, but they were outclassed by a strong Brazilian team that secured victory with three first-half goals.

Brazil took the lead through Matheus Cunha, who was handed a starting place ahead of Igor Thiago. The striker reacted quickest inside the box to score from close range and put his side in front.

Cunha doubled Brazil’s advantage a few minutes later with an excellent finish, giving the South Americans complete control of the contest.

Vinicius Junior added a third before half-time, showing great composure to beat the Haiti goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation and put the result beyond doubt.

Brazil could have increased their lead after the break, but the tempo of the game dropped in the second half. Haiti changed their formation from a defensive 5-4-1 to a more attacking 4-4-2, while Brazil appeared content to manage the game and conserve energy.

Despite showing more attacking intent after the interval, Haiti were unable to find a way through the Brazilian defence and finished the match without a goal.

The defeat means Haiti can no longer qualify for the knockout stages, making them the first nation to be eliminated from the tournament.

For Brazil, the victory keeps their World Cup campaign firmly on track. Following Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland, both teams are level on points, but Brazil move to the top of Group C on goal difference.

With qualification now within reach, Brazil will head into their final group match full of confidence, while Haiti must play only for pride after seeing their World Cup journey come to an early end.

While Chris Waller is occupied with Royal Ascot commitments for Joliestar’s upcoming race, he is also closely monitoring his stable’s prospects on home soil.

A key contender for the stable is Hello Captain, set to contest the Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap (1300m) at Randwick.

The gelding, with Nash Rawiller now aboard, has garnered significant punter interest and is currently the even money favourite.

“Hello Captain has returned in great shape,” Waller confirmed from England.

“He has found really good form, he has won his last three starts and is full of confidence.”

The Hello Youmzain colt, purchased by Waller and bloodstock expert Guy Mulcaster for approximately AU$520,000 at the Karaka Sales in New Zealand, has achieved three wins in four starts, with his other outing a second at Doomben in December.

“He’s a typical New Zealand-bred horse, he has just taken time to mature,” Waller added.

“But James (McDonald, jockey) rode him a couple of starts ago and gave him a good report.

“He’s trained on well since and kept his form. This is a bit trickier with a bit of weight (60.5-kilos) but if he was to win again Saturday we might back off and then have a look at the spring.”

In the subsequent 1800m benchmark 78 event, Waller also has the mare Nasebah lined up, expected to be a strong market fancy.

The four-year-old offered a solid finish for fourth place on June 6, returning to the Randwick mile.

“This horse was very unlucky last start but she will be very hard to beat on Saturday,” Waller stated. Check out the latest online bookmakers for the race.

After a stuttering start against Morocco, Brazil have finally got their World Cup party started.

A 3-0 win over Haiti was just what the doctor ordered after an unconvincing and unbalanced performance in their opening game, and while the usual suspects were at the heart of things for the Selecao, it was a makeshift solution that unlocked their opposition.

Matheus Cunha, most often used as a winger at club level by Manchester United, was chosen to lead the line in Philadelphia, and while Raphinha and Vinicius Jr led the show early on, it was the 27-year-old who opened the scoring, dropping deep to create the opening and managing to bundle it in via the help of Haiti defender Hannes Delcroix.

The winger-turned-striker soon had his second too, making a clever run in behind an admittedly lacklustre Haitian defence before rifling in a superb finish to effectively end the game.

Brazil were two ahead without having to enter second gear, and they soon added a third as Vini Jr raced clear to latch onto Lucas Paqueta’s through ball and slide in a neat finish.

For Cunha – who had been left on the bench for the opener against Morocco – it was a solid audition as he made his claim to Brazil’s number nine spot, with his movement helping his teammates and giving both star wingers more space to operate in.

Nevertheless, this was a game against one of the lowest-ranked teams in the competition, and his goals were just his second and third in the famous Selecao shirt despite frequently being used as a striker in the past.

While he’s proved his ability to finish difficult chances when playing for his club side, we haven’t had enough evidence as to whether Cunha can function as a striker at the top level while giving the team what they need from a number nine. Could he provide more of a classic number nine performance, or offer an outlet when Brazil face a better side?

Those questions remain unanswered but this performance was a step in the right direction, though tougher tests are just around the corner, from Scotland in their final group game to a last-32 tie against the likes of Japan.

And in any case, the idea that the Selecao might have found their answer to their striker problem might have to be shelved for now. An injury to Raphinha – who was forced off with a suspected hamstring issue before the end of the first half – means Cunha may find that his time at striker is short-lived. Interestingly, Ancelotti declined to claim he’d found a solution to the striker issue in his post-match conference, preferring to keep his cards close to his chest.

Ancelotti suggested that Raphinha came off due to tightness in his hamstring, but if the Barcelona man is ruled out for any bigger games, then Ancelotti might be forced to use Cunha on the right wing over the likes of Gabriel Martinelli or Rayan. If this is the case, it could open up the chance for a fan favourite to take his place up front.

Real Madrid striker Endrick, who ended last season on loan at Lyon, is a popular striker choice with the Selecao faithful, with the biggest cheer of the day reserved for when the 19-year-old took Cunha’s place, and again when his name was read by the stadium announcer.

Many fans have wanted to see more of a player branded an “extraordinary talent” by Ancelotti, but he has found opportunities hard to come by since the Italian took over, missing out on the squad for the last four friendlies of 2025 before being given 14 minutes in the win over Croatia and 45 minutes against both Panama and Egypt in the warm-up friendlies.

A tally of five goals in 16 Ligue 1 appearances does not appear enough for Ancelotti to pin his hopes on Endrick, and indeed he did not feature off the bench in the draw to Morocco. There are high hopes for the youngster, but the current Brazil manager is surely one of the best-placed figures in world football to tell whether he is ready for the pressure that being a figurehead of the Selecao puts on a player.

However, there were flashes of his ability when he came on in Philadelphia, a good run and well-taken finish eventually flagged for offside but also offering a glimpse of what the 19-year-old could offer as an alternative to Cunha or Igor Thiago. At present, the youngster makes an interesting proposition for the number nine position, not least because of the injury to Raphinha.

Indeed, Ancelotti himself has previously stated he will “bring Endrick on at the right moment”, adding that “he’ll be important in this World Cup”. The Italian is still tinkering with his side as he looks to find the right formula, but with plenty of uncertainty still in the Brazilian camp, perhaps Endrick’s ‘moment’ will come sooner rather than later.

Scotland were left stunned by what was the fastest goal of World Cup 2026 to that point as Morocco sprinted into the lead 70 seconds after kick-off.

Ismael Saibari leathered past Angus Gunn to open the scoring during in lightning-quick fashion, with Grant Hanley mistiming his step up to allow the forward to run clean through and fire home.

It was the earliest a player has scored in a World Cup match since Alphonso Davies struck in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he netted Canada’s first ever World Cup goal against Croatia inside 68 seconds.

Saibari claimed the accolade of quickest goal of this summer’s tournament but held it for only a couple of hours, with Paraguay’s Matias Galarza drilling home in 64 seconds to break his record. However, both are actually quite a way off the all-time mark, not even breaking into the top 10.

Hakan Sukur boasts the fastest World Cup goal of all time at a blistering 11 seconds, with the Turkey hero-turned-political exile stunning hosts South Korea after stealing possession from kick-off.

England’s Bryan Robson scored in 28 seconds in 1982 while Clint Dempsey netted inside 30 seconds for the USA at Brazil 2014, two goals which are only enough for fourth and fifth in the rankings.

North Korea also have a name on the list, with Pak Seung-zin scoring in 50 seconds in 1966 to put them ahead in their quarter-final against Portugal. The Selecao would come back to win 5-3 in that game, with the honour of knocking them out going to eventual champions England in the next round.

More recently, Mathias Jorgensen scored for Denmark from an early long throw in 55 seconds against Croatia in their 2018 round of 16 match, a match the Danes also went on to lose. That is the 10th fastest time that a goal has been in World Cup history, meaning you have to at least break the minute mark to get in the rankings.

But in Saibari’s hopes of entering some sort of record book, he may be glad to hear that his strike was the earliest goal Scotland have ever conceded at a World Cup.

Saibari also scored a wonderful goal in Morocco’s opening draw with Brazil, again being set in behind before dinking Alisson Becker with a chip.

He is fast emerging as one of this summer’s breakout stars after an influential Africa Cup of Nations campaign, which saw Morocco lose a home final to Senegal before being awarded the title after the fact, with the Teranga Lions stripped of their crown after staging a controversial walk-off over a late VAR penalty decision.

The 25-year-old, who has spent his entire senior career so far at Eredivisie champions PSV, is heavily reported to be on the verge of a €55m move to Bayern Munich.

Ballarat trainer Mitch Freedman is in a quandary regarding the next career step for Tatakai Uta, weighing the merits of a Flemington straight race against targeting a less formidable contest.

Freedman is of the opinion that Tatakai Uta has the potential to develop into a city-class competitor but is apprehensive about pushing the three-year-old into metropolitan racing prematurely.

The gelding is scheduled to participate in the Rod Johnson Handicap (1100m) at Flemington this Saturday, but the potential involvement of Sydney contender Ice Kool is a factor occupying Freedman’s thoughts.

“The Sydney visitor looks exceptionally good and looks like it does a lot of things right, so it will be very hard to beat if it does come down here,” Freedman commented.

Tatakai Uta has had only three starts, finishing second in maiden races at Donald and Bendigo before recording his maiden win at the Swan Hill Carnival midway through the month.

Sent off as the $1.36 favourite, Tatakai Uta reportedly gave his supporters some nervous moments before ultimately winning, according to Freedman.

While the victory was timely, Freedman is keen to avoid compromising the horse’s development by taking him to the city too soon.

“He’s a horse that has plenty of upside, but he’s just doing a couple of things wrong still,” Freedman said.

“He was a short-priced favourite at Swan Hill and he did a few things wrong and probably gave punters a few nervous moments, but he’s shown us enough ability, and I think he will be a horse that gets to city level, but whether that’s now or later down the track.

“We’re a little bit hesitant while he’s learning whether he needs to take that step to town, so whether it’s now or whether we should be aiming for something softer, we shall see.

“Having said that, horses that are progressive in that three-year-old grade, you can really see them leap to a new level, but it’s a balancing act how much you raise the bar and how much that might destroy his confidence.

“It’s a little bit tricky.”

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Paraguay’s Matias Galarza scripted history by scoring the fastest goal of FIFA World Cup 2026 during the Group D match against Turkiye on Saturday. It took just 65 seconds for Paraguay to take the lead in the match as Galarza scored from a sensational long-range effort. Earlier in the day, Morocco’s Ismael Saibari claimed the record when he scored after just 72 seconds during the match against Scotland. However, the record did not last long as Galarza capitalised on a fiery start by Paraguay and handed his team the lead in a must-win game for them.

JAJDUDKWNWWKSI GOLAZO DE GALARZA DE RIVER AL MUNDO GRACIAS DIOS

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Earlier, Matheus Cunha scored twice as Brazil eased past Haiti 3-0 on Friday to breathe life into their FIFA World Cup campaign and close in on a spot in the last 32.

After a much-criticised display in their opening 1-1 draw with Morocco, the five-time world champions underlined the gulf in class with outsiders Haiti, who became the first country to exit this World Cup.

Cunha’s scruffy goal in Philadelphia gave Brazil the lead midway through the first half, and he struck again as Carlo Ancelotti’s side asserted their dominance. Vinicius Junior added a third before the break.

Brazil play Scotland in their final Group C game in Miami on June 24. 

Haiti’s first World Cup appearance since 1974 will end after they play Morocco in Atlanta.

The Selecao currently have the edge over Morocco for top spot on goal difference. If they finish first, they would face the Group F runners-up — likely to be the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden — in the next round.

Neymar did not travel with the squad as he continues his recovery from a calf injury, prompting Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva to joke he was “working remotely”.

As promised Ancelotti made changes after the insipid showing against Morocco, bringing United forward Cunha in for Brentford’s Igor Thiago and replacing Roger Ibanez with Danilo at right-back.

Despite a US government ban which has prevented fans travelling from Haiti, the Caribbean nation received loud support from the sizeable Haitian diaspora, which filled roughly half of the 68,324 crowd.

Aggrieved at not coming away with a point from their 1-0 loss to Scotland last week, Haiti coach Sebastien Migne urged his players to embrace the opportunity to play Brazil at a World Cup.

With 77 places separating the nations in the FIFA rankings, Brazil quickly took control and thought they had scored when Raphinha fired home, only for the Barcelona winger to be flagged offside. 

It was a sign of what was to come though and Brazil broke the deadlock on 23 minutes.

Cunha sparked the move by winning possession in midfield and, after Vinicius’s shot was parried, he reacted quickest to block Hannes Delcroix‘s clearance to send the ball trickling into the net.

Vinicius and Cunha combined again to double the lead, the former slipping his team-mate in behind the Haiti defence to blast in a powerful left-footed shot as he fell to the ground.  

Brazil lost Raphinha to injury but scored a third before half-time as Vinicius ran onto Lucas Paqueta‘s floated pass and steered through the legs of Johny Placide. 

Haiti almost bagged their first World Cup goal in 52 years when Ricardo Ade’s glancing header at a corner forced Alisson Becker into a sharp stop, but it was a rare moment of hope.

The introduction of 19-year-old Endrick as Ancelotti turned to his bench triggered huge cheers from Brazil supporters, who nearly had another goal to celebrate when substitute Gabriel Martinelli rattled the crossbar. 

Haiti refused to go down without a fight as Alisson made two late saves to preserve Brazil’s first clean sheet in seven outings, turning the page on an underwhelming start to the competition.

(With AFP inputs)

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