Pochettino's trust card vs. Australia's unchanged lineup: What to watch

The only change to the United States lineup as the team seeks a second straight home win is the absence of captain Christian Pulisic. With Pulisic ruled out by a calf injury, his replacement has been decided — and the starting lineups for the biggest Group D clash of the round have been confirmed.

FIFA released the official starting lineups for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Group D second match between the United States and Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle early Saturday, ahead of kickoff.

The United States, who routed Paraguay 4-1 in their opener, saw manager Mauricio Pochettino make just one change. Pulisic, who was substituted at halftime of that match with calf pain, was left out of the squad, with Ricardo Pepi taking his place.

Up front, Folarin Balogun — who etched his name into US soccer history with goals in the 31st and 50th minutes against Paraguay — again leads the attack against Australia. Matt Freese starts in goal, with a back four of Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson. Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman anchor the midfield, while Sergiño Dest and Weston McKennie (Juventus) support Balogun alongside Pepi.

Australia manager Tony Popovic named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that beat Turkey 2-0 in their opener. Twenty-year-old winger Nestory Irankunda (Watford), one of the most talked-about young talents in world football, is again deployed on the left flank to target speed vulnerabilities in the US backline. Paul Okon-Engler and Aiden O'Neill pair up in midfield, while Mohamed Toure — who raised concerns with a calf cramp against Turkey — has recovered in time to start up front. Veteran Jackson Irvine is among the substitutes alongside Mat Ryan.

The key questions heading into the match: can the United States replicate their first-game firepower without Pulisic, and can Australia cause a second upset with an unchanged lineup?