This has certainly been a great World Cup for the host nations. Canada, having just earned their first point in a draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina, earned their first even World Cup win in a 6-0 rout of nine-man Qatar. Juventus striker Jonathan David temporarily joined Lionel Messi on three goals with a hat trick in front of a raucous home crowd at BC Place in Vancouver. It wasn’t all good news for Canada. Qatar’s second red card came from a challenge that broke the leg of midfield star Ismael Kone. Kone’s loss will be tough for the Canadians to overcome. They face Switzerland this week in the group decider. The Canadians only need a draw to remain in Vancouver for the round of 32.
Mexico has yet to run up a big score like the other two hosts. They settled for a minimal 1-0 win over South Korea in a competitive match at the Guadalajara Stadium. Luis Romo scored the only goal in the 50th minute. The game was a midfield battle of attrition that the hosts edged, but only just. The win ensures Mexico will advance to the round of 32 and remain in Mexico to play that match at the Azteca. If they win, they will remain at home for the round of 16, too.
While Canada would have expected to be on or around four points and Mexico’s fervent support demanded six points from two games, few would have predicted the ease with which the United States clinched their group. FIFA’s ranking system had the Americans’ group with Paraguay, Australia, and Turkiye as the most competitive in the first round. The USA ripped Paraguay apart in a game featuring the best first half a US team has ever played at a World Cup.
The USA went into the second match knowing that Australia would come into the game with a chip on their shoulders and rough and tumble approach to football. However, for the second time in as many games, some brilliant approach work created an own goal that benefited the US early in the game. This time Folarin Balogun blew past a defender and tried to pick out Ricardo Pepi in front of goal. The unfortunate Cameron Burgess stepped in front of the pass only to put it in his own goal.
Alex Freeman, the youngest player on the US team, doubled the lead when he reacted first to Sergino Dest’s deflected shot and headed in his first ever World Cup goal. It’s been a meteoric jump for Freeman during the last fifteen months. He’s gone from first MLS start in March of 2025 to scoring a World Cup goal with a transfer to UEFA Champions League participating Villareal in between.
The Americans will wrap up group play with a meaningless game against Turkiye. The Turks have lost both their games without scoring a goal. They have attempted over sixty shots, but watched their campaign effectively end in defeat against ten-man Paraguay. US boss Mauricio Pochettino will have the luxury of resting four players on yellow cards and giving Christian Pulisic more time to recover from the calf injury that forced him off at halftime of the opening match against Paraguay.
The third match will be a great chance for some players who have yet to appear to be involved in the World Cup. The USA will be in the round of 32 and play on July 1 in Santa Clara, California against a 3rd place team to be determined. As impressive as the USA has been on the field, what has really stood out has been the support in the stands. Seattle has been a bastion of the sport since the early 1970s. They have wanted to show their support for the national team in a big game for years. When the time came against Australia, they filled the Seattle Stadium and made incredible noise from the national anthem at the beginning to the serenade of John Denver’s Country Road at the end. They even sang Pochettino’s name as he did his post match on field interview. The coach, who isn’t even American, became emotional as he felt the love.
The USA has never won their first two games at a World Cup before. The USA has never clinched their group or secured advancement to the second round after two games before. They have also been clearly superior to Paraguay and Australia. However, the US has to prove they can beat European teams at the World Cup. Turkiye will be the first opportunity to break their long losing streak against European opposition. Then, they will have to wait until Saturday to learn who the next opponent will be.
