Haji Wright’s Heroic Brace Gives USMNT a 2-1 Win Over Australia in Colorado

By: Riccardo Cominelli | Photos By: Brian Martagon

The U.S. Men’s National Team came from behind to defeat the Australian Socceroos 2–1 at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park last night, thanks to a heroic brace from forward Haji Wright. The result capped off a successful international window for the USMNT, following their 1–1 draw against Ecuador earlier in the week.

The United States will now review the performances and feedback from the October window as they prepare for November friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.

Starting XI

The United States lined up with Matt Freese (New York City FC) in goal, making his second appearance of the window and conceding just one goal per match. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino once again deployed a three-at-the-back formation, with Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, and Mark McKenzie forming a solid and composed defensive line. The trio provided height, strength, and calm distribution to recycle possession effectively.

Tim Weah (Juventus, on loan at Marseille) and Alex Freeman operated as wingbacks, providing width in attack and defensive cover out wide. Weah was particularly active and heavily involved in forward play.

In midfield, James Sands and Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders) held down the double-pivot roles, dictating tempo, spreading play to the wings, and disrupting Australia’s counterattacks.

Ahead of them, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie played in more advanced central roles behind Haji Wright but struggled to find consistent influence, with Pulisic forced off due to injury.

The Match

The match kicked off at a lively tempo, with the U.S. pressing aggressively and looking to exploit space down the flanks through Weah.

However, against the run of play, Australia struck first in the 18th minute when Jordan Bos capitalized on a loose ball in the box to give the visitors a 1–0 lead.

In the 30th minute, Christian Pulisic was forced to exit the game with a hamstring injury, replaced by Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake).

After the match, Pochettino commented on Pulisic’s condition:

“I think he felt something in his hamstring. He’ll fly back to Italy tonight and we’ll assess it tomorrow. At the moment, we can’t say much.”

Just three minutes after the substitution, the U.S. found the equalizer. Cristian Roldan made a clever run and slipped a pass to Haji Wright, whose powerful outside-foot finish beat goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, sending DICK’S Sporting Goods Park into celebration.

Early in the second half, the U.S. struck again. Only six minutes after the restart, Roldan played Wright through on goal, and the forward coolly cut inside before curling a left-footed shot past Ryan to make it 2–1 — and complete his brace. The roar that followed eclipsed even the earlier celebration for the equalizer.

Post-Match Reactions

Pochettino praised Roldan’s influence and leadership:

“He’s what we need — a player with confidence, self-belief, a bit of arrogance, and that competitiveness. Maybe Cristian Roldan is an example: if you want to build your perfect player, he has a little of everything. I’m not saying he’s guaranteed a World Cup roster spot, but after the last few camps, he’s someone we wanted to give another opportunity — and he took it.”

Looking Ahead

The United States can take pride in a productive October camp, finishing unbeaten with a draw against Ecuador and a comeback win over Australia. Facing Ecuador — currently second in CONMEBOL and boasting top-level talent — provided a valuable test, as the U.S. continues scheduling strong opposition to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.