USMNT rides wave of belief into Australia clash — but a big question remains

SEATTLE — Before the U.S. training session began in earnest Thursday, coach Mauricio Pochettino walked by himself onto a grass hill overlooking his players and staff working inside Husky Soccer Stadium.

>With Union Bay shimmering under a blue sky on the University of Washington campus, he took it all in.

>“I wanted to see how everything looks without me,” he said with a smile, drawing laughter at a Lumen Field news conference on the eve of the World Cup Group D match against Australia.

>Pochettino likes what he is seeing, up close and from a vista. Well, except for Christian Pulisic’s calf ailment, which has cast doubt on his availability Friday.

>The U.S. arrived in the Emerald City with the wind at their backs following a 4-1 victory over Paraguay last week in Greater Los Angeles. Momentum has gathered off the field as well, with the exceptional performance creating a groundswell of support across the country.

>Another home victory would do wonders not only for the team, but further elevate the excitement around the 48-nation competition.

>“We're still all hungry,” right wing Sergiño Dest said. “It's the beginning. We had a great game against Paraguay, but we want more. We are hungry to show all the opponents in the group and the world what we’ve got.”

>Not since the 1930 inaugural World Cup, however, has the U.S. won consecutive matches. There have been several unbeaten streaks, sure. But not a winning streak.

>And if that were to occur Friday, the Americans would all but secure passage to the knockout stage and, by the end of the night, could clinch first place in the group. (That hinges on the Paraguay-Türkiye match in Santa Clara, California.)

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>“Our confidence and trust is there,” Pochettino said. “The challenge now is to keep that level that was so high. I have no doubt I think we can show [it] again.”

>The big personnel issue is whether Pulisic will be available after aggravating a soft-tissue injury in the Paraguay match. His status remains day to day after working on his own all week.

>“He's evolving. He's much better from Friday,” Pochettino said. “We'll see … if [he’s] not available for tomorrow, he will be available for the next game, but he's doing a massive effort trying to be ready.”

>The star attacker has not spoken to reporters this week.

>Teammate Weston McKennie offered insight and humor.

>“I know he really wants to be [in the match] and he's doing everything he can, and the staff is doing everything that they can as well,” the midfielder said. “That's also another question that's probably better to ask him rather than me. I'm in my own La La Land.”

Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT regroup in Seattle ahead of Friday's pivotal Group D clash with Australia.John Dorton/USSF via Getty ImagesPulisic’s absence would open a number of options for Pochettino.

>Would he go back to Sebastian Berhalter, who replaced Pulisic last Friday, and push Malik Tillman higher in the formation again?

>Would he opt for Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson or Alex Zendejas?

>Pochettino did not offer any clues Thursday.

>“At the moment we are evaluating all the possibilities, just in case, and then we will decide when we have the confirmation in one or another direction tonight,” he said.

>Pulisic’s influence is immeasurable, though. And should Pochettino let him rest, his team would need to find different ways to create the abundance of opportunities Pulisic played a hand in against Paraguay.

>Aside from Pulisic, the U.S. is healthy and confident. It will also carry the experience of facing Australia in a friendly last fall in the Denver area — a 2-1 comeback victory marred by Pulisic’s first-half exit with a leg injury.

> Given the feistyness of that match — Pochettino on Thursday called it a “street game” — the U.S. coach might want to avoid exposing Pulisic to further issues ahead of the group finale June 25 vs. Türkiye in LA.

>That first meeting with Australia was also a rallying point for the U.S., which, at halftime, received a fiery message from Pochettino.

>“That was a tough, tough conversation but necessary,” Pochettino said Thursday. “We all need sometimes to wake up.”

>For sure, Pochettino has had their full attention since the 26-man squad gathered for World Cup training camp last month. In the tuneups, a victory over Senegal was followed by a narrow loss to Germany. Then came the fabulous performance against Paraguay — a U.S. record for World Cup goals and a share of the record for margin of victory.

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>All week, the U.S. has carried itself with a growing sense that something special is brewing.

>Nevertheless …

>“We're grounded,” midfielder Cristian Roldan said. “We understand it was just one game, but what excites me is the entire nation is behind us. They enjoyed watching us play, and what we want to do is inspire and motivate the next generation. … But we have to build off it, and that's a truth where we can't just talk about it. We have to show it.”

>They will try to show it in one of America’s best soccer cities — one that Roldan, a Sounders midfielder, has called home since enrolling at the University of Washington in 2013.

>“It means a lot to play soccer here, and I'm excited for the world to see what the city is all about,” he said. “They're going to energize our group. I fully expected the city of Seattle to come out and show out, and I think the guys are going to feel that type of energy.”