USMNT World Cup roster implications: Wright, Roldan make cases

COMMERCE CITY, Colorado -- Haji Wright scored goals either side of half-time to help the United States defeat Australia 2-1 in a friendly on Tuesday night.

The Coventry City striker's brace helped the hosts overcome Jordan Bos' 19th minute opener, with both goals assisted by midfielder Cristian Roldan.

The win for the U.S. extended its unbeaten streak to three games, while Australia saw its own 11-game run under manager Tony Popovic come to an end. It was also the first time in nine games that U.S. won under Mauricio Pochettino after conceding first.

Jeff Carlisle and Joey Lynch take a look at the major talking points from the match.

- As it happened: Wright inspires USMNT past Socceroos
- Pulisic subbed off early in USMNT friendly with Australia
- 2026 World Cup: Who has qualified, and how the rest can make it

1. Wright shows striker competition is still open

After Folarin Balogun scored in each of his last two U.S. games, it was beginning to look like he had gained some separation in the race to secure the starting striker spot. It was perhaps a bit puzzling then when Pochettino decided to hand Wright a start in Balogun's place. After all, Wright hadn't started for the U.S. since September of 2024 against New Zealand.

The move proved to be a master stroke, as Wright scored twice, though it wasn't obvious at the start. In the opening minutes Wright looked a bit lost, and seemed oddly reluctant to exploit the space in behind that the Australia back-line was giving him.

But Wright stuck to his task, latching onto a through ball from Roldan in the 33rd minute to score with his right foot past Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. Then, six minutes into the second half, he ran through on another Roldan pass, left defender Cameron Burgess in a heap on the ground, and curled his effort past Ryan into the Australia goal.

If the World Cup were to start tomorrow, Balogun would likely get the start for the U.S., but Wright's goals have kept him in the running, and have boosted his chances of earning a spot in the U.S. World Cup roster. -- Carlisle

2. Socceroos' unbeaten streak finally snapped

It was going to have to come to an end at some point. For the first time in the Popovic era, the Socceroos have lost a match, ending an 11-game run that began with his first game in charge last September and that had produced wins across the side's last seven games.

There are all the necessary qualifications about this being a friendly staged with a bigger, World Cup-shaped goal in mind -- even if Popovic and his staff rejected this narrative in the build-up to the game -- but particularly disappointing for the Socceroos will be that Tuesday evening's defeat came despite Bos putting them ahead after 19 minutes.

Defending has long been the great strength of this team, even before Popovic's arrival, but as one would expect from the former defender, this has only been reinforced in recent times. And it's hardly panic stations for the Australians yet.

Nonetheless, two lapses in concentration were all it took for Wright to get in behind and, as the Championship's leading scorer showed, players that are in-form and playing at the highest level will punish you if you give them the scope to. As the Socceroos shifted into chasing the match -- a game-state largely unseen since their late draw against Bahrain last November -- the United States were able to capitalise and create a series of looks on goal that, with slightly sharper finishing, could have easily blown the lead out further. -- Lynch

3. Roldan bounces back from slow start

It's stunning to think that two months ago, Roldan didn't seem anywhere near a World Cup roster spot. He was even an afterthought for the September window, only to earn a late call-up and then put in an outstanding shift in the 2-0 win over Japan.

On Tuesday, Roldan once again helped his cause with another big-time performance, one made all the more impressive given how it started. The U.S. had plenty of possession to start, but then out of nothing, in the 19th minute, Bos broke through the U.S. defense with Chris Richards and Roldan both needing to do better to thwart the left back's slaloming run.

But Roldan rebounded impressively. He quickly put his stamp on the U.S. attack, and twice came close to scoring on shots that just missed the target. Following his assist on Wright's first goal, Roldan engaged in some quick-thinking to set up Wright's second. After Alex Freeman won a free kick on the right wing, Roldan had the presence of mind to take it quickly and immediately put Wright in a one-on-one situation that he duly converted.

Like Wright, Roldan did plenty to increase his chances of making a second consecutive World Cup roster. The Seattle Sounders midfielder has a lot of bodies to climb over in order to reach that goal, some of whom have an impressive pedigree. But Roldan seems to be a favorite of Pochettino's for his contributions both on and off the field, and if he continues to perform at this level, it will be near impossible to leave him off the World Cup roster. -- Carlisle

4. Pulisic injury casts a pall on October window

After a successful September window, one of the hopes for Christian Pulisic in October was to see him perform alongside more of the USMNT's first-choice lineup. It wasn't to be. An ankle injury saw Pulisic limited to just 17 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Ecuador. It's unclear if Pulisic injured the same ankle against Australia, but what is known is that he was on the receiving end of several heavy challenges. After Australia's Jason Geria was booked in the 26th minute for a transition tackle on Pulisic, the U.S. attacker was forced off two minutes later.

The decision by Pochettino to take Pulisic off made sense. There was no reason to risk his star's health further, especially given the fine form that the U.S. attacker has been in for AC Milan. Yet the injury is still a blow for the USMNT, at least in the context of this window. The World Cup countdown clock is ticking, and the more Pochettino can get his top players on the field at the same time, the better. Now that will have to wait until next month, assuming Pulisic heals up in time. -- Carlisle

5. Australia's loss could come at a big cost

Thanks to their win over Canada, combined with Austria's shock 1-0 loss to Romania in European qualifying, the Socceroos had entered Tuesday evening ranked 24 in the FIFA rankings. It's a position that would have vaulted the Socceroos into Pot 2, and potentially a weaker World Cup group, should the draw have taken place that day.

Tuesday's 2-1 loss, however, has put a dent in these hopes. While a loss on the road against a 16th-ranked United States won't necessarily cost them a significant amount of ranking points -- nowhere near close to the 14.88 that Austria was docked for their loss to the Romanians -- Australia will nonetheless slip backwards.

Will this defeat ultimately prove costly? We can't know for certain, but with a clash with defending World Cup champions and world No. 2 Argentina, in India, of all places, heavily rumoured to be one of the Socceroos' opponents in the November window (and 21st-ranked Iran another rumoured opponent in that window), the Australians may have a mountain to climb before December's draw. -- Lynch

6. Bos shows why he is considered one of Australia's best

As disappointing as the loss will be, the night wasn't a total waste for Australia, with Bos putting in another performance that, despite some stiff competition from the likes of Nestory Irankunda and Mo Touré, separates him as the most exciting talent coming through in green-and-gold.

Coming into the window fresh off being named the Eredivisie player of the month, the first Australian to scoop the honour, the 22-year-old instantly changed the dynamic of the game when he came on as a second-half substitute against Canada and was amongst Australia's best when he started against the United States on Tuesday evening.

Blessed with rare athleticism, the left wing-back's ability to tirelessly get up and down the touchline adds a critical ability to break lines and advance field position in Popovic's system and his goal -- pouncing on a loose ball, forcing his way through three American defenders, bundling over Roldan, and finishing into the bottom corner -- was emblematic of the combination of skill and physical power he brings to the game.

Bos set a then-Australian transfer record when he transferred from Melbourne City to KVC Westerlo back in 2023 and the subsequent reported €5 million move he made to Feyenoord this season already looks like a bargain for the Dutch giants. Give it a year or two, and it's hard to see how the one-time Point Cook junior isn't playing, and starting, in one of the world's biggest leagues. -- Lynch