SEATTLE — The soccer old heads — the veterans who paved the way for this World Cup squad — hate the term “golden generation.” That’s a title won, a sobriquet earned.
The current team hasn’t gotten there yet — hasn’t reached a World Cup quarterfinal — but Friday’s 2-0 victory over Australia at Lumen Field made the road a lot easier.
“We need to keep believing and approach every single day that we were approaching from Day 1, believing that we can win,” said Mauricio Pochettino. “Knowing that we need to work really hard, but at the same time, enjoying the time together, building every day our journey and into the next game.”
This had all the makings of a trap game — a potential letdown off an opening win, playing without star Christian Pulisic and facing a physical, underrated opponent. But the U.S. didn’t fall into the trap. They rose above it.
No Pulisic? No problem.
They won two group stage matches for only the second time ever — and first since their inaugural tourney way back in 1930. It’s the first time they’ve won their first two matches, clinching advancement to the knockout stages.
“We’ve won two games, and now we’ve been consistently winning and consistently playing well,” said goal-scorer Alex Freeman. “For us, our confidence is above the roof. And I feel like for us it’s, how can we give more and more and more?”
Giving more — mustering even a point in Wednesday’s Group D finale vs. Turkey — would seal first place, as would have anything other than a Turkey victory later Friday night. Claiming the group would pave an easier knockout road against a third-place foe, and maybe make a quarterfinal run possible.
“I’ve not used ‘the golden generation’ at all. I hate it until you’re the golden generation,” said 1994 captain Tony Meola. “What I’d like to do is come out of this World Cup and say this is the golden generation of the U.S. national team.
“We want to put this moniker on this group. They’ve got to earn it … So yeah, I’d love to see them become that. They’ve got six weeks here to become that.”
That’s a high bar, but this team is raising it.
To the point even Zlatan Ibrahimovic — working for Fox — said they can win the whole thing. And the players don’t disagree.
“Every game, every tournament we play in, we want to win. I don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that we want to win,” Chris Richards said. “We want to win a trophy at the end of this.”
That’s why U.S. Soccer made Pochettino the highest-paid manager in its history, and one of the highest-paid international soccer coaches on the planet.
Friday, he pulled the right strings, starting Ricardo Pepi for Pulisic on the left wing. They dominated possession early, then made their most dangerous runs down the left after he slid Flo Balogun over to the wing and after they switched from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-5-2 late.
Balogun’s cross got bundled in for an own goal and the opening tally. And the in-form striker isn’t looking at historical precedent as much as hardware.
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“For me growing up, history is always the winners are remembered,” said Balogun. “I’m aware the country is supporting us and the country is proud of us and each game we are doing things. For me, I’m just focused on the prize.”
Challenged physically, they looked like a team ready to compete. In a bout that saw seven yellow cards — the most so far in the tourney — they came out on top.
Freeman, minutes after a crushing head-to-head collision with Paul Okon-Engstler, got up and headed in a deflected Sergiño Dest shot for their second goal. One that put a dagger in Australia and put the U.S. through.
But their goals are higher. Aiming for gold.
“There is no golden generation. The golden generation comes after the fact. You have to prove you were a golden generation,” said former World Cup keeper Kasey Keller. “So, this is that first step.
“This is going to be pivotal … That draw in the Round of 32 is significantly different if you do the job in the group stage and win that group and then go on from there. That starts today.”
