USMNT await Australia after Beach heroics sink Turkey

USMNT on Friday, group wide open

Your Socceroos face the USMNT on Friday in the second Group D match (1). Australia opened with a shock 2–0 win over Turkey and a result against the Americans puts the round of 16 within reach. The USMNT will have their own plans, but Popovic's young side already has the group watching.

Beach stood on his head against Turkey

Patrick Beach was the reason Australia walked away with three points. Turkey had 78% possession. They fired 30 shots. Beach stopped them all in a 2–0 win that left Vincenzo Montella fuming (2). Marca called it a one-man barrier. "He came out and showed the world what he's capable of, he saved us" (2). Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe got the goals on the other end, but nobody who watched the match is talking about the attack.

Fan reactions

The AFC unbeaten run is the story fans can't stop talking about. Six Asian confederation nations through the first round of matches, Australia, Japan, and South Korea all won, while Qatar, Iran, and Saudi Arabia drew, and nobody has lost yet. The thread tracking it is buzzing. The wins came against "highly respectable footballing nations" and Australia's scalp of Turkey is getting a lot of the credit.