The Stars and Stripes face off against the Socceroos on Friday in Seattle, and it is set up to be a vital match for both teams in their fight for qualification. Both sides are full of confidence after picking up victories in their opening fixtures, and will now be aiming to top the group.

The United States' 4-1 demolition of Paraguay has cemented them as favourites to top the group, due to their strong squad that Mauricio Pochettino has seemingly got playing his style perfectly. They will also be favourites going into Friday's game, and will be hoping to pick up a win that should guarantee qualification to the knockout stages.

However, anyone who writes off Australia will do so at their peril, as the Socceroos proved once again why they are a side that consistently go under the radar, after beating group favourites Turkiye 2-0. It is a result that has attracted attention to the Aussies, who will now be hoping to go one further than their Round of 16 finish in Qatar four years ago.

It is a match-up that will test both sides, with the States likely to dominate the ball and try to break down the Australian spirit, that has seen them cause so many upsets in recent tournaments.

History will be made when the two nations meet, as it will be the first time they play each other competitively, with their four previous encounters all being friendlies. Their most recent meeting ended 2-1 to the States, with goals from Haji Wright and Cristian Roldan securing victory.

It is a result that will give the host nation a slight boost in confidence, but a change of style and some fresh faces in the squad mean it is a completely different Australian side than the one they faced last year.

Australia have only faced a host nation once at a World Cup, when they lost 3-0 in 1974 to eventual tournament champions West Germany.

Christian Pulisic was brought off at half-time against Paraguay, after terrorising their full-backs, playing a key role in his nation's opening two goals of the tournament. His substitution has worried fans, and his status remains a mystery going into Friday's match.

Antonee Robinson told reporters that Pulisic is “taking it day by day," after each training session, and explained  “He’s not been training fully with the group yet. We’ve still got a couple of days to see where he’s at.

“Thankfully we’ve got a lot of boys on the bench who are eager and ready to get involved and helping the team, a lot of quality.

"It’s a long tournament. If we don’t have him back for the game, we’re gonna make sure we have him back the rest of the way because we’re gonna need him, we’re gonna need everyone but hopefully we have everyone fit and ready to go.”

It will be a huge blow to the hosts if the 27-year-old doesn't manage to recover in time for the game, as he would be key in breaking down a tricky Australian backline.

The Socceroos will be thankful they didn't pick up any injuries during their match against Turkiye, and will go into their most important game of the tournament with a clean bill of health, and a full side for Tony Popovic to choose from.

The weight of expectation will once again be on the hosts, a scenario that suits Australia perfectly, and will use this pressure to their advantage by trying to cause another upset and nick a result against a strong USA side.

For the Stars and Stripes, they will be looking to bag an early goal to force their opponents out of shape, freeing up space for players like Folarin Balogun and Sergino Dest to punish the Aussies backline. If the US manage to replicate a performance similar to that of their opening game, there is no reason why they can't pick-up another crucial win.

However, it would be foolish to underestimate the Australian's, who I think will put in another solid performance, and manage to frustrate the hosts into few chances., leaving it to be a game that is decided off moments of magic, ultimately leading to a draw.

Final Score: USA 1-1 Australia