SEATTLE (AP) — Christian Pulisic’s injury absence didn’t hurt the United States one bit.

The Americans advanced to the knockout round of the World Cup without their injured star forward, beating Australia 2-0 on Friday for their second straight victory in the expanded 48-team tournament. The U.S. then won Group D when Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0 late Friday in Santa Clara, California.

“C.P. is a fantastic player — the quality and the leadership that he gives us,” said Folarin Balogun, who scored two goals in the 4-1 victory over Paraguay on June 12. “We didn’t have him today, but I think you saw we’re still capable to go out there and get a result and put up a performance.”

As the Group D winner, the U.S. will play a round-of-32 match on July 1 in Santa Clara, California, against a third-place group finisher.

Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan and has 33 goals in 87 international appearances, missed Friday’s match because of a calf injury.

Playing without a talent like Pulisic could have derailed previous American World Cup teams. But much has changed since the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, when it advanced by being one of the best third-place teams. The Americans lost to eventual champion Brazil in the round of 16.

The U.S. has won consecutive games at a World Cup for the first time since 1930. The Americans have scored six goals, one off their record for a World Cup, and received contributions throughout their roster.

Alex Freeman, the youngest player on the team at 21 and the son of former NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman, made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute off a set piece. Freeman headed in a deflected shot by Sergiño Dest for his first career World Cup goal. The goal was confirmed after a video review.

“(He) is doing a fantastic job,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said of Freeman. “The evolution is massive. He’s so humble. He wants to learn. He always listens. He’s a player that you really enjoy being with him. Not only coaching, but being with him.”

The U.S. took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute after a run down the left sideline by Balogun.

He directed a centering pass toward striker Ricardo Pepi, who started in place of Pulisic. The ball never reached Pepi, deflecting off Australia defender Cameron Burgess and into the Socceroos’ net for an own-goal.

“I want to be dangerous, I want to create opportunities,” Balogun said. “It might not always be myself that scores, but if I can force an error that gives us the lead, then for me it’s like a goal as well. It was a special start to the game to give us the momentum.”

The Americans did not score after halftime, but the way they so thoroughly dominated Australia in the opening 45 minutes left an impression on Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.

“It did not surprise us because their quality is clear,” Popovic said. “Their power is clear. Their athleticism is clear. They are not surprising in what they did.”

Expectations will only increase for the U.S. as momentum builds around the team. The Americans’ start to the tournament has not changed Pochettino’s perception of his squad and its potential.

“I think it’s much better when you show good performances and win the games,” Pochettino said. “I think that makes it easier, everything. But, at the same time, it’s (important) to keep believing.”

The U.S. learned it can get out of the group stage without Pulisic. And it has the roster to make a deep run.

“We know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game,” Freeman said. “For us it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is.”

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This story has been corrected to show that the Turkey v. Paraguay game ended late Friday local time in California.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

The early results are in: This U.S men’s national team is for real in this World Cup.

With a quick and creative offensive attack producing goals in front of stadium-shaking home crowds, the Americans have already won their group and booked their place in the knockout round. A final group stage match against Turkey in Los Angeles awaits before the pressure ramps up again.

The question now is just how far can they go? The optimism and expectations of a deep run in the tournament are rising quickly.

The American players seem eager to embrace what might have seemed inconceivable for a big nation with a relatively shallow pedigree in international soccer.

“I don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that we want to win it,” U.S. defender Chris Richards said after Friday’s 2-0 win over Australia. “We want to lift a trophy by the end of this.”

Few would have predicted this kind of quick success, said striker Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in the opener against Paraguay.

“You know, (if) someone said before the tournament ‘Two games and you’re through to the knockouts,’ I think we all would have took it,” Balogun said. “We’re delighted.”

Argentine coach leads the American resurgence

The first two matches saw the U.S. attack Paraguay and Australia with an energy, skill and creativity on offense rarely seen by the Americans in the World Cup.

The U.S. has won consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1930. And the six goals in the first two matches are one short of the team record for a World Cup.

The architect is coach Mauricio Pochettino, an Argentine who was best known for his European club stints with Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-German. He had never coached a national team until he was hired by the U.S. in 2024 with an eye on this year’s World Cup.

As a co-host, the U.S. was an automatic qualifier for the tournament, allowing Pochettino more time to experiment and craft the lineup he wanted. He was blunt earlier this month when he said the U.S. does not have any players that rank among the top 100 in the world.

But the lineup he has put on the field the first two matches has been rock solid and maybe even better than expected. The players credit him with instilling a tougher, more resilient mindset.

Pochettino said after the win over Australia, he could feel the fan support reverberating throughout the stadium in Seattle.

“Today, even if I’m not American, after the game I was emotional,” Pochettino said. “It was an amazing and perfect connection between the energy from the stands and the team. This makes us feel very proud.”

Questions remain about U.S. star player Pulisic

Because the U.S. has already won its group, Pochettino could experiment with his lineup for the match with Turkey on June 25. And it could provide extra rest for star midfielder Christian Pulisic, who missed the match with Australia because of a calf injury.

Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan, is considered the United States’ best player, but his absence also allowed the U.S. to show off some depth in the lineup.

With Pulisic out, Pochettino started striker Ricardo Pepi, and Pepi combined with Balogun on the run that created the first goal of the match in the 11th minute.

“We know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game,” said Alex Freeman, who scored the second goal against Australia. “For us it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is.”

Still, the U.S. will want Pulisic’s steady hand and creative playmaking as they get deeper in the tournament.

He has scored 33 goals in 87 international appearances, including the game winner against Iran in the 2022 World Cup that sent the U.S. to the round of 16.

History of home nations

The U.S. will enjoy the home support for as far as they can go in the tournament. It can be considerable.

The U.S. is co-host of the tournament with Canada and Mexico. Since 1930, the host nation has won the World Cup six times, most recently France in 1998.

When Mexico hosted in 1970 and 1986, it reached the quarterfinals both times. In 2002, co-host South Korea reached the semifinals. Host Russia reached the quarterfinals in 2018.

The U.S. finished third in the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. Its best finish in the modern era of soccer was the quarterfinals in 2002.

When the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, the underdog Americans played in front of huge crowds and slugged their way through the group stage before being eliminated by Brazil.

Back then, just reaching the knockout round was the goal and a huge achievement for a group of players that punched above their weight.

The expectations this time are for much more, and growing with every goal in the back of the net.

“I think people can see what we’re capable of as a team,” Pepi said.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Matias Galarza scored 65 seconds into the game for the fastest goal at this year’s World Cup and Paraguay held on for a 1-0 win over Turkey on Friday night after playing a man down for more than half the match.

Paraguay was short-handed after Miguel Almiron was issued a red card late in the first half for violating a new rule banning players from covering their mouth during a confrontation. But goalkeeper Orlando Gill made several key saves to preserve the lead.

The win assured the United States would win Group D and eliminated Turkey from any chance of advancing to the knockout round with its second straight loss. Paraguay will face Australia in the final match of the group stage next Thursday with second place in the group on the line.

Paraguay bounced back from a 4-1 loss in the opener against the U.S. team thanks in part to a lineup change made by Gustavo Alfaro. Galarza, who plays for Atlanta United of the MLS, was put into the starting lineup after sitting out the opener and rewarded his coach when he sent a left-footed shot from about 25 yards into the net just 1:05 into the game.

Turkey nearly got the equalizer later in the first half but Mert Muldur’s header off a free kick hit the cross bar and goal post.

Muldur was in the middle of the confrontation in stoppage time in the first half that led to Galarza’s ejection.

Almiron and Mulder exchanged words following a foul near midfield. Almiron covered his mouth while saying something to Mulder, who immediately appealed to referee Ivan Barton for punishment.

Barton went to video review and quickly ruled that Almiron would be given a red card and ejected under a new rule put in place for this year’s World Cup.

Turkey dominated possession for a second straight match but once again it wasn’t enough as the Turks followed up the 2-0 loss to Australia with another defeat that assures they will have a short stay in their first World Cup appearance in 24 years.

Turkey qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2002 but was unable to repeat the same kind of run that year that led to a third-place finish despite entering the tournament as a favorite to advance from the group.

Orlando Gill made a save on a tricky deflection on a shot by Merih Demiral early in the second half and again on a long range attempt from Abdulkerim Bardakci midway through the half to preserve the lead. Gill then stopped Can Uzun from in close late in the half and Deniz Gul sent the rebound wide.

Merih Demiral’s header late in stoppage time went wide, ending Turkey’s last hope.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

ISTANBUL (AP) — Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Monday for talks aimed at deepening cooperation, particularly in trade, energy, and mining, according to a statement from the Turkish leader’s office.

Rodríguez, who assumed office after U.S. forces captured former president Nicolás Maduro in January, arrived in Turkey following a visit to India focused on strengthening energy ties.

“President Erdogan expressed that our country always stands by the friendly people of Venezuela. He emphasized Turkey’s determination to further advance cooperation with Venezuela in many fields, particularly trade, energy, and mining,” the statement from the Turkish presidential communications directorate said.

Turkey and oil‑rich Venezuela have forged close ties over the past decade, strengthened by Maduro’s support for Erdogan after the failed coup attempt in 2016. Ankara frequently backed Maduro diplomatically, and the two countries signed agreements to cooperate in energy and gold trade despite international sanctions.

The meeting with Rodríguez at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace also addressed steps to raise bilateral trade from $448 million in 2025 to a targeted $3 billion.

In addition to bilateral issues, the leaders exchanged views on global developments, the statement added.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday called for face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The letter, the first public message Zelenskyy has written directly to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, was a sweeping critique of the Russian leader’s 26 years in power.

Zelenskyy acknowledged shifting U.S. priorities, saying it would be wrong to simply wait for the Trump administration to return its attention to ending the Ukraine war while it remains heavily focused on the Iran war.

“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy wrote.

U.S. President Donald Trump said it “would be great” if Putin and Zelenskyy met. “They should get it done,” Trump said.

Asked what concessions he had urged Putin to make to end the war, Trump declined to provide details but said both sides would need to compromise.

“They’re going to both make compromises,” he said. “I suggested those compromises.”

Zelenskyy appeared to be trying to seize a pivotal moment in the war, as Ukraine has begun to regain some battlefield leverage largely through improved long-range strike capabilities that have complicated Russia’s advances. At the same time, Moscow has intensified its deadly aerial campaign across Ukraine, seeking to exploit Kyiv’s shortages and continued vulnerability to ballistic missile attacks.

He said the talks could be hosted by a neutral third country, ruling out both Moscow and Kyiv as venues and suggested Switzerland, Turkey or Arab states as possible hosts for negotiations.

“It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be,” he wrote. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”

He said Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia was considering plans to prolong the war into 2027 and 2028, while increasingly relying on ballistic missile strikes to achieve what its ground campaign had failed to accomplish.

Zelenskyy also accused Moscow of seeking to draw Belarus deeper into the conflict and of attempting to destabilize the situation around Transnistria, the breakaway Moldovan region backed by Russia.

The Ukrainian leader argued that Russia was increasingly feeling the costs of the war, pointing to drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, economic strain, fuel shortages, rising prices, and the necessity of more military mobilization.

Zelenskyy claimed Russia suffered more than 30,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in May alone, saying Ukraine had “video confirmation” of the battlefield losses and that such casualty levels had been sustained month after month.

He added that Ukraine also continues to suffer painful losses despite what he described as a favorable casualty ratio.

He said Ukraine was prepared to implement a full ceasefire for the duration of negotiations and proposed an all-for-all prisoner exchange as a first step toward ending the conflict.

Zelenskyy also called for the return of civilians and children taken from Ukraine during the war.

“The world has not grown tired of Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with Russia,” Zelenskyy said.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Tens of thousands of supporters of the deposed leader of Turkey’s main opposition party marched through central Ankara on Saturday.

Ozgur Ozel was removed from his post at the head of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, by court order on May 21. Many people consider the ruling to be a politically motivated bid to neutralize the opposition.

Crowds earlier gathered in Guven Park in the heart of the Turkish capital to hear Ozel deliver a speech condemning his removal. They then joined him on an impromptu march to the mausoleum of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

“They are attempting to replace the CHP’s elected chairman and appoint a trustee,” Ozel told supporters. “Today is the day to restart our march to power. I wish this were an internal party matter. This is not an internal matter for the CHP. This is a matter between (President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the nation.”

The appeals court ruling overturned a 2023 party congress vote that appointed Ozel as CHP leader. The court decision replaced him with his predecessor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, sparking outrage among party supporters.

Ozel, 51, succeeded the 77-year-old Kilicdaroglu after 13 years of mostly ineffective opposition to Erdogan.

Ozel has framed the court case, which centered on alleged irregularities in the congress vote, as the latest legal attack on the CHP. Criminal cases across the country, mostly alleging corruption in CHP-run municipalities, have seen hundreds of elected officials and party members detained.

The government insists that Turkey’s courts are impartial and act independently of political pressure.

As people were gathering in Guven Park, Kilicdaroglu was holding a rival gathering at the CHP headquarters in Ankara, which police stormed last Sunday to remove Ozel and his supporters.

Addressing a much smaller crowd, Kilicdaroglu condemned the previous party administration for overseeing widespread corruption.

The CHP is level with the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in most recent opinion polls and although the next election is not due until 2028, many expect Erdogan to push for early elections.

Ozel delivered a serious blow to the AKP in the 2024 municipal elections, strengthening the opposition’s grip on key cities it had won five years earlier, including Istanbul and Ankara.

The CHP mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, emerged as the likeliest challenger to Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey since 2003, in the next presidential poll. But he has been imprisoned since March last year as he faces several criminal cases that could see him sentenced to decades behind bars.