The U.S. Men’s National Team has officially found its footing.
Former U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard told OutKick that the Yanks’ dominant win over Paraguay proves just how dangerous this squad can be ahead of their matchup with Australia.
And the rest of the country is clearly bought in.
The 4-1 blowout drew a massive 24.9 million viewers on Friday, shattering records as the largest soccer audience in U.S. history.
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But for Howard, the most encouraging takeaway was the feeling that the Americans left even more goals on the table.
“So many good things, so many contributions,” Howard told OutKick. “It’s really good to win a game and say, ‘Gosh, I wish we almost had six.’ That’s a good place to be.”
Howard pointed to Folarin Balogun’s two-goal performance, Christian Pulisic’s influence in attack and a strong defensive showing as reasons for optimism as the tournament progresses.
“There’s a lot to build on,” Howard said. “The substitutes came in and played well. Balogun got his two goals. Christian Pulisic was outstanding. I thought defensively we were good.”
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After Matt Freese got the nod over veteran Matt Turner, Howard said he no longer views the goalkeeper competition as an open one.
“I don’t think there’s any competition now,” Howard said. “I think Matt Freese is the goalkeeper. We sort of saw that going into the tournament over the last year. That played itself out. Matt Freese is the U.S. No. 1, end of story, I think.”
Looking ahead to Australia’s challenge, Howard expects a far different type of match than the one the Americans faced against Paraguay.
He warned that Australia’s physical style could create problems if the U.S. allows itself to be knocked out of rhythm.
“It’s going to be a physical game,” Howard noted. “I think the Australian team plays that way, but I think they also realize that if they get into the U.S. team and disrupt their rhythm, they give themselves a good chance.”
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Still, Howard likes the matchup for the Americans.
“From a footballing standpoint, if you’re asking me right now, the U.S. team will play the Australians off the park,” he said. “They just need to be able to match that physicality.”
And Howard is expecting goals.
“If the U.S. matches that physicality, then I think the rest will take care of itself,” Howard said. “The U.S. scores three and wins. Maybe 3-1, maybe 3-0.”
Off the pitch, Howard said supporters will have a major role to play as the U.S. builds momentum ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
He highlighted partnerships like Jim Beam’s Home Field Advantage campaign, which aims to cultivate a deeper soccer culture around the national team and further energize supporters.
“There’s a cultural and togetherness aspect of soccer,” Howard said. “We need to build this culture and hype around this team and help propel them, as best we can, on and off the field, toward greatness.”
Howard said the atmosphere surrounding the team could prove just as important as the momentum being generated on the field.
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“They’re going to use the home-field advantage. They’re going to use that momentum as best they can. But it’s up to us as fans to provide that.”
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