TEAM USA WON THEIR GROUP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 16 YEARS

Every team heading into a major tournament hopes its depth can carry the load when a star player goes down. Very few actually get the chance to prove it on the biggest stage. The United States just did exactly that and looked comfortable doing it.

With Christian Pulisic unavailable because of a calf injury, the Americans secured a 2-0 victory over Australia and punched their ticket to the World Cup knockout stage. The result marked a second straight win in the tournament and showed a squad that looked confident from the opening whistle. Australia spent much of the first half trying to keep up as the United States controlled possession and created chances.

The breakthrough came early when pressure inside the box led to an Australian own goal. That gave the Americans a lead they never looked close to surrendering. Before halftime, 21 year old Alex Freeman added another goal after getting on the end of a dangerous attacking sequence. Following a video review, the goal stood and the United States carried a two goal advantage into the break.

The win became even more significant later in the day when Paraguay defeated Turkey 1-0. That result locked the United States into first place in Group D, giving the team a favorable path into the knockout rounds. The Americans are now set to play a Round of 32 match on July 1 in Santa Clara against one of the tournament's third place finishers.

A few years ago, losing a player with Pulisic's experience and production could have completely changed expectations around the team. Instead, different players have stepped forward throughout the tournament. Folarin Balogun helped create the opening goal against Australia, while Freeman continued his rapid rise with the biggest goal of his young international career.

The numbers are starting to stand out as well. The United States has scored six goals through its first two matches and has now won consecutive World Cup games for the first time in nearly a century. Just as important, the contributions have come from all over the roster rather than relying on a single player to carry the attack.

The knockout rounds are where tournaments become memorable or forgettable in a hurry. Right now, though, the United States looks like a team gaining confidence every time it steps onto the field, and that is a pretty good problem to have.