USMNT inching closer to golden generation World Cup reality

SEATTLE — The soccer old heads — the veterans who paved the way for this World Cup squad — hate the term “golden generation.” That’s a title won, a sobriquet earned.The current team hasn’t gotten there yet — hasn’t reached a World Cup quarterfinal — but Friday’s 2-0 victory over Australia at Lumen Field made the road a lot easier.“We need to keep believing and approach every single day that we were approaching from Day 1, believing that we can win,” said Mauricio Pochettino.“Knowing that we need to work really hard, but at the same time, enjoying the time together, building every day our journey and into the next game.”This had all the makings of a trap game — a potential letdown off an opening win, playing without star Christian Pulisic and facing a physical, underrated opponent.

But the U.S.didn’t fall into the trap.

They rose above it.No Pulisic? No problem.They won two group stage matches for only the second time ever — and first since their inaugural tourney way back in 1930.It’s the first time they’ve won their first two matches, clinching advancement to the knockout stages.“We’ve won two games, and now we’ve been consistently winning and consistently playing well,” said goal-scorer Alex Freeman.

“For us, our confidence is above the roof.And I feel like for us it’s, how can we give more and more and more?”Giving more — mustering even a point in Wednesday’s Group D finale vs.

Turkey — would seal first place, as would have anything other than a Turkey victory later Friday night.Claiming the group would pave an easier knockout road against a third-place foe, and maybe make a quarterfinal run possible.“I’ve not used ‘the golden generation’ at all.

I hate it until you’re the golden generation,” said 1994 captain Tony Meola.“What I’d like to do is come out of this World Cup and say this is the golden generation of the U.S.

national team.“We want to put this moniker on this group.The...