VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) \u2014 Australian midfielder Aiden O\u2019Neill said the excitement of the 2026 World Cup was a major reason he left Belgium for the United States in his prime. <\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill joined New York City FC during the 2025 Major League Soccer season, sharing a locker room with fellow Australian Kai Trewin and several Americans including U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese.<\/p>\n
After a season and a half as teammates, O\u2019Neill and Freese have been thrown into the biggest roles of their lives. They\u2019ll be on opposite sides on Friday when Australia faces the United States in Seattle. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited to play against each other,\u201d O\u2019Neill said. \u201cIt\u2019d be good to get one up on him, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
When manager Tony Popovic boldly left veterans Mathew Ryan and Jackson Irvine out of the starting XI for Australia\u2019s group opener against Turkey<\/a>, O\u2019Neill quickly became the leader of the Socceroos\u2019 four-man midfield. Meanwhile, Freese got the start in his first-ever World Cup match against Paraguay<\/a>.<\/p>\n Strong starts<\/p>\n Both O\u2019Neill and Freese shone in their World Cup debuts, contributing to wins. When the teammates face off again on Friday, the result could decide the top of Group D.<\/p>\n Trewin, a defender who is also on NYCFC and Australia\u2019s World Cup squad but did not appear in the 2-0 win over Turkey, added that he has \u201cnever wanted to win a game more than this one.\u201d<\/p>\n NYCFC reached the MLS Cup playoff semifinals with O\u2019Neill and Freese as starters in 2025. Trewin moved from Australia to join the two in the starting lineup for 2026, and the squad currently sits in a playoff spot again during the league\u2019s World Cup break.<\/p>\n Now, the matchup between the Australians and Americans will likely be the biggest game for all three to date. <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Ben Kule is a student in the University of Georgia\u2019s Carmical Sports Media Institute.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n