Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas praised Haji Wright following the striker's match-winning brace against Australia, calling it a defining performance that establishes the Coventry City forward in Mauricio Pochettino's plans for the 2026 World Cup. Wright scored both goals in the USMNT's 2-1 victory over Australia on Tuesday night.
Getty Images SportContender for World Cup roster
After being left out of multiple USMNT squads and sustaining an Achilles injury during the 2025 Gold Cup, Wright spent considerable time out of the national team spotlight. The 27-year-old then netted a brace to give his side the 2-1 win.
“We talk about goals and they can certainly shade things,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “We also talked about Haji Wright and what he was – he was kind of out in the wilderness for a while, and he's just been on fire in terms of club. But we also talked about the Championship… I think this was a big game for him in that I think he's going to be in the stable of strikers that Pochettino was going to look to, especially with the kind of regression from a Josh Sargent.
"Now, Ricardo Pepi still out there waiting in the wings, and I think he will have a say when all is said and done. But again, time is ticking. This was a huge, huge game for Haji."
AdvertisementPraise for Wright’s finishing
Lalas praised the quality of Wright's finishing, noting that both goals required significant skill.
“I thought he took both of his goals really, really well – had a lot of work to do, but it was really kind of beautiful and smooth,” Lalas said. “That second goal… everybody's saying 'Shoot it.' And he said, 'No, I'm going to bring it back.' But the way that he brought it back and sat the defender down?… It doesn't have to be hard, it just has to be placed and put that in the corner. So I think he is a big, big winner.”
Lalas also impressed by Cristian Roldan
Following Cristian Roldan's two-assist performance against Australia, Lalas defended the Seattle Sounders midfielder against critics who questioned his technical ability.
"Some people just cannot fathom a U.S. men's national team that features in any capacity a Cristian Roldan in a 22, an 11 or even a 26, for that matter," Lalas said of the USMNT lineup. "They were out in full force. And, you know, somebody was saying to me, ‘Cristian Roldan, a player with zero technical ability, and he's starting.’ And this person over here was so angry.
“And my point to him and others was: No. 1, that is an incredibly and demonstrably wrong statement. And I think it's also incredibly disrespectful for a player who plays professional. No. 2, I wish our 'more talented players' had even half of Cristian Roldan's fight and attitude."
Lalas said it was another case of bias against Major League Soccer.
“I do think that if Cristian Roldan was the exact same player, but doing it in a mid-table Bundesliga team or doing it over in the Eredivisie or even Belgium for that matter, people would not say anything," he said. "They would not have a problem with them. But specifically because he is playing an MLS, there is this bias. Nothing he can do about it except go on the field and do good things."
Getty Images SportWhat it all means for for the USMNT
With less than nine months until the 2026 World Cup kicks off on home soil, Wright's emergence provides Pochettino with another legitimate option at the striker position. The competition now intensifies between Wright, Folarin Balogun, Pepi, Patrick Agyemang and Sargent.