SEATTLE — As the final whistle sounded at Lumen Field and the United States celebrated a crucial World Cup victory over Australia, former U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller could point to exactly the kind of performance he hoped to see.
Before the game, Keller warned that the Americans' impressive 4-1 victory over Paraguay would mean little if they failed to follow it up against a dangerous Australian side. Instead, the United States passed another important test, strengthening its position atop Group D and taking a major step toward the knockout stage.
"What we've seen from this team over the last 20 months is a level of inconsistency," Keller said before the match. "What we want to see now is building off that."
That's exactly what Mauricio Pochettino's squad did in front of a passionate crowd in Seattle.
For Keller, a Seattle soccer icon and four-time World Cup participant, the victory represented something more significant than three points. It showed a U.S. team beginning to develop the consistency that has often separated good World Cup teams from great ones.
"This is the first step," Keller said. "The recognition is that you need to string a couple results together to get yourself in a good position."
The Americans now find themselves in exactly that position after opening the tournament with consecutive victories.
Keller entered the match believing Australia would provide a much different challenge than Paraguay. He described the Socceroos as a physical, disciplined side that reminded him of some of the U.S. teams he played on during his international career.
"They're big, they're strong," Keller said. "They kind of remind me a lot of some of the old U.S. teams where we could be big, strong, defensive and then have the pace to hit on the counter."
That concern made the American performance even more encouraging. Rather than allowing Australia to dictate play, the United States once again showed the attacking confidence and aggressive pressing that have become trademarks under Pochettino.
Keller had praised those qualities following the Paraguay match.
"I love the progress, how offensively aggressive they were," he said. "I love watching a team that's not afraid to get players committed into the attack."
Just as importantly, Keller noted that the team's commitment and work rate are no longer topics of discussion.
"The instant response after a turnover to win the ball back," Keller said. "I love the fact that we're not talking about, 'Is everybody committed?' That's gone. We know this team is 100 percent committed."
The former goalkeeper's only lingering concern coming into the Australia match was the defensive side of the ball after the Americans allowed a late goal against Paraguay despite dominating much of the game. The performance in Seattle offered a stronger indication that the United States can find the balance necessary to succeed deeper into the tournament.
While optimism surrounding this American squad continues to grow, Keller remains cautious about placing unrealistic expectations on a team still seeking to prove itself among the world's elite.
"There is no golden generation," Keller said. "The golden generation comes after the fact. You have to prove that you were a golden generation."
For Keller, success at this World Cup has always started with advancing from the group stage and putting the team in position for a favorable knockout-round draw. Consecutive wins have now moved the Americans much closer to accomplishing that goal.
"We should get out of this group," Keller said before the tournament's second match. "Then let's see who we play in a knockout round."
Keller believes the United States is capable of competing with anyone on the right day, but he also believes perspective is important.
"Could we beat those teams? One hundred percent. Absolutely," Keller said. "We can beat anybody. But you still have to be a little realistic as well."
As Seattle embraced its role as a World Cup host city, Keller also reflected on the atmosphere surrounding the tournament. The former Seattle Sounders star said he has been impressed by the city's enthusiasm despite neither team having particularly deep local ties.
"The buzz was tremendous," Keller said. "Everybody got on board and it's been a ton of fun."
That excitement only intensified as the United States delivered another statement performance.
With six points from two matches and momentum building, the Americans have placed themselves in a strong position heading into the final group-stage game against Turkey. More importantly, they have done exactly what Keller hoped they would do after their opening victory: prove that it was not a one-off performance.
For a former World Cup veteran who knows how quickly tournaments can turn, that may be the most encouraging sign of all.