The West Australian’s soccer expert Ben Smith explains how Australia can virtually guarantee top spot in their group should they beat the United States.

Smith is in Oakland with the Socceroos ahead of the crucial clash in Seattle on Saturday morning at 3am WA time.

He joined Craig O’Donoghue on The West Sport podcast to break down how the new format raises the stakes against the US and why victory will be a “significant advantage” for Australia.

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Asked how important a win against the US will be, Smith says the result will have massive ramifications for Australia.

“The good thing with this 48-team World Cup is that means expanded knock-out spots,” Smith said.

“Rather than previously, with 32 teams, the top two in each group go through, then you have a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final.

“This time (with 48 teams) you’ve got the top two teams in every group go through, plus eight of the 12 best third-placed teams.

“So Australia’s win over Turkiye basically ensured them, not in pen but in pencil, a spot in the round of 32.

“Now, obviously if there are two disasters over the next couple of games and they get thrashed in both of them, the Turkiye game won’t matter and they’ll probably be on their way home.

“But, the reality is, if they beat the US in Seattle, they have a very good chance of finishing top of their group because FIFA has changed the tiebreaker.

“It used to be goal difference to decide (the tiebreaker) after points. If two teams were level on points, it would go to goal difference.

“For this tournament, it’s going to be head-to-head.

“If Australia beat the US and go to six points and the US will be on three points, and then Turkiye beat Paraguay as well, Australia has already beaten Turkiye and the US by that point, which means they would be assured of top spot in the group.

“That means that their first knockout game in the round of 32, would be not only against a third-placed group finisher, it would also take place in Santa Clara, California.

“Santa Clara is where their third group stage game against Paraguay is going to be and only an hour south of their current base in Oakland.

“In the biggest World Cup ever, not just in terms of size of teams but also the travel factor, a win in this game and top spot in the group would give them a significant advantage over whoever has to travel to face them.”