The United States Men's National Team opened their home World Cup account in Los Angeles at Sofi Stadium with a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay.
Ben Wright
In the first match at the first major tournament under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the US came out flying. They were aggressive, they were motivated, and they were hungry for possession and goals. Before the match began, there may have been suspicions that this would be a cagey affair. The US were having none of that.
The Americans wanted it more than Paraguay. They were also just better.
They had 65% possession. They won more duals. They controlled the tempo from the opening whistle. They were clinical in attack. Nearly 70% of the shots they put on target ended up finding the back of the net. They were dominant, they were creative, and they had flair.
The question marks about this group before this tournament? Those feel a long way removed.
On Friday, the US men's national team were simply brilliant. Tim Ream looked like a true veteran. At 38 years old, he was defensively sound, pinging balls in behind like a deep-lying playmaker. Weston Mckennie was always threatening going forward, constantly was in the box and making deep runs to stretch the field.
This looked like a team capable of going far in the tournament. They’ve looked the most dominant and controlled of the three host nations, and there's an argument to be made that they played the most difficult opponent of the three.
This is the best start for the USMNT in a World Cup. Ever. It's the first win to start a World Cup campaign since 2014, when the US finished second in behind Germany in the “Group of Death”, advancing ahead of Portugal and Ghana.
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Pochettino got absolutely everything correct last night, tactically. He’s restored a mentality of belief in this group that's been missing since before the 2022 World Cup cycle. Recently, he brought up the movie Miracle on Ice in an interview, detailing how it shaped his philosophy that it’s not just about having the best players, but having the right players.
If there’s any man who can lead this team deep into the tournament, it’s him.
Up next, the US will host Australia in Seattle. Australia are always a difficult opponent in these tournaments, but after Friday, the Americans will take their odds against anyone.
Get three points on Friday, and the Yanks can start making plans for the knockout rounds!
