Seventy thousand people in the most glamorous stadium in North America, under the lights in Los Angeles — and the United States, co-hosts, play their World Cup opener. Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT have been building toward this moment for four years, and they arrive with the most cohesive and tactically prepared American side in modern history. Christian Pulisic, the captain and creative engine with 84 caps and counting, is the player around whom everything is built — and at SoFi Stadium, with the full force of a home crowd behind him, this is exactly the stage he was made for.
Standing in their way: Paraguay, back at the World Cup after a 16-year absence — their longest-ever — under coach Gustavo Alfaro. Paraguay bring a combination of experience and hunger that makes them genuinely dangerous: Miguel Almirón, Diego Gómez (Brighton), and a defensive unit captained by Palmeiras centre-back Gustavo Gómez. La Albirroja do not simply turn up to World Cups to participate.
Pulisic is the heartbeat. Folarin Balogun (Monaco) provides the movement and finishing in behind. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie provide the engine room tenacity. Pochettino has built a pressing system that rewards athleticism — and on home soil, against a side returning from a 16-year absence, this is the must-win opener the USA have been circling for four years.
Almirón gives Paraguay a creative threat that any defence respects. Diego Gómez (Brighton) is the breakout talent. Their defensive organisation under Alfaro is methodical and hard to break down — Gustavo Gómez and Omar Alderete (Sunderland) will not be bullied. Paraguay came here to compete. The 16-year wait has made them hungry, not rusty.
Pulisic scores — he always scores in matches that mean everything — and Balogun adds the second from a clinical finish that makes the SoFi crowd forget it ever doubted him. Paraguay create one excellent chance that the USA goalkeeper saves with his face. The USA win, the nation exhales, and Pochettino nods calmly from the touchline as though this was always the plan. It was. The couch knew it all along.
Christian Pulisic Will Score and Then Point to the Sky, Then Point to the Crowd, Then Point Generally Into the Middle Distance as Though He Can See the Entire Tournament From Here. It will be magnificent. Seventy thousand people in SoFi will collectively lose their minds. The Galáctico considers this the most culturally significant sporting moment in American football history that hasn't happened yet. It's happening on June 12. Mark it.
Miguel Almirón Will Be Paraguay's Best Player and Nobody in the American Broadcast Booth Will Pronounce His Name Correctly Once. He left Newcastle. He came here. He is still excellent. The Galáctico respects Almirón enormously and expects him to cause problems that the USA solve only by being much better than Paraguay in every other department.
Paraguay, Returning After 16 Years Away, Will Be Significantly More Organised Than the USA Expect and Significantly Less Organised Than They Need to Be. That gap — between well-drilled and genuinely dangerous — is exactly where Pochettino's side lives and breathes. 2–0. The couch is comfortable. The result is not in doubt. The drama, however, will be entirely unnecessary and entirely welcome.