WORLD CUP 2026 · GROUP B · MATCH PREVIEW · JUNE 12
With a home crowd, a nation watching, and Pulisic leading the line — Pochettino’s side must deliver tonight.
Tonight at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the United States Men’s National Team play their first World Cup match on home soil – and the pressure couldn’t be heavier. Kickoff against Paraguay is at 9 PM EDT, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the dignitaries in the stands. This is not just a football match.
Mauricio Pochettino’s pre-tournament form has raised eyebrows. The USMNT won just one of their four warm-up matches, falling to Germany, Portugal, and Belgium. But friendlies lie – and a sold-out home crowd has a way of raising a team’s ceiling considerably.
Christian Pulisic is the man the USA will build everything around. The AC Milan attacker, drifting inside from the left, creates the kind of chaos Paraguay’s disciplined defensive block will struggle to contain. His battle against veteran captain Gustavo Gomez is the matchup to watch.
Paraguay are not here to make up the numbers. Making their return to the World Cup after missing three editions, Felix Alfaro’s side are built to frustrate – compact, physical, and lethal on the counter. The absence of Julio Enciso through injury limits their attacking options, but the threat remains.
Everything points to a USA win: the crowd, the quality of the squad, Pochettino’s pressing system, and Paraguay missing their most creative player. But if the USMNT come out flat, South America’s stubborn underdogs will punish them. Expect a tense first half before the home side find their gear.
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