Nutshell: The Americans are Coming! The USMNT Looks GOOD.
- Steve Titcomb
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
The opening game for the USMNT this World Cup was nearly perfect.
The Americans are coming! The Americans are coming! That's what some sports pundits are claiming after a dominating 4-1 victory for the USMNT over Paraguay in their 2026 World Cup opener. Not once did Paraguay look a threat as the U.S. dominated ball control.
Star Performances
The early break of an OG by Paraguay opened the flood gates in what became a rout. Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic were masterful with the ball, cutting through the midfield and opening up the attack play. Folarin Balogun up front was a man on a mission. There was a chance of scoring every time the ball hit his foot near the box. 21-year-old Alex Freeman and 38-year-old Tim Ream were everywhere on defense. Even with a few missteps Ream had, he was able to recover himself with efficiency.
Room for Improvement
An extremely promising start, pretty much a best case scenario for their World Cup dreams, doesn’t mean there wasn’t room for improvement for the USMNT. Passing is great, it opens up the game and represents the unselfishness a team needs to succeed. However, the USMNT continues to be plagued with the lack of willingness to take their shot when around the 18-yard box. One too many times they look for that extra pass that puts them out of position. Shooting creates chances, which create rebounds, corners, and other set piece possibilities.
The other concern coming from this game is the early substitution for Pulisic, who sliced up the left side of field in the first half. Injuries are always a concern and, thankfully, it seems that sub was just a precautionary measure.
Positive Signs
The USMNT has all the tools and played their best game together in years. All signs look positive for a trip out of group play. If this team can avoid injury, keep the attacking intensity of Balogun up front and dominate the ball in the midfield like they did, there is a very good chance for them to make an impact on this World Cup. The crowd is behind them and that atmosphere is contagious.
They’re also in an easy bracket.