Thursday, October 1, 2026
79 ° Clear
79 ° Clear
The World Cup is finally here. After four long years, the USMNT will be looking to build on their Round of 16 appearance in 2022 and will do so on home soil. Their opening game against Panama will be a difficult test against an underrated team they know all too well.
Who: USMNT vs Paraguay (Group D)
When: June 12, 9PM ET
How: FOX, Telemundo
This is very much a new era for the US. Manager Mauricio Pochettino heads the charge following tenures with Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and PSG. Having managed teams who have previously competed on global stages in high-pressure environments, he's very well suited to international play.
The USMNT, as a result, will take on a far more rigid approach than years past. A focus on playing out of the back and absorbing pressure will hopefully allow some swift counter-attacking play from players who have had plenty of Premier League experience such as Philly's own Christian Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson.
Pochettino has already brought this team through the other side of adverse moments. A defeat to Mexico in the final of the 2025 Gold Cup and a third-place finish in the CONCACAF Nations League highlight that this team has the ability to make it into the big games, but friendly losses to the likes of Switzerland, and specifically Turkey, who also reside in Group D, are noted.
Paraguay isn't a side that will pose consistent scoring threats for the US. This marks their first World Cup appearance since 2010 and after a slow start to their qualifying campaign, they were able to grind out some ugly results in order to sneak through. Gustavo Alfaro joined the team as Manager and was able to rebuild the squad confidence, re-instilling a rigid defense that will look to frustrate opponents as opposed to relying on goals that are simply hard to come by without a potent striker.
Miguel Almiron will be the name familiar to most casual fans. The former Newcastle standout now plays for Atlanta in MLS and has notched 3 assists in 8 games.
Paraguay do have the ability to spring a surprise, but these two teams will likely emplore a similar style of Soccer which could result in a very intense 90 minutes as the US fans try to show how powerful their homefield advantage can be.
The USMNT were able to clinch a 2-1 win in a November friendly, and the two sides have clashed 9 times in their history. The US have won 5 of those games, drawing 2, and conceding 2.
I'm not expecting too many fireworks in the opening game - but if there's ever a team who can rattle the US, its Paraguay. they will be just as hungry as any team the USMNT will come up against this tournament. Scoring will likely be low, but I could see this being a 1-1 draw.
