INGLEWOOD, Calif. — International soccer is often framed as a game built on discipline and defensive structure, the kind of foundation that powers deep World Cup runs. U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino even echoed that idea a few months ago by citing Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti. But for one electric first half Friday night, the United States took a very different path.
The Americans played with urgency, flair and confidence, producing one of their most entertaining stretches in recent memory on the way to a 4-1 victory over Paraguay — an encouraging opening result as the World Cup begins on home soil.
“In the first 45 minutes, [we] were amazing,” Pochettino told DAZN after the match. “I think [it’s] difficult to find a team to play like this, no? But so happy, so proud.”
It was, without much debate, the sharpest half the USMNT has produced since Pochettino took over in the fall of 2024. His tenure has included setbacks and uneven performances, but against Paraguay, the ideas he has tried to instill finally came to life. Early on, the U.S. repeatedly used balls over the top to trigger layered attacks and unsettle Paraguay’s defensive shape. The movement was crisp, the combination play inventive, and the finishing clinical. By the 31st minute, the Americans were up 2-0. Before halftime, the lead had grown to 3-0.
Call It What You Want is your front-row seat as the USMNT takes center stage at the 2026 World Cup as a host nation. The crew delivers live reactions, analysis and debate throughout the tournament. Catch new episodes live on the Golazo America YouTube channel.
In a half filled with strong individual displays, Folarin Balogun was the standout. The striker arrived at the World Cup in excellent form and carried that momentum into what could be the first of several defining matches this summer. Damian Bobadilla was credited with an own goal for the opener, but Balogun scored the other two and looked capable of adding even more.
He alone justified the USMNT’s all-out attacking approach, but in earnest, he was far from the only one. Pochettino has indicated a tacit understanding that his most gifted players are his attack-minded ones and has built the team around them, much as he has in his other coaching stints in a career that has spanned nearly two decades. It is an inherently difficult thing to do at the international level, where coaches only work with players for roughly 10 days at a time, weeks or months apart, which is why many of his counterparts will lean on defensive basics this summer. Watching the U.S. in the first half, though, it all made sense — Malik Tillman, an attack-minded player in a deeper midfield position, was a perfect conduit between the players behind him and those in front of him. Outside backs Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson were crucial in the build-up to the goals. Christian Pulisic, the longtime face of the quote-unquote golden generation, was off to the races. Weston McKennie was the best version of his wide-ranging self, bouncing around in a free midfield role.
That 3-0 lead was enough to survive a low-intensity second half, one that allowed Paraguay back into the game with a goal courtesy of Mauricio in the 73rd minute. It was perhaps the spark the U.S. team needed for an energetic finish, when a few meaningful goalscoring chances came and went. There were hints of concern after the break – it is not unusual for a team with a sizable halftime advantage to take things down a notch but it is somewhat unsurprising for this group in particular. Pochettino has demanded intensity for 90 minutes but has rarely found it from start to finish, which is perhaps why they have not kept a clean sheet in their last nine games.
On a day full of justified decisions, though, one more came just before the final whistle. Gio Reyna came off the bench and scored to put any stressed USMNT fans at ease, validating Pochettino for his trust in a player who has arguably been measured to a different standard than his counterparts, no great club season to fall back on. He still boasts a talent few others do in this player pool, to the point that it came as little surprise that he cracked a squad constructed by a soccer romantic. It was a reminder that, in times of need, Pochettino’s attack-minded presence is rooted in the team’s strengths.
Things may have also taken a turn for the worse when Pulisic exited at halftime. He came off after what was arguably the best half he has ever played in a U.S. shirt – a great day to have it, no matter who you ask – but it was a decision Pochettino could afford, whether or not he was forced into it.
“He received a kick in his calf,” Pochettino said. “At the end of the first half, he [started] to feel tight … I hope that it is not a big issue and that he can be ready for the next one.”
Stiffer tests lie ahead, not least of which is their Group D finale against Turkiye in two weeks’ time. For 45 impressive minutes, though, the flickers of a statement-making summer were hard to deny. It is no coincidence that it happened just as Pochettino worked with a fully fit squad and had all of his options available to him, a rarity during his time on the job.
The USMNT may need perfect circumstances to make sure it all goes right all the time. That has always been the case for a team desperate to punch above their weight but as far as first impressions go, a curious nation – and a healthy number of international onlookers – can kick off their World Cup with some cautious optimism, at the very least.
“That feeling today, [the fans] were amazing,” Pochettino said. “And now they realize that soccer here in America is massive, is big. And be careful, other sports.”
