When the United States men’s national soccer team arrived in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, it marked a fresh start after their absence from the 2018 tournament in Russia. The team faced significant pressure to perform, but their journey ended in the Round of 16 with a defeat by the Netherlands.
Fast forward four years, and much of the team’s core remains intact. Having secured trophies and gained valuable experience at top-tier levels, the pressure of hosting a World Cup on home turf seems less daunting for them.
“A lot of us play for big clubs and have been part of major competitions. The pressure we feel is internal,” remarked Chris Richards following a training session on Thursday. “We don’t focus too much on external opinions. We hold ourselves to a standard, which is to win games.”
Richards is confident that if the USMNT maintains the level of play they demonstrated against Germany and Senegal, they can secure a positive outcome against Paraguay. His return to full fitness is timely, following an ankle injury that sidelined him for over a month. As a vital defensive leader, his presence is poised to significantly enhance the team’s prospects.
Tim Weah shares Richards’ sentiments. “Many of us are entering our second World Cup, so we’re better at managing our emotions,” Weah explained. “The key is to stay balanced, not too high or too low. Our focus is on starting strong and delivering an impressive performance for our fans.”
I think we’re kind of at the stage where a lot of us are in our second World Cup, so we know how to kind of manage and balance, you know, our emotions and everything,” Weah said. “I think the most important thing is not to get too high and not get too low. I think keeping that balance is key. And we’re just focused on the main goal, and that’s to start well. And um, you know, put on a show for our supporters.”
That looseness, of course, can change, not getting a good result in the opening match, but that’s why it’s important to come out of the gate quickly. The crowds and vibes are on the USMNT’s side, and if they’re able to ride this out of the gate, who knows what they’ll be able to accomplish in this tournament.
How to watch USMNT vs. Paraguay
Friday, June 12 | 9 p.m. ET
SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, Calif.
FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Fubo (Try for free)
USMNT -110; Draw +240; Paraguay +320
USMNT vs. Paraguay predicted starting lineups
: Matt Freese, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun.
: Roberto Fernández, Juan Cáceres, Junior Alonso, Omar Alderete, Gustavo Gomez, Kaku, Alejandro Romero, Diego Gomez, Andrés Cubas, Miguel Almiron, Antonio Sanabria
USMNT vs. Paraguay pick, prediction
Playing in front of an electric crowd in Inglewood, the USMNT will have a wave of energy to ride into this tough matchup. Without Julio Enciso, Paraguay won’t have the attacking power to keep up with the press and pressure that the USMNT will come in with, as Mauricio Pochettino will lead his squad to victory. Pick: USMNT 2, Paraguay 1
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Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament.
Each day begins with , setting the stage with the latest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, and deliver real-time reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. The day wraps with , a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of live programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel.
