The United States got off to a good start in the World Cup, and Pochettino called for continuing to move in the right direction.

Thanks to an own goal forced by McKennie, a brace from Balogun, and a goal from Giovanni Reyna, the United States secured a 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their opening match of Group D at the 2026 World Cup, achieving a winning start. Head coach Pochettino expressed his pride in his players' performance and urged the team to continue moving in the right direction.

Seven minutes into the match, Pulisic, dealing with the defense, passed the ball across to Juventus midfielder McKennie, who then passed it to Bobadilla, who inadvertently kicked the ball into his own net while attempting to clear it, giving the United States a dream start of 1-0. In the 31st minute, Pulisic passed the ball across again, and Balogun seized the opportunity to fire a low shot into the net, extending the United States' lead over Paraguay to 2-0.

In the first half stoppage time, Malik Tillman made a through pass from the center circle, and Balogun received the pass, broke into the penalty area, and then shot past the defense to make it 3-0.

In the 73rd minute of the second half, Mauricio received a diagonal pass from Julio Enciso and slotted the ball into the net, helping Paraguay pull one back to 1-3. In stoppage time of the second half, Alex Freeman passed the ball to Giovanni Reina, who unleashed a long-range shot to extend the United States' lead to 4-1.

Ultimately, the United States defeated Paraguay 4-1 at the SoFi Stadium.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino said, "I am incredibly proud. The players and coaching staff deserve huge praise for their outstanding performance. Most importantly, it was our performance and the fighting spirit we showed. We all know this is just the beginning, and it's too early to talk about achievements."

"It's just the first game, and we must stay alert and continue moving in the right direction. But we are really happy because the first game of the World Cup is always very difficult."

Pochettino noted, "As one of the hosts, there is a lot of expectation and pressure, and we handled those challenges very well. The performance in the first 45 minutes of the first half was amazing; it's hard to find another team that could play like that, so I'm very happy and proud."

"The fans here were incredible; this is exactly what we've been hoping to see. When people talk about the US national team, they think of that passion and infectious energy. People now realize that soccer has a huge impact in the United States and is becoming a very important sport."

In addition, U.S. Captain Tim Reem said, "It's an honor to be the team captain, and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this team. We've worked incredibly hard to get here, and my teammates have done a lot too."

"To be able to perform like this, get 3 points, and start the World Cup journey in this way is exactly what we expect, so I want to pay tribute to all my teammates."

Image source: Internet