The USA beat Paraguay 4-1 in its 2026 World Cup debut in what was a very impressive showing. The best player on the field was Christian Pulisic, who caused the own goal, and then assisted the second goal for the USMNT. Still, Mauricio Pochettino subbed him off after 45 minutes of action. The manager has now cleared the air on the situation.
“He (Pulisic) received a kick at the end of the first half, started to feel tired, didn’t want to take any risks,” Pochettino said during the postgame press conference. Hence, it was all about playing the long game for the manager. He didn’t want to risk losing his best player in a game where Folarin Balogun scored a brace to lead the USA to win over Paraguay.
The USMNT ended up winning comfortably as it showed an intensity Paraguay was not prepared for. Pulisic was at the forefront of that intensity. His speed was too much for Paraguay to handle and in 45 minutes, he swayed the game in USA’s direction. Now, it’s on to the next game against Australia.
This was a much-needed performance by USA
The USMNT didn’t have that much hype coming into the 2026 World Cup. In fact, it lost three of the last four games prior to the tournament starting. The team sometimes looked lost and a bit messy. That was not the case against Paraguay. The team looked like a well-oiled machine.
🇺🇸 Mauricio Pochettino tells FOX that Christian Pulisic got a kick in the calf and started to feel tight:
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) June 13, 2026
“We didn't want to take any risks.”
Pulisic adds he was "subbed off as a precaution." pic.twitter.com/JgD7gQv1Ee
This also brings plenty of peace and momentum to manager Mauricio Pochettino, who was in the eye of the storm ahead of the tournament. He has reminded everyone why he was one of the most-wanted managers in Europe back in the day.
This win puts the USMNT in prime position for the 2026 World Cup KO stages
A win like this does many wonders for the USMNT. First, it puts all the competition on notice, USA is not here to play lightly, it’s an aggressive team. Then, it not only adds three points to its tally on Group D standings, but with the +3 Goal Difference, it almost secures the USA as a team that will advance to the next stage.
Additional points in the next games will all but ensure it. The USMNT is undoubtedly the most in-form World Cup team to date. Its electric performance was a sight to behold, as it came against Paraguay in what has become one of USA’s biggest wins in FIFA World Cup history. The USMNT made it look easy.
