Post-match: Red, White, and Blue and White and Red - US v Paraguay - 2026 World Cup Group Stage - 6/12/26 9:00P

He always does stuff like that for big tourneys/games.

 

Do the players come out of the second half hydration break holding four fingers in the air?? #fourthquarter

 

Is this yet another commercial/hydration break Fox effed up? They're supposed to return :30 before the resumption of play.

 

What do they get for hitting the camera?

 

+3 GD nice to have.

 

The Reyna trivela was a beauty. Truly a fantastic shot and goal.

 

Doop!

(he is a Gladbach payer--for now)

 

Is Landon Donovan wearing a toupe?

 

And just to put a finer point on it:

Canadian politicians went nuts condemning the US for denying entry to Somali referee Omar Artan and invited him to come to Canada, although what that would have done to get him into Pierluigi Collinas referee boot camp in Miami was not explained.

Then, just yesterday, Canada denied entry to a midfielder from Ghana over some old, unadjudicated charges.

But Im sure they were polite about it

 

I'm technically still barred entry to Canada. I think I can apply for reinstatement, but why would I go there when the syrup can be shipped here?

 

Gotta be up there.

This was the:

4th time we have ever won our WC opener: 1930 3-0 v Belgium, 2002 3-2 v Portugal, 2014 2-1 v Ghana.

4th time ever we won a men's World Cup game by multiple goals: 1930 Group 3-0 v Belgium, 1930 Group 3-0 v Paraguay, 2002 Rd16 2-0 v Mexico.

2nd time ever we have a player score more than once in a game. Both vs Paraguay. Flo's two last night and Bert Patenaude's first ever World Cup hat trick in 1930.

Largest ever halftime lead at 3-0.

Best WC goals ever with Flo's 2bd and the 20+ pass sequence for Gio's finish? Cannot testify to the 1930s goals. Nor Joe Gaetjens' winner vs England in 1950. But the only others ones that compare for me are some of the Portugal/Mexico goals from 2002, Donovan's winner vs Algeria in 2010 to get us through AND win the group, and the Jernaine Jones rocket vs Portugal in 2014.

Best WC half ever? Best WC win ever? Most impressive performance ever at a WC? IDK. Those 1930 wins look awful good on paper. The miracle 1-0 win over England in 1950. The Colombia win in 1994. The Portugal/Mexico wins in 2002? The Germany 0-1 loss in 2002? England draw in 2010? The first half vs Portugal in 2014.

How you feel about strength of opponent, which round you are in, underdog/favorites, and pressure ofcthe moment/game may influence how you feel.

But that game is indisputably amongst the best games/wins ever at a WC. Forcthe men, obviously. Biggest lead at half ever. Tied for the biggest win ever in terms of winning by three. At home. Great goals. Utter domination.

If France or Spain or England or Argentina won a match in close to that fashion, everyone would be gushing about how it proves they are contenders to go all the way. But since it was us, and Paraguay, we dare not speak it's name.

Can we do it again vs Australia and/or vs a team in our weight class in Türkiye? Can we win the group for the 3rd time (1930 & 2010)? Can we win a KO game for just the 2nd time (2002)?

We'll see. But the first match could not have gone much better. Adams' soft yellow and the bad moment on the goal were it.

 

No.

The Confed Cup run in 2009 where we thrashed Egypt 3-0, beat Spain (#1 in the World, Euro Champs, and soon to be WC Champs) 2-0 and had a 2-0 lead on Brazil at half comes to mind.

Some of the 2-0 and Mexico dominatons come to mind. The 2002 WC QF. Dos a ceros. Nation's League. The Gold Cup final with the Feilhaber wonder goal in 2007, I think.

The two 3-0 wins in 1930. The 1-0 win vs England in 1950. First halves vs Portugal in 2002 & 2014. Hell, the Germany loss in the 2002 QF. The 1-1 draw vs England in 2010 was fantastic.

But this is up there. Super high for style points but lower on strength of opponent and match importance to some of the others.

 

No capes!

 

Yes. And I think at some point again during KOs. I think after the QF.

 

And the "Cuban" cigars they sell everywhere are all counterfeit, as is their "Cuban" rum. Both as phony as TFC's cup chances.

 

Paraguay is not great. I’m holding my excitement until I see how we do against Turkeyieieieie. It was a good result and a nice way to open the tournament. Let’s take the momentum to Seattle and keep on rolling.