Late to the party. Too busy with kid stuff and watching other games this weekend. I have been watching the USMNT since the late 80s. Probably the best half played by them, especially in a World Cup. Tillman was my MOTM. His coverage, pressure, vision, and pure confidence was impressive. Still, hard to say that any player didn't have a good game except for maybe Weah off the bench and I thought Berhalter played well off the bench (settled the team down and was a pest). Loved Reyna's goal at the end. Minor frustration with Tillman towards the end with decision making and a miss on an easy goal. Adams played much better, but stupid yellow card. It will be a different game against Australia. They play the type of game which could cause problems for the US (defense/counter). Congrats to USMNT!
Disagree. Australia played a clinical game with great defense and two counterattack goals. Turkey never really threatened.
Somebody needs to show this to all the club coaches who won't let their kids play high school soccer. As well as the parents that put up with that bullshit…
Paraguayan goalkeeping legend, José Luis Chilavert: "We suffered a heavy defeat, and then we see all the players taking selfies with their families as if we were in Disneyland. When I lost, I didn't even want to leave my room. That is how I view football. When the World Cup is over, then you can take photos, but you shouldn't be doing it right now as if you're on vacation." https://www.tycsports.com/mundial/c...o-tras-la-goleada-en-el-mundial-id736331.html
The USMNT’s setup, what we have done under Poch his entire tenure, was made to make a 442 midblock look bad. The 3 ATB when building outnumbers their 2 high pressers. Our box midfield surrounds their double pivot and dares their CBs to jump. Our WBs start in space, when we play out to them, their FB or WM must jump wide leaving a central gap. Basically we had natural options to play to that then caused further problems to exploit. The boys executed very well. Lots of duel wins and flicks or layoffs that found the spare man the shape allowed. Getting the first goal also was a huge boon because it prevented them from dropping off and also left us the option to play in behind. I think we could have been a little sharper in turning openings or runs into quality chances but the finishing was very sharp. We also could have found guys with diagonals to the weakside better. Game was somewhat of a perfect storm of shape matchup, game state affecting gameplans, and execution. Need a couple of these to put together a deep run.
The most watched soccer broadcast in US history: With 27.537 million viewers combined across Fox and Telemundo, the #USMNT vs. Paraguay game sets a new record as the most-watched soccer broadcast in U.S. history:https://t.co/ri53U6TxGt via @phillysport @PhillyInquirer— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) June 17, 2026 27.537 million viewers combined across Fox and Telemundo
Am I the only one who gets images in his head of thousands of little McKennies and Pulisics out there practicing their moves?
This world cup could do wonders for the national team pool. I really hope the men's team has a deep run.
A deep run could be the catalyst for the "unprecedented cultural shift" that I often speak of which is our only avenue to truly being a world power. If we can pull off a miracle run somehow, that's going to inspire so many in the next generation, just as '94, '10, and '14 did (not so much '02 since the kids were mostly asleep for that one).
I give Poch credit for going into the game with a clear plan for how to break down the Paraguayan back line. The US kept lobbing balls over the top to great effect. It looked like something they had really drilled in training. I also loved how fluid the U.S. attack was. Great movement, on and off the ball. When one player would move to open up space, another player would move in to take it. We looked like a well-oiled machine. It really was the best attacking soccer I've seen so far this World Cup.
I made a lot of mistakes as a soccer parent but I’m happy that I didn’t get sucked into keeping our son from playing both MS and HS soccer.
An interesting comparison: 📺⚽️🏀 The viewership numbers between USMNT vs Paraguay World Cup match-day 1 and Knicks vs Spurs Game 5 NBA finals:USMNT vs Paraguay - 27.537MKnicks vs Spurs (Game 5) - 24.5M pic.twitter.com/CjdEuzfYg8— USMNT Otaku 🇺🇸 (@USMNTOtaku) June 17, 2026
Great TV numbers for soccer, just as we have seen with other World Cups in the last 2 decades. If the US is able to play well and play into July, then those numbers have the potential to increase even more. Tough to compare to something like the NBA Finals or World Series.
*Thousands of little McKennies and Pulisics being horror tackled by thousands of little Concacaf defenders every time the little McKennies and Pulisics touch the ball.*
Our base 325 does not provide the same type of natural advantages over a 541. Which was why it was encouraging to see Malik release and Wes kind of slot in to play as 8s on either side of Tyler. We’ll probably also need to see more Freeman stepping into attack (he did less of this against Paraguay than normal, I’m guessing that was in response to their two high shape).
So glad I got see him live in St Louis for a US - Paraguay friendly at a tiny soccer stadium years ago. He was taking free kicks before the other players arrived and taking them after the game. What a unique character.