USA to Begin FIFA World Cup 2026 Journey Against Paraguay
Kathmandu. USA, co-host of the FIFA World Cup 2026, will play against familiar rival Paraguay in the start of its World Cup journey. This match will start at 6:45 AM on Saturday according to Nepali time at Sofi Stadium in California, USA.
USA is playing the World Cup on its home soil for the first time in more than three decades. With the support of thousands of local spectators, the US team is under pressure to perform excellently. In the 1994 home World Cup, USA was eliminated from the round of 16, and this time it aims to go further than that.
Discussion on Trump's Presence
There is discussion about the presence of US President Donald Trump at Sofi Stadium before the match starts. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has already announced that he will come to Los Angeles to watch the match, while the presence of President Trump in the first match of the World Cup to be held on American soil is not yet confirmed.
USA: Strong Attack, Weak Defense
The main weapon of the US team is its strong attacking line. Forward Christian Pulisic, known by the nickname 'Captain America', is the main player of the team, who has scored 33 goals in 88 matches. His goal-scoring ability will be important for the team. Apart from Pulisic, players like Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun have made the US attack sharper.
However, the US defense appears weak. With only one clean sheet in the last 13 matches, the USA has conceded 11 goals in the last four matches, which will put extra pressure on the inexperienced goalkeeper Matt Freese.
Paraguay: Organized Defense, Problems in Attack
Unlike the USA, Paraguay's strength is its defense. Despite being the lowest ranked (41st) in the group, Paraguay will try to stop the US attack through its organized defense. However, the team is struggling to score goals. Paraguay, which scored only 14 goals in 18 matches in the World Cup qualifiers, will miss its main forward Julio Enciso due to injury. This will further weaken the team's attack.
Paraguay, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, has reached this point after a difficult journey through the South American qualifiers.
Head-to-Head
This will be the tenth competition between these two teams on Saturday. In previous encounters, the USA has won 5 times, while Paraguay has won 2 times and 2 matches have ended in a draw. USA has been continuously victorious against Paraguay in the last three matches. Looking at the results of the last five matches, Paraguay's performance appears better than that of the USA.
USA, Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey are in Group 'D'.
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