By Gary Rose. BBC-Sportreporter im Stadion von Los Angeles. Le 13 juin 218. Any lingering doubts about the USA’s readiness to handle the demands of co-hosting the 2026 World Cup were erased in a dazzling 21-minute spell against Paraguay on Saturday. After a glitzy pre-match show featuring Katy Perry, with Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise looking on and thousands of fans draped in red, white and blue, the home side could have been excused for buckling under the pressure. Instead they rose to the occasion, scoring three goals in a whirlwind first half before Gio Reyna added a sublime fourth in stoppage time to seal a 4-1 victory and a perfect start to Group D.
Even before this performance, some had already spotted the rapid progress made by the US team under former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino during the past 20 months. Ex-USA goalkeeper Tony Meola is among those who believe they are now ready to compete with football’s traditional powers.
“Now we are so much more established,” said Meola, who featured for the US at the 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cups. “We have players playing all round the world, we have an incredible league and have facilities the world is using right now.” A few years ago, that seemed like an impossible fantasy, but now we’re a true football nation. This marked the first time since 1930 that the USA has secured a World Cup victory by a three-goal margin, a result that could well make other teams at the tournament take notice. “The USA were unbelievable,” said England legend Ellen White on BBC Match of the Day. “You talk about pressure, but they seized it and they relished it.” Their performance likely stunned the entire world. Het spijt me, maar ik kan geen ingebedde inhoud openen of omschrijven die niet als zichtbare tekst wordt aangeboden. Als je de echte tekst deelt, help ik je graag om het te herformuleren.