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LOS ANGELES STADIUM — I knew this USA team could cook, but it threw in some special sauce Friday night.
The USA gave us a little bit of everything – and then a little bit – in the first half of its victory over Paraguay. Mauricio Pochettino’s side were dominant from the opening whistle to the last. It was a masterclass.
No one left the stadium early. The fans wanted to give this American team the love it deserved and they were rewarded for holding on in the form of a brilliant Gio Reyna goal to make it 4-1.
I will note that these assessments come as the prisoner of the moment. It was an incredible night in Los Angeles as the USA dominated. Here we go.
Starting XI
Rating: 8
Freese got the start over Matt Turner, but he wasn’t called on much Friday. I am being generous though. He didn’t have a main role and I don’t think he could do too much on goal. From that positioning with Mauricio to the goal, I don’t think there was anything he could do.
Like I said, I’m feeling very generous today after that performance, so it’s an 8 for Freese.
Grade: 8.5
Grade: 8.5
I thought Antonee Robinson was more involved in attack tonight, while Alex Freeman was a bit more disciplined defensively on the right and Sergiño Dest played further up the wing.
I praised Freeman during the two friendlies against Senegal and Germany in the build-up to the tournament and he looked like he belonged tonight. A very encouraging start to the tournament from both.
Robinson scored a brace against Germany last week and continued to look like a threat down the left wing. He will be an important part of the American attack on that side of the field.
Rating: 8
Rating: 8
I thought Richards’ leadership was felt early in this game, especially in the first half. The game started with a half-chance for Paraguay inside the box, but Chris helped calm things down after that along with his 38-year-old partner.
In the second half, they both made mistakes on goal. Richards maybe played a bit too much and didn’t make contact with the ball in his first attempt and then Ream dangled a bit with a leg and didn’t make contact with a Paraguayan player with it.
I will also note that the pass from the back was good. Ream had a couple of good balls forward to find Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie in midfield, which is what he is expected to do with his left foot.
Rating: 9
Rating: 9
Rating: 9
I thought Tyler was excellent and I thought Wes was excellent too – for different reasons.
Tyler got a silly yellow card but he covered the ground and moved all over the pitch to complement Tillman and McKennie. He remained more disciplined while allowing Tillman and McKennie the freedom to move further up the field.
I thought Weston’s energy was incredible. The way he was consistently an option in the final third was encouraging, and it was evident in the first American goal. He picked up the ball in midfield and had several Paraguayan players around him, but he was able to get the ball out to Christian on the left.
Best of all though, Wes continued his run after playing the pass and got the USA touch before Damian Bobadilla put the ball into his own net.
It was also an encouraging performance from Tillman, who looked like he had a great understanding of Adams.
Grade: 8.5
A lot of pressure and responsibility on his shoulders. He returned to form just before this tournament in terms of finding the stat sheet with goals and assists.
Hopefully Pulisic’s calf injury wasn’t too significant. Great in the first half with his movement, creating chances, creating space for other players. This is how the first goal for the USA came about. He skipped past two defenders and then picked out a pass to McKennie, whose attempted effort to Balogun was beaten into the net.
It should also be noted that Christian’s chemistry with Flo was excellent. If the first 45 minutes were any indication, the rest of the tournament will have to watch out.
The only reason this rating isn’t higher is because he only played 45 minutes. Hopefully he will be ready to go next week to face Australia.
Christian Pulisic dominated on the left wing in his 45 minutes against Paraguay. (Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Rating: 10
It’s the goals, it’s the way he took his goals and it’s also his overall game that I thought was outstanding.
Obviously, the two great finishes from Flo are worth celebrating, but there was more to his performance. The way he occupied both of Paraguay’s central defenses was fantastic. He was strong throughout the game, holding up the ball and really driving the American attack.
Flo’s movement was also great. He ran really well into the channels and could play well with a defender on his back. He also led the Americans’ counter-pressure against the Paraguayan defense and was spot-on with his movement as a defender. He was a big reason why the Americans’ game plan worked so well.
My man Peter Crouch suggested that Balogun might be looking at a Golden Boot with such a start to his tournament. I’m excited to see where his tournament can go from here.
Rating: 9
I love Sergiño higher up the pitch. At first I wasn’t so sure. I liked him starting as an offensive back, but he thrived in having more freedom to simply start further up the field.
Sergiño, who has the ability to start further up the pitch, really makes him a wild card. He is unpredictable. It’s hard to plan how to defend him because you don’t know where he’s going to play. Tonight it caused so many problems for Paraguay.
Rating: 10
Bonus: A 10 for head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Poch got everything right tonight.
First he picked the right XI. This lineup looked good against Germany without Richards and his inclusion was a great addition. Secondly, the approach to how they wanted to create space and preserve width was spot on.
The game plan was perfect, as was the USA tonight.
