The biggest anticlimax for co-hosts USA’s first game against Paraguay is the absence of its president Donald Trump. A central character in the country’s successful World Cup bid, the overbearing cynosure in the draw ceremony and the most ubiquitous headline stealer in the prelude to the tournament, he would be in Washington DC to attend walk-throughs of the weekend’s UFC event. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the game. But home support is expected to be tremendous—nearly 65,000 home supporters are projected to heave in the SoFI Stands in California. Usually, outnumbered by the adversary’s crowd even on home soil, American fans have flocked to watch their practice games as well as warm-up in the Irvine, about 50 miles north of the Inglewood Stadium before the Paraguay game. Nearly 33,000 applied for access to watch them train, and 5,500 procured it. “[The] environment was crazy. It’s more than we expect,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “We are so grateful.” Similar turnouts surprised them in the build-ups too. As many as 57,000 filed in for the friendly against Senegal, which they nailed 3-2. “Everybody was saying how incredible it was, how great it was to have a pro-U.S. crowd, and feel that connection with the fans in the stadium. They could carry us a long way into the tournament,” captain Tim Ream said after the game. Ream, the strapping centre-back who turns up for Charlotte FC, would know the enormity of reaching the tournament’s deep end. The progress of USMNT has not matched neither the soaring popularity of football in the country nor the financial muscle it wields. American owners own or co-own eleven clubs in the Premier League, but only four players from the US are plying in what is considered the toughest league in the world. The World Cup heritage is middling—in 12 World Cups, the furthest they have travelled is to the quarter-final stage in the wild and erratic tournament that was 2002. But the surge of co-hosts South Korea in that tournament, who scalped a raft of giants to reach the semifinals, would offer plumes of hope. Since then, they haven’t progressed beyond the round of 16 in the four editions they qualified. There is no shortage of ambition, though. The moment they knew they would co-host, they started scanning for high-profile coaches and probed into the possibility of luring credible footballers with American ancestry. Argentina’s Mauricio Pochettino is among the most celebrated coaches in the world, reputed for his high-tempo attractive system. But a few months into his tenure, he realised he doesn’t have the personnel to embrace such a game. “Belgium and Portugal have a few players in the top 100, I don’t think we have any,” he said after a 2-0 defeat to Portugal in a friendly, two days before picking the World Cup squad. The comments incensed the administrators but he was describing the reality, reflected by their group-stage exit in the COPA. Another act of his angered those snubbed from the squad—he informed them of the omission through a Whatsapp message rather than a phone call or a private chat. Also Read | The football world is coming to America, but not everyone is welcome this time He countered: “What am I going to tell a player?” Pochettino said. “Am I supposed to lie? I am going to say that another player is on the roster because today, in this period, he is a better option. He binned his penchant to high press and opted for a functional mid-block that offered more steel in defence and midfield. They frustrated Germany in their last game (2-1), matched them at the centre of the pitch and created ample chances without cutting-edge upfront. “To see how we react, how we show character, how we show [togetherness], how we start to play under pressure,” he said.Story continues below this ad The creative fulcrum is forward Christian Pulisic, but he has not scored a goal since last December, for both club and country. Yet, his link-up play and passing range are impeccable. The 24-year-old striker Folarin Balogun is their focal point. He is quick and direct, even though his finishing is a study in progress. His acquisition was considered a coup, as he was eligible to play for both England and Nigeria as well. Their rivals Paraguay would put to test the hosts’ attacking prowess, as they are among the meanest defences in South America, leaking only 12 goals in their 18-match qualifying cycle. Coach Gustavo Alfaro was clear about their approach from the first day: “Paraguayan DNA, intensity and clean sheets. That’s what will take us to the World Cup.” The tournament has a history of host nations mocking the pre-tournament odds. But the USMNT have to hit the straps straightaway in a group that also features Australia and Turkey. And without the most powerful man in the country watching from the stands.
USA opener: No Trump; stingy Paraguay defense & home fans outnumbering rivals’
