Man, sit down and hold on tight, because what I found out today from the boys on the terrace left me with my mouth wide open! Saturday, June 13, at 4:00 AM - yeah, bro, at 4 sharp, so all us slick guys can catch it - comes the first match of the United States at the 2026 World Cup. At SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, a 70,000-seat arena, Pochettino's national team faces Paraguay in Group D. The referee is Dutchman Danny Makkelie, and I don't know what to say, but he seems just as slick as all these guys.
Now, let's get to the part that interests me: the show! About 90 minutes before the match, there's a big-time ceremony. On stage go up Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, and, I swear if Blackpink doesn't show up too, from that K-pop zone, plus Anitta and Rema. Man, I heard about Blackpink from Ioana, who dances on TikTok all day, but now I kinda like them too. It's the first big spectacle on American soil at this World Cup. And tickets, bro, start at 900 dollars - cheap, you say? At the opening match, Mexico vs. South Africa, the cheapest ticket was 3,000 dollars! So, if you've greased some palms, you can go.
Now, let's see who we're playing against. USA is the favorite, according to the bookies. At SUPERBET, the odds for an American victory are 1.97, draw 3.40, Paraguay win 4.15. The "over 1.5 goals" option has odds of 1.42, and "both teams to score" - 2.05. Me, if I were placing a bet, I'd go with USA, because Pochettino has a team that, although they didn't play qualifiers, looked good in friendlies. They only won one out of four tough matches (against Senegal), lost to Belgium, Portugal, and Germany, but in 2025 they beat Paraguay and Turkey 2-1, and crushed Uruguay 5-1 in November. And their leader is Christian Pulisic, the man who was involved in all three American goals at the World Cup in Qatar. Now that's a player, not like those from our country who bang their heads on the ground!
On the other side, Paraguay returned to the World Cup after 16 years. Sixteen, bro! How long I waited to see a real South American team again. They finished 6th in the South American qualifiers, one point behind 2nd place (Ecuador), tied on points with Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia. Their strong point? Defense - as good as Argentina's. Their weak point? Attack - the most modest of all qualified teams, only 14 goals in 18 matches. Coach Gustavo Alfaro built a well-organized defensive team, but offensively they're a mess. And, oh, Paraguay has won only one of their last eight opening matches at the World Cup. So, their chances? Slim, but not impossible.
The main danger for USA comes from Miguel Almiron, who scored the last goal against the Americans. Yeah, but USA hasn't lost any opening match at the World Cup since 2010 - one win, two draws - and has three consecutive wins against Paraguay. Their last loss? Almost 20 years ago. So, I say the Americans are on a roll.
Now, where to watch the match? You can follow it in LIVE TEXT format on digisport.ro and on the FANATIK website, which also offers detailed OPTA statistics, play-by-play, in real time. Me, I'm going to wake up at 4 AM, make some tea, and watch. Maybe I'll place a bet too, but don't let Mioara find out, or she'll kill me. So, bro, go big and don't forget: Romanians are everywhere, even at the World Cup in America!
