If anyone needed reminding that the host nations mean business, Group D provided it. The United States thumped Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium — their joint-best result in World Cup history — with Folarin Balogun scoring twice and Christian Pulisic running the show.
It was the ideal start for Mauricio Pochettino's side and a warning to the rest of the group. Paraguay, traditionally hard to beat, were undone by a near-perfect American first half.
The USMNT's form ties straight into the region's biggest rivalry — read about it in Mexico v USA: CONCACAF's fiercest rivalry — and follow the group on our match tracker.