United States vs. Paraguay: Live Stream, Start Time and Lineups

The United States are hosting the World Cup for the second time, bringing back memories of their previous run as hosts in 1994. On that occasion, the Americans were eliminated by Brazil in the round of 16. In the most recent edition in Qatar, they again exited at the same stage, this time falling to the Netherlands. The best World Cup performance in U.S. history remains their debut tournament in 1930, when they reached the semifinals.

That 1930 tournament is also notable because it was the only previous World Cup meeting between the United States and today’s opponent. The Americans won that match 3-0, a result that stands as their lone head-to-head encounter in the competition’s history.

Recent form has been mixed for the U.S. team. In their latest friendly matches, they suffered defeats to Portugal, Belgium, and Germany, while managing a win over Senegal. The match against Portugal ended 3-2, followed by a 5-2 loss to Belgium and a 2-1 defeat to Germany. Their lone victory in that sequence came against Senegal, by a score of 3-2.

The historical record shows a team with strong memories of past World Cup moments but limited deep runs in the tournament. Hosting the competition again gives the United States another opportunity to build on its 1930 high point and improve on the round-of-16 exits that marked both 1994 and the most recent edition in Qatar. The country’s only previous World Cup win over its current opponent, also from 1930, adds an interesting historical backdrop to the matchup.

As the tournament returns to American soil, expectations will be shaped by both history and recent results. The U.S. will look to turn home advantage into a stronger campaign than in past World Cups, while trying to overcome a run of uneven performances in recent friendlies.