After years of anticipation, the USA kicks off the World Cup on home soil against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The United States are favorites against Paraguay in the latest World Cup odds.
Team USA versus Paraguay starts at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox. Chris Richards will indeed start for the USA.
The USMNT is a slight favorite to defeat Paraguay at +105, per FanDuel. Paraguay is an underdog sitting at +290 in the soccer odds to pull off the upset. The odds for a draw are +210.
DraftKings set the over-under for goals at 2.5 with the over getting some juice at +150. Read on to check out our free pick for the USA-Paraguay game.
Here’s what you need to know about the USA-Paraguay match.
USA’s Starting Lineup for USMNT vs. Paraguay
Freese; Dest, Freeman, Richards, Ream, A Robinson, Adams, Tillman, McKennie, Pulisic, Balogun.
United States manager Mauricio Pochettino was expected to set a similar starting XI as the USA boss did against Germany in the USMNT’s final friendly. The main question was whether Richards would start and the answer is a resounding yes.
Richards has been sidelined with an ankle injury but emphasized his desire to play against Paraguay. Pochettino attempted to play coy on whether Richards will be in the lineup or subbed off the bench.
“I think we celebrate that we are ready to start the competition with 26 player available to be selected,” Pochettino explained, per ESPN. “Chris is available to be selected and then we will decide if you start from the beginning of the game or on the bench, but I think we celebrate the show that our medical staff and performance [staff] worked really hard to recover.”
Paraguay’s Starting Lineup vs. United States
Paraguay was dealt unfortunate news as forward Julio Enciso sustained a brutal injury in the team’s final friendly. Enisco is not expected to play against the United States.
Fans may recognize Atlanta United forward Miguel Almiron, who also spent seven years in the Premier League with Newcastle. Almiron is one of Paraguay’s top players.
USA vs. Paraguay Prediction: The USMNT Start Off With a Victory
There has been plenty of skepticism about the United States in the months leading up to the World Cup, but the team played much better in the squad’s final two friendlies. None of these Group Stage matches will be easy, but the United States could be favorites in all three games.
It is not a must-win game, but a victory would send the USMNT to Seattle with plenty of momentum to take on Australia in the second match. Christian Pulisic put the scoring drought behind him with a goal against Senegal and looks to be in top form.
Smart money is on Pulisic getting another goal in the opener. Paraguay was dealt an unfortunate blow with Enciso’s injury and could struggle to slow down the United States’ attack in the final third.
Expect Richards to provide the United States’ shaky defense with a boost. The United States start off the World Cup with three points against Paaguay.
World Cup Pick: United States 2 Paraguay 1
How Far Can the United States Go in the World Cup?
The answer to the United States’ potential World Cup path is a lot more optimistic than it looked in March. Yet, questions remain on whether the UMSNT is good enough to make a magical run on home soil.
What does success look like for the USMNT at the World Cup? Reaching the quarterfinals would provide a major boost for the USA as the UMSNT has been stuck at the Round of 16 in recent World Cups.
USA vs. Paraguay: Starting 11 Lineups, Prediction & Odds for USMNT World Cup Game