Trump Tells Pochettino He Thinks the U.S. Can Go All the Way

The United States will open its World Cup campaign overnight, at 4:00 a.m. between Friday and Saturday, against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, with more than 70,000 fans expected to back one of the three host teams. Just before kickoff, Paraguay received a major boost from an unexpected source, U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump held a phone call with all 26 players in the U.S. squad and head coach Mauricio Pochettino. He told Pochettino, "Coach, I called to say you are a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach. I know your history and your success, and I know how great the players are. I think you have a very good chance of going all the way. I wanted to wish you lots of success."

Paraguay knows most of the spotlight will be on the host team, but it is still aiming for a strong result and even a win. Miguel Almiron is expected to start on the wing, while the big question was whether star attacker Julio Enciso would be fit enough to play.

Enciso, the attacking midfielder from Strasbourg, had been injured shortly before the World Cup and was a major doubt for the opener. He completed a full training session and is now expected to take part, giving Paraguay a significant lift in a difficult opening match.