USA vs Paraguay Prediction and Betting Preview | World Cup June 12

USA vs Paraguay Preview

Did you know…In the early 2000s, GoldSheet had a sister publication named European Soccer Weekly?! Long before every European soccer (cough football) match was broadcast in the US on ESPN, Peacock and Paramount, Bruce Marshall and Co. were breaking down the action on the pitch. We offer some thoughts on Friday’s USA vs Paraguay matchup, which kicks off the action in Group D in Los Angeles.

USA vs Paraguay Odds

Game Time	Friday June 12 at 9pm ET / 6pm PT
Location	SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California
TV	FOX
USA	+105
Paraguay	+300
Draw	+210
Total	2.5 Goals (o +128 / u -164)

Odds above courtesy of FanDuel as of June 12.

USMNT’s Current Form

For the first time in quite a while, the USMNT has more questions about its defense and goalkeeping than the attack. Folrian Balogun has the potential to become a household name for American soccer fans after scoring 19 goals in all competitions for Monaco this season. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams surround Balogun at the top of the American formation, and all are capable of putting the ball in the back of the net.

Most of the questions for Mauricio Pochettino’s team are at the back, which is somewhat rare for a USMNT squad heading into a World Cup. Pochettino has not named a starting goalkeeper, but it sounds like Matt Freese is going to get the nod over Matt Turner. Freese has very little experience on the international stage and has only been a starter in MLS for a little over two seasons.

Centerback Tim Ream was named team captain, but he will turn 39-years-old in less than two months and it’s certainly fair to question how well he’s going to be able to keep up with a South American attack. The USMNT played four high-level friendlies against Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany heading into the World Cup, and they allowed a total of 11 goals in those four matches with all four opponents scoring at least twice.

Paraguay’s Current Form

Paraguay beat both Argentina and Brazil during World Cup qualifying, so they will likely be comfortable on this stage. World Cup qualifying in South America is considered to be the hardest path because you play every team on the continent twice and there are absolutely no “gimmes” in the region. Paraguay finished tied with Colombia, Uruguay and Brazil with 28 points in qualification. That’s impressive.

Manager Gustavo Alfaro has kept a tight lid on the situation, but it appears that Paraguay will be entering the tournament without Julio Enciso, who suffered an injury in their recent friendly against Nicaragua. Encisco led Paraguay in shots during World Cup qualification and was viewed as the focal point of the Paraguayan attack.

USA vs Paraguay Prediction

Oddsmakers are offering plus-money on both teams to score, which is a prop that has cashed in seven of the USMNT’s last eight games. USA and Paraguay met in November with the Americans earning a 2-1 win. Balogun scored the game-winner in the 71st minute after both the US and Paraguay scored goals in the first ten minutes of the match.

With Enciso likely out of the lineup, Paraguay will likely be looking to capitalize on set piece opportunities. That appears to be an area of concern for the American defense after Germany’s Kai Havertz scored a very easy goal off a free kick in the final tune-up in Chicago.

At the time of posting, both teams to score in USA vs Paraguay is available at:

• Caesars +106
• BetMGM +105
• DraftKings +105
• FanDuel -102

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