INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States got its 2026 World Cup off to a thundering, near-flawless start with a 4-1 win over Paraguay in its opener Friday at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles.After eight long years of anticipation, under the weight of immense expectations, star forward Christian Pulisic met the moment; he created two early goals that lit up a giddy crowd of 70,492.Folarin Balogun, the striker recruited away from England, scored the second and then rifled a third into the top corner on the brink of halftime.The goals, and the occasion, ignited tens of thousands of fans, many clad in red and white stripes. Chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A” crescendoed around the opulent stadium. The first half was arguably the best half of soccer that the U.S. has ever played at a men’s World Cup.If there was any cause for concern, it came as Pulisic was substituted at halftime, which is a potential worry. And over the second 45 minutes, as the pace slowed, Paraguay grabbed a goal in the 73rd minute. But the night ended on an exclamation point for the U.S., with substitute Gio Reyna bending in the Americans’ fourth off the outside of his boot at the death. The four goals are the most a U.S. men’s team has ever scored at a World Cup — and more than the U.S. scored during the entirety of its 2022 World Cup in Qatar.All in all, it was dream start to a home World Cup around which so much hope has been built. For a generation of players charged with charting a different course for American soccer, it was a long-awaited coming-out party that will send hype into overdrive.Here’s a closer look at a largely ideal World Cup opener for the U.S.:Christian Pulisic had plenty to celebrate during the first half of the USMNT’s World Cup win over Paraguay (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)Pulisic sensational, but why’d he come off at half?Pulisic and McKennie have known each other since they were young teenagers, meeting on a bus at an under-14 national team ID camp. They’ve spent nearly half their lives playing soccer together for U.S. national teams — first at youth levels, then for the senior team beginning in 2018. They, more than anybody, represent the promise of this “golden generation” of American players. And despite their sharply contrasting personalities — Pulisic an introvert, McKennie gregarious — they are close friends.So it was poetic that they, on this stage built for them, created the opening goal in less than eight minutes.McKennie got on the ball in midfield and sprayed the ball out to Pulisic, who snaked through two Paraguayan defenders, then squared the ball back to his teammate and friend. McKennie looked to play a ball across the box, but Paraguay defender Damián Bobadilla stuck out his foot and deflected it past his own goalkeeper to give the U.S. an early lead.