INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Weston McKennie grew up in Little Elm, Texas, deep in the heart of American football country, and for years, he heard the haters. Among the folks who spend their Friday nights watching highschoolers in helmets, among the millions who lionize the NFL, he knows how soccer is sometimes perceived. It was, for decades, seen as a low-scoring sport too dull to succeed.But on this Friday night, at the NFL’s most magnificent stadium, the 2026 World Cup offered the U.S. men’s national team a chance to change that.And they seized it.They took it and ran Paraguay ragged.“For the people (who) maybe say, ‘Oh, soccer’s boring’ — well, you had five goals today,” McKennie said after the USMNT’s 4-1 rout in their World Cup opener.You had McKennie weaving through midfield. You had Christian Pulisic darting between or nutmegging defenders.You had Folarin Balogun battling with Paraguayan center backs, streaking toward goal and stinging a shot into the top corner.You had Malik Tillman trying all sorts of tricky flicks, and Tyler Adams flying into tackles. You had Alex Freeman marauding down the right, and Sergiño Dest dancing on the ball with his typical swagger.You had constant pressure, clockwork movement and one-touch combinations. You had players pumping up a sold-out crowd.You had lulls, of course, because soccer always has lulls, but they only made the flashy, dynamic moments all the more exciting.