IRVINE: The long-awaited World Cup opener on home soil Friday promises to contain deep shades of red, white and blue for the United States men’s national team. Manager Mauricio Pochettino might be from Argentina and goal-producing forward Folarin Balogun grew up in England after he was born in New York City, but star playmaker Christian Pulisic does hail from the All-American chocolate bar-producing town of Hershey, Pennsylvania The home fans are ready to embrace all of it when the USMNT takes on Paraguay to kick off Group D play Friday night in search of a sweet result.

A moment at the end of a seemingly innocuous match in November could wind up playing a big role in the USMNT's World Cup opener

The USMNT's first World Cup opponent makes its return to the World Cup after a 16-year wait, and it's primed to handle an intense opener