Dugout Discussion
13 June 2026 64 comments
TopMarx TopMarx
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The USA, guided by Mauricio Pochettino, are the last of the World Cup co-hosts to make their bow, following Mexico and Canada, who started with a win and a draw respectively.

The Stars and Stripes take on Paraguay in a battle of North America v South America.

It all gets underway at 02:00 BST.

TEAM NEWS

Premier League faces past and present feature for both sides.

Christian Pulisic ($7.0m), Chris Richards ($4.1m), Tim Ream ($3.9m), Tyler Adams ($5.3m), and Antonee Robinson ($5.0m) are among the players lining up for Pochettino’s side, with Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson ($5.7m) among the subs.

For the Paraguayans, Miguel Almiron ($6.0m) and Julio Enciso ($6.6m) are names that may ring a bell or two for fans of FPL, they are joined by Sunderland’s Omar Alderete ($4.1m) and Brighton’s Diego Gomez ($6.8m) in the starting XI. Former West Ham defender Fabian Balbuena ($4.0m) is on the bench.

LINE-UPS

USA XI: Matt Freese, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun

Subs: Turner, Brady, Trusty, Reyna, Pepi, Aaronson, Robinson, Berhalter, Roldan, Arfsten, Wright, Weah, McKenzie, Scally, Zendejas

Paraguay XI: Orlando Gill, Juan José Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, Júnior Alonso, Diego Gómez, Andrés Cubas, Damián Bobadilla, Miguel Almirón, Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enciso

Subs: Fernandez, Olveira, Velazquez, Balbuena, Sosa, Mauricio, Canale, Romero, Arce, Ojeda, Avalos, Galarza, Caballero, Pitta, Maidana



TopMarx Fan of Fantasy Football and Monty Python. "Archimedes out to Socrates, Socrates back to Archimedes, Archimedes out to Heraclitus, he beats Hegel. Heraclitus a little flick, here he comes on the far post, Socrates is there, Socrates heads it in! Socrates has scored! The Greeks are going mad, the Greeks are going mad! Socrates scores, got a beautiful cross from Archimedes. The Germans are disputing it. Hegel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunct of non-naturalistic ethics, Kant via the categorical imperative is holding that ontologically it exists only in the imagination, and Marx is claiming it was offside. Follow them on Twitter

64 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    USA carves em up for an OG

    1. Captain Mal
      • 2 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Great move by Pulisic

    2. lilmessipran
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Captain America

  2. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Paraguay's defence is not the best.

    1. lilmessipran
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Alderete will get Defcon though

      1. NZREDS
        • 13 Years
        1 month, 29 days ago

        Hahah, there is that

  3. OverTinker
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Cristiano Ronaldo to cry at the 2026 World Cup is priced at 1.35 odds. The reason for the tears doesn't matter — whether it's tears of joy after winning the tournament or tears of heartbreak following elimination.

    Cristiano has previously been seen crying at Euro 2024, the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2020, the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2016, the 2014 World Cup, and Euro 2004.

    1. lilmessipran
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Seems like a banker bet either way

  4. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    2-0 Balogun.

    USA tearing Paraguay to pieces.

  5. lilmessipran
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Seen enough, USA to win this world cup.

  6. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    3-0.

    Balogun again just before end of 1st half.

  7. FOREST FOREVER 2
    • 1 Year
    1 month, 29 days ago

    USA triple-up was the play for MD1.

    1. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Triple up can't overstay in our drafts

  8. TopMarx
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 13 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Mauricio Pochettino, he's magic, you know!

  9. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Every attacker on the States is dominating.
    Evey defender is reading Paraguay attack and breakout.

  10. puma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    What a half. Paraguay are far from world class...but great to see them finally looking great!

  11. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Balogun only 0,9 % owned. Won't be for long probably.

  12. SpaceCadet
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Pulisic on one assist so far?

    1. puma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      I think so.

    2. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Pulisic Pts
      Minutes played = +1
      Assist = +3
      Chances created = +1
      Total pts = +5

      1. Freshy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        1 month, 29 days ago

        and he is off

        1. SpaceCadet
          • 12 Years
          1 month, 29 days ago

          Glad I didn’t pick him then

  13. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Folarin Balogun

    Minutes played = +1
    2 Goals scored= +10
    3 Shots on target = +1
    Scouting bonus = +2
    Total pts = +14

  14. SpaceCadet
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Mistaken identity wtf

    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Almiron dive

  15. SpaceCadet
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Need a Paraguay g to bust the Dest cs.

    1. Travel Notes
      • 3 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Delivered.

      1. SpaceCadet
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 29 days ago

        Didn’t help, dest got subbed off right before the goal.

        1. AAAFootball
          • 1 Year
          1 month, 29 days ago

          Beautiful timing...

  16. bso
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Paraguay are really poor. This is no fun for them.

  17. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    The game automatically moved my captain off Rangel to Dest.
    On max captain

  18. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Dest locked a 9 pointr

    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      And they concede
      Works for me

    2. AAAFootball
      • 1 Year
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Very solid.

      Decided to twist captaincy in the end, might as well gamble with 14 to play, but solid 9 locked into my squad.

  19. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    3-1.

    Paraguay gets one back.

  20. FOREST FOREVER 2
    • 1 Year
    1 month, 29 days ago

    4 gaems on .
    Stil n o win for European or South American teams.

  21. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Reyna makes it 4-1 as the final score.

    1. OverTinker
      • 8 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      I Just find out he is the son of Claudio Reyna

  22. puma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Classy finish.

  23. The Florentine assassin
    • 3 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    I only just realised that not only did Mauricio guide the U.S.A. to a 4-1 victory but he also scored the only goal for Paraguay as well. 5:0 to Mauricio

  24. Jafalad
    • 16 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Best German for captaincy: Wirst, Kimmich or Musiela?

    1. Brazooka
      • 13 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      W

    2. Holmes
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Kimmich for fun?

      1. Holmes
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 29 days ago

        why German though, no players before that game?

  25. BR510
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Switch captain from Vasquez (9 points) to Raphinha (MAR) or Gunn (HAI) for tomorrow?

    1. Holmes
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Raphinha

      1. Holmes
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 29 days ago

        Gunn's ceiling is 9pts and you are looking to beat that.

    2. theplayer
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      You do realise you can captain Raphinha then change to Gunn after the Brazil game?

      Or is this a case of sleeping during the games so can only pick one?

      1. Holmes
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 29 days ago

        I would assume its 2nd case

  26. nonaynever
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    My quandry is similar. From a fortunate Dest to Raphina OR Vini Jr? Graph suggests 13 points is enough from a correct choice to prevent a move again to (Kimmich, Havertz or Wirtz?), via Gunn. Current thinking is switch to Raph then Havertz, maybe not jinxing the Scots with Gunn...thoughts?

    1. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Lol. How unfortunate... Would love to see graph. Switch to Raphinha

  27. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Anyone who watched, was USA good or Panama just that bad?

    1. Sarkha Sam
      • 15 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      It was Paraguay, not Panama. More a case of USA being seriously good, if they play like this only one of the big boys will be able to stop them..

      1. JBG
        • 8 Years
        1 month, 29 days ago

        Oh yeah, Paraguay...

        Ah okay, thanks.

    2. Holmes
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Likely to be first game wonder, excitement should cool down by the time they play their 2nd game.

  28. LangerznMash
    • 10 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Mostafa Shobeir kept clean-sheets in 4 of Egypt's last 5 matches (including one against Spain) only conceding against Brazil. Surely this is a great sign coming into the Belgium match right?

    1. Mozumbus
      • 4 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Egypt can produce an upset
      Their fans will celebrate like that have won the world cup, so there's lots of incentive as well

  29. Pornchef
    • 2 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    Hi guys can someone quickly explain to me how to subs work?

    If I have a player on the bench who's played can I still sub them in?

    1. Christina.
      • 16 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Obv not
      That would be like buying the lottery winning ticket after knowing the winning numbers.

    2. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Yes you can sub in players that have played yet
      So if Crepeau (played already) was your keeper, you can replace him with your sub keeper (eg Vargas) as long as he hasn't played yet.

  30. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 29 days ago

    The only world cup match I'm interested in watching today the Brazil match just has to kick off at 23.00 doesn't it FFS! The kick off times are so annoying. This world cup is doing to be a complete washout really.

    1. LangerznMash
      • 10 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Totally agree, I was struggling to keep my eyes open towards the end of the Canada V Bosnia match even when the ending was pretty exciting. It's just too late.
      I'd like to see decent extended highlights of the post 8PM (UK time) matches - anyone know of any 25-30 min highlight videos??

    2. GreennRed
      • 14 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      Ideal for the pub though!

    3. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 29 days ago

      I haven't watched a game yet