LOS ANGELES STADIUM I knew this USA team could cook, but it threw some special sauce in on Friday night. The USA gave us a little bit of everything and then some in the first half of its win over Paraguay. Mauricio Pochettinos team was dominant from the opening whistle to the final one. It was a masterclass. Nobody left the stadium early. The fans wanted to give this USA team the love it deserved, and it was rewarded for sticking around in the form of a brilliant Gio Reyna goal to make the scoreline 4-1. I want to note that these ratings come as a prisoner of the moment. It was an incredible night in Los Angeles as the United States dominated. Here we go. Starting XI Freese got the start over Matt Turner, but he wasnt called upon too much Friday. Im being generous, though. He didnt have a starring role, and I dont think he could do too much on the goal. From that positioning with Mauricio through on goal, I dont think there was anything he could do. Im feeling very generous today after that performance, so its an 8 for Freese. I thought Antonee Robinson was more involved in the attack tonight, while Alex Freeman was a bit more disciplined defensively on the right side and Sergio Dest played further up the wing. I praised Freeman during the two friendlies against Senegal and Germany in the buildup to the tournament, and he looked like he belonged tonight. A very encouraging start to the tournament from both. Robinson scored a banger of a volley against Germany last week and continued to look like a threat down the left wing. Hell be a key part of the U.S. attack on that side of the field. I thought Richards leadership was felt early on in this game, especially in the first half. The game started with a half-chance for Paraguay inside the box, but Chris helped calm things down after that alongside his 38-year-old partner. In the second half, they both made mistakes on the goal. Richards gambled maybe a bit too much and didnt make contact with the ball on his first attempt, and then Ream kind of dangled out a leg and didnt make any contact with a Paraguayan player with it. I also want to note that the passing out of the back was good. Ream had a few good balls forward to find Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie in midfield, which is what hes expected to do with that left foot. I thought Tyler was excellent, and I thought Wes was excellent for different reasons. Tyler picked up a silly yellow card, but he covered ground and moved all over the pitch to complement Tillman and McKennie. He remained more disciplined while allowing Tillman and McKennie to have the freedom to move further up the pitch. I thought Westons energy was incredible. The way he was consistently an option in the final third was encouraging, and that was clear on the first U.S. goal. He picked the ball up in midfield and had multiple Paraguayan players around him, but he was able to get the ball out to Christian on the left. The best part, though, is that Wes continued his run after playing the pass and got the USA touch before Damian Bobadilla put the ball into his own net. It was also an encouraging performance from Tillman, who looked like he had a great understanding with Adams. A lot of pressure and responsibility on his shoulders. He came back into form just before this tournament in terms of finding the stat sheet with goals and assists. Hopefully, Pulisics calf injury was nothing too significant. Fantastic in the first half with his movement, creating chances, creating space for other players. Thats how the first goal for the U.S. came. He skipped by two defenders and then picked out a pass to McKennie, whose attempted pass to Balogun was turned into the net. Also of note, Christians chemistry with Flo was excellent. If those first 45 minutes were any indication, the rest of the tournament better watch out. The only reason this rating isn't higher is that he only played 45 minutes. Hopefully, he's ready to go next week to face Australia. Its the goals, its the way he took his goals, and its also his overall play, which I thought was excellent. Obviously, the two great finishes from Flo are worth celebrating, but there was more to his performance. The way he occupied both of Paraguays center backs was great. He was strong throughout the game, held up the ball and really powered the U.S. attack. Flos movement was also great. He ran into the channels very well and was able to play well with a defender on his back. He also led the Americans counter-press against the Paraguayan defense and was spot-on with his movement as a defender. He was a big reason that the Americans game plan worked so well. My man Peter Crouch suggested that Balogun might be looking at a Golden Boot with a start like that to his tournament. Im encouraged to see where his tournament can go on from here. I love Sergio higher up the pitch. Initially, I wasnt so sure. I liked him starting as an attacking fullback, but he thrived having more freedom to simply start farther advanced up the pitch. Sergio having that ability to start further up the pitch really makes him a wild card. Hes unpredictable. Its hard to plan how to defend him because you dont know where hes going to play. Tonight, that caused so many problems for Paraguay. Bonus: A 10 for head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Poch got everything right tonight. First, he picked the right XI. This lineup looked good against Germany without Richards, and his inclusion was a great addition. The approach of how they wanted to create space and maintain width was spot on. The game plan was perfect, much like the USA tonight.