'We proved we are prepared': USA captain Tim Ream praises team intensity after flying start

The US squad has spent three weeks with coach Mauricio Pochettino since assembling for pre-tournament friendlies. Preparations stepped up several notches last weekend when they arrived at their base camp in California.

Carrying the weight of high expectations and intense scrutiny as joint hosts - along with Mexico and Canada - the US players and staff struck a relaxed tone with the media in the build-up.

But Ream admitted that tensions had been running higher behind the scenes, insisting that same passion proved crucial as they outplayed Paraguay on Friday night.

"We have been together for nearly three weeks, and training has been intense - there have been some tense moments among ourselves," Ream said.

"That is a sign of players who are eager to go, ready to attack, and we showed that from the very first whistle" in the win over Paraguay, he added.

Ream did not reveal the nature of those fractious "moments", but said that by the time his team took to the field in front of 70,000 fans, "I did not have to say much tonight - we will leave it at that."

'We were desperate'

The emphatic scoreline puts the US in a strong position to advance from Group D, with matches against Australia on Friday and Turkey the following week still to come.

In his post-match press conference, Pochettino stressed the importance of having his full 26-man squad together for an extended training period.

It is a luxury he has not often enjoyed since taking the job nearly two years ago.

"We were desperate a year ago to work with the whole team, and we did not have the chance," said Pochettino.

"Because we know very well that if you have the chance to work for three or four weeks with a group you believe can reach the World Cup, these sorts of things can happen, no?"

Since Pochettino took the national team role in 2024, players have had to balance club commitments and recover from injuries, while several key players, including Christian Pulisic, opted to rest during last summer's Gold Cup.

"They need to get to know us, we need to get to know them, to understand what we expect from them. When you only have a few days to come together and play, you only select players, but you cannot coach players," said Pochettino.

The victory was watched by 16 million people on Fox - a record for a US football match on English-language television.

It has prompted a spike in ticket prices for upcoming US matches, and has some fans and pundits wondering if their team could win the whole tournament.

While not going quite that far in his post-match comments, midfielder Weston McKennie said his team have no intention of letting that intensity fade.

"This is something we do not want to over-celebrate. Because we want this to be the norm for us, and the normal expectation we have for ourselves," he said.

Ream added: "It is easy to do it for one match, but then you have to back it up with another match. And then another match."