“Awesome Stuff!” - Rich Reacts to the USMNT’s Rout of Paraguay in USA’s World Cup Opener

Rich didn't go to SoFi Stadium for the USMNT's World Cup opener against Paraguay on Friday night, and watching from his living room, he regretted it.

That's the answer to the question of how Rich reacted to the US men's national team's rout of Paraguay in the USA's 2026 World Cup opener: equal parts dazzled by the performance and annoyed at himself for not being there in person.

Rich, who grew up in New York City ribbing Los Angeles sports fans for arriving late and leaving early, admitted he has become exactly the kind of fan he used to mock. "Now I'm one of them," he said. So when the USMNT took on Paraguay at SoFi, he talked himself out of the parking, the traffic, the hassle. Did he go? "No." And then he watched the scene unfold on TV and thought, "Why the hell am I sitting in my living room?"

The reason the regret stung is that the performance was that good.

Rich pointed back to former US men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter, who had been on the show in person on Friday. Rich asked Berhalter what a successful World Cup looks like for this team, and Berhalter's answer was "winning multiple knockout round matches." Berhalter framed the tournament as the payoff of an eight-year plan, a moment the program had been building toward on home turf.

Then the US went out and, as Rich put it, "hit Paraguay in the mouth."

"They were outstanding," Rich said. "They were crisp. They were decisive. They were smart. They were great." Chris added that they were explosive, on the attack and putting shots on net, something he said the US team hasn't shown in maybe ever.

The moment that grabbed Rich was Reyna's goal. Watching as a family, he asked whether the strike came off the outside of Reyna's right foot rather than the left foot his positioning would suggest. "It's filthy" was the verdict in the room. Rich kept circling back to one word: "Awesome." He noted Folarin Balogun scored twice and nearly had a hat-trick, and that he rewatched the Reyna goal and counted 23 consecutive successful touches across the team before it was uncorked.

Rich stopped short of crowning anyone, waving off a "we're going to win the World Cup" call from the room. But the verdict on the night itself was not in doubt. "Awesome stuff."