Amerika Serikat Menghadapi Paraguay pada Laga Pembuka Piala Dunia 2026

Tim nasional sepak bola putra Amerika Serikat bersiap menghadapi Paraguay dalam pertandingan pembuka Piala Dunia 2026 di Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, pada Jumat malam waktu setempat. Pertandingan perdana di hadapan publik sendiri ini menjadi momen krusial bagi skuad AS yang mengombinasikan pemain veteran turnamen dengan jajaran wajah baru. Sorotan besar tertuju kepada gelandang kreatif Christian Pulisic yang diharapkan mampu memimpin tim nasional di tengah ekspektasi tinggi publik tuan rumah.

"I can’t even imagine the weight that’s on his shoulders," ujar Tyler Adams, gelandang Bournemouth.

Adams menambahkan bahwa sejak usia muda, rekannya tersebut memang telah menjadi tumpuan harapan bagi sepak bola Amerika Serikat. "From such a young age, he was the hope of American soccer," kata Tyler Adams, gelandang Bournemouth.

Rekan-rekan setimnya menyadari beban luar biasa yang dipikul Pulisic, namun sang pemain sendiri menegaskan kesiapannya menghadapi tekanan tersebut. "what I’ve always wanted." kata Christian Pulisic, gelandang Amerika Serikat.

Pemain berusia 27 tahun tersebut menyatakan rasa percaya dirinya karena dikelilingi oleh banyak pemain berkualitas di dalam tim saat ini. "I don’t feel a difference in weight," kata Christian Pulisic, gelandang Amerika Serikat. Pulisic menguraikan bahwa keberadaan rekan-rekan setim yang hebat membuat tugasnya menjadi jauh lebih mudah di lapangan.

"I’m not sure. Maybe less. I just feel like there’s so many good players around me.

I genuinely don’t feel like I have to do anything on my own. I’m going to give it the best I can. I want to help the team, and they expect a lot out of me, but with the guys I have around me, it makes it a lot easier for me." kata Christian Pulisic, gelandang Amerika Serikat.

Kondisi atmosfer di dalam negeri juga memberikan rasa nyaman tersendiri bagi Pulisic menjelang laga pembuka ini. "It feels similar, but with a bit of that comfort of being in America," kata Christian Pulisic, gelandang Amerika Serikat. Ia menambahkan bahwa kehadiran orang-orang tercinta di sekitar tempat bertanding membuat momen Piala Dunia kali ini menjadi jauh lebih spesial.

"It feels great having the people you love around you. It makes it that much more special." kata Christian Pulisic, gelandang Amerika Serikat.

Pelatih kepala Mauricio Pochettino yang mulai menangani tim sejak akhir 2024 turut memberikan pandangannya mengenai peran sang bintang. "Of course he needs to be an important player for us in the competition," kata Mauricio Pochettino, pelatih Amerika Serikat.

Pochettino menekankan bahwa identitas tim nasional dan budaya negara jauh lebih penting daripada nama besar individu mana pun. "(But) I think what we’ve learned after a year and a half is that the badge of the national team and the culture with this country is more important than any name, any player or any coach. That is a principal thing that we (believe), and from there, if you have talent and quality, you can perform on that platform." kata Mauricio Pochettino, pelatih Amerika Serikat.

Di sisi lain, Tyler Adams berharap agar Pulisic tidak merasa harus menanggung seluruh beban tim sendirian dalam turnamen besar ini. "(Pulisic was) the best player on the field at 17 years old, and the person that they rely on, (and) it’s been since then that they’ve relied on him," ujar Tyler Adams, gelandang Bournemouth. Adams memuji kualitas global yang dimiliki rekannya itu sembari berharap ia bisa tampil lepas di setiap pertandingan.

"Now, we have weapons around him to kind of relieve that, but he’s a star. Not just for the U.S. national team, but in world football. He’s that good.

We rely on him in big moments, but that being said, I hope he doesn’t feel the pressure to carry it all. Just to be himself and grow into each game." ujar Tyler Adams, gelandang Bournemouth.

Antusiasme tinggi juga dirasakan oleh para suporter yang berkumpul di Fifa Fan Festival di Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum sebelum laga dimulai. "We'll go crazy for a goal" kata fans AS dilansir dari BBC.