Good morning. Last night, the USMNT did the thing we have all been hoping it would do for years: it showed up on the World Cup's biggest stage and looked like it belonged there. A 4-1 win over Paraguay, the most goals this team has ever scored in a World Cup match, two goals from Folarin Balogun, and a Gio Reyna moment that turned a routine stoppage time goal into a celebration of new life. Today we'll get into all of it, plus Canada's emotional first point on home soil, a stacked Saturday slate headlined by Brazil's World Cup debut under Carlo Ancelotti, and everything else happening Around the Corner.

The game never stops and neither do we. Welcome to the SDH Network, Around the Corner from Everywhere.

Morning Espresso is brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.

Four years of waiting ended in about seven minutes. That's how long it took the U.S. men's national team to take the lead in its World Cup opener, and from there the Americans never looked back, romping to a 4-1 win over Paraguay in front of 70,492 fans at Los Angeles Stadium. It was the most goals the USMNT has ever scored in a World Cup match, and the first time in program history it has led 3-0 at halftime of one.

Folarin Balogun was the headline act, scoring twice in the first half for his first career World Cup goals. The first was pure composure: Christian Pulisic split two defenders with a driving run before slipping a cross to Balogun, who side footed it into the lower corner from ten yards. The second was something else entirely, a sliding tackle evaded, a defender beaten, and a curling left footed strike that bent into the top corner in first half stoppage time. It was the first multi goal game by a USMNT player at a World Cup since Bert Patenaude's hat trick against, fittingly enough, Paraguay back in 1930.

The U.S. had gotten on the board early thanks to a flowing move between Weston McKennie and Pulisic that ended with Paraguay's Damián Bobadilla turning the ball into his own net in the seventh minute, the third fastest goal in USMNT World Cup history. Paraguay pulled one back through Mauricio in the 73rd minute, but Gio Reyna put a bow on the night with a gorgeous trivela finish in the eighth minute of second half stoppage time, curling a shot with the outside of his right foot into the far corner.

Reyna's goal carried extra meaning. After the celebration, he tucked the ball under his jersey and put his thumb in his mouth, the soccer signal for an expecting parent. He confirmed afterward that his wife, Chloe, is pregnant with the couple's first child. "I've known for a couple months now, so I was waiting for the perfect time," Reyna said. "And this sort of felt like it."

As complete as this performance was from start to finish, the first half stands alone. It was the best 45 minutes of soccer the United States has ever played at a World Cup. What made it so good wasn't just the finishing, it was the movement off the ball. Runners consistently found the interior channels on both sides, opening up vertical passing lanes for Tim Ream and Alex Freeman to pick out from the back. That tactical wrinkle pinned Paraguay into its own half for long stretches and made it almost impossible for them to play out of pressure. It's the kind of detail that doesn't always show up in the box score, but it's what triggered everything else.

The personnel matched the plan. Chris Richards, Ream, and Freeman were excellent defensively, holding Paraguay to a single shot on target all night. In midfield, Malik Tillman and McKennie were everywhere, especially in that first half, covering ground, breaking up Paraguay's attempts to build, and constantly available to keep the ball moving forward.

The performance carried weight beyond the scoreline. Five Americans made their World Cup debuts, including goalkeeper Matt Freese, center back Alex Freeman, midfielder Malik Tillman and Balogun himself, who switched his allegiance from England in 2023 and has long been viewed as the missing piece for this group.

The one note of caution: Pulisic was substituted at halftime after taking a kick to his left calf in training earlier in the week. He told reporters afterward that he wasn't overly concerned. "I've had similar things before, and I'm staying positive. I don't think it's anything at all," he said.

Mauricio Pochettino, never one to single out individuals, kept the focus on the group afterward. "I think it's not only Balogun or different player that can perform. I think the team was amazing," he said, adding a pointed thank you to the crowd. "The energy that they translate to the team was amazing, and we can do amazing things if the fans are in this way."

The U.S. sits atop Group D for now, with Australia and Türkiye meeting Saturday in Vancouver. Next up for the Americans is a trip up the coast to face Australia in Seattle on Friday, June 19, before group play wraps up back in Los Angeles against Türkiye on June 25.

Canada got its first taste of men's World Cup soccer on home soil Friday, and after a nervy start, it ended in celebration. Cyle Larin scored just two minutes after coming off the bench in the 78th minute, converting a pass from Promise David to secure a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in front of 43,002 fans at Toronto Stadium.

It marked just the second goal Canada has ever scored at a World Cup and its first point in tournament history, after going 0-3 at both the 1986 and 2022 editions. Bosnia took the lead in the 21st minute when Jovo Lukic, filling in for the injured Edin Dzeko, headed home a corner kick for his first international goal. Canada pushed for an equalizer throughout the second half, with Sead Kolasinac making a goal line clearance to deny Richie Laryea before Larin finally broke through.

Coach Jesse Marsch credited the home crowd, who sang "Go Ca Na Da" throughout the match, with carrying the team through a slow start. "The crowd, I think, willed us into the game, as the players could feel that energy in the second half tilting more and more," Marsch said. He was without star winger Alphonso Davies, who is out with a hamstring injury and scored Canada's first ever World Cup goal four years ago in Qatar.

The atmosphere drew a star studded crowd, including Connor McDavid, Ryan Reynolds and Mike Myers, who showed up in a Canada jersey and a red bucket hat. Alanis Morissette closed the opening ceremony with a performance of "O Canada." Marsch, when told Myers had been in attendance, kept his focus on the task at hand. "I know that there's a lot of different people that are enjoying the World Cup in Canada, but my job, I'm focused, so lasered in on just making sure that we can give the country a team to be proud of," he said.

Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said his team played a deliberately defensive game plan in a hostile environment and was satisfied with the result. "This is huge pressure and it's a huge compliment for my team to have not succumbed to that pressure," he said.

Both teams now head west. Canada plays Qatar in Vancouver on June 18, while Bosnia faces Switzerland in Los Angeles the same day.

It was already 3-1 in the eighth minute of stoppage time, the result long decided. And then Gio Reyna got the ball at the edge of the box, took one touch, and bent a trivela into the far corner with the outside of his right foot, the perfect bow on the USMNT's biggest World Cup night in program history. Then he tucked the ball under his jersey to tell the world he and his wife Chloe are expecting their first child. Here's Telemundo's call of the goal that had Los Angeles Stadium shaking one more time.

Saturday is the first full day of action at the tournament, with four matches on the schedule. Here's what to watch.

Qatar vs Switzerland kicks off the day at 3 p.m. in Santa Clara. The hosts of the 2022 tournament are back with something to prove after becoming the first World Cup host to be eliminated in the group stage, managing just one goal across three matches. Under Julen Lopetegui, Qatar qualified on its own merit this time, and the coach has embraced the underdog role against a Swiss side that's reached six straight World Cups. Captain Granit Xhaka, playing in his fourth World Cup, called his team "primed and ready" and pointed to a young Switzerland group eager to build on lessons from a rough round of 16 exit in Qatar four years ago.

Brazil vs Morocco at 6 p.m. in Los Angeles is the day's headline act. Carlo Ancelotti, the first non-Brazilian ever to coach the Seleção at a World Cup, leads a team unbeaten in 20 World Cup openers since 1934 but still chasing its first title since 2002. Vinícius Júnior said the group is out to put Brazil "back to where it never should have left, which is at the top." Neymar remains out with a calf injury, but 19 year old Endrick has emerged as a potential X factor after a strong loan spell at Lyon. Morocco, the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal in 2022, brings PSG's Achraf Hakimi, who happens to be Champions League winning club teammates with Brazil captain Marquinhos. "We respect Brazil. Some people say it's not the Brazil of before. Well, it's still Brazil," Hakimi said.

Haiti vs Scotland at 9 p.m. in Boston carries enormous weight back home. It's Haiti's first World Cup appearance since 1974, and the team hasn't played a home match in five years due to gang violence that forced them to train and play "home" qualifiers hundreds of miles away in Curaçao. In Port au Prince, residents have been cleaning streets and building makeshift viewing areas to watch together. Striker Duckens Nazon, the squad's all time leading scorer, said the moment carries weight beyond soccer: "We are the first independent black nation in the world. We have a lot of history. We have to assume this role."

Australia vs Türkiye closes out the night at midnight in Vancouver. It's a true clash of styles: Türkiye returns to the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, led by midfield talents Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, while Australia leans on a squad built around its immigrant story, including three players born in refugee camps. Coach Tony Popovic embraced the underdog tag heading in: "We're confident that we can show them some great football tomorrow and show them what Australian football can do." Türkiye coach Vincenzo Montella wants his players to enjoy a moment 24 years in the making without being overwhelmed by it.

Day three of the World Cup brought a little bit of everything, including a rules debut, a referee controversy with a tidy resolution, and a reminder that not every story at this tournament is a happy one.

On The Field

History was made at Toronto Stadium during Friday's Canada-Bosnia draw, where referee Facundo Tello enforced the World Cup's new five second throw in time limit for the first time, taking the ball away from Bosnia's Sead Kolašinac after he held onto it too long on the sideline. The rule, designed to cut down on time wasting, had only been tested in friendlies before Friday.

Friday's USMNT win also had a notable officiating moment. Referee Danny Makkelie initially booked Tim Ream for a foul on Miguel Almirón, then reviewed the call under a "mistaken identity" VAR protocol, which allows officials to correct a card given to the wrong player. Replay showed Almirón had dived, and Makkelie rescinded Ream's yellow and booked Almirón for simulation instead.

Off The Field

Spain looks to be rounding into form ahead of its Monday opener against Cape Verde in Atlanta. Forward Víctor Muñoz returned to training Friday, a day after stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams also got back on the field, giving coach Luis de la Fuente a healthy squad as the defending European champions begin their World Cup campaign. None of the three are expected to start against Cape Verde, with their returns more likely for Spain's second group game against Saudi Arabia, also in Atlanta, on June 21.

In Houston, the Democratic Republic of Congo held an open training session for an enthusiastic crowd from the city's Congolese community, the country's first World Cup appearance since 1974, when it competed as Zaire. The squad had to relocate a planned friendly from Spain to France this week due to an Ebola outbreak back home, but coach Sébastien Désabre said the focus is squarely on Wednesday's opener against Portugal.

Not every headline from Friday was a celebration. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who will stand trial in the UK next year on rape and sexual assault charges he denies, has been denied entry into Canada and will miss Ghana's opening match against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday. FIFA confirmed his visa application was rejected, the latest in a string of entry issues that has also affected a tournament referee.

Lewandowski in Chicago for Talks With the Fire: Robert Lewandowski, 37, is visiting Chicago this weekend amid serious talks with the Fire, sources tell The Athletic. The free agent, who left Barcelona after scoring 14 goals in just 17 La Liga starts last season, is also weighing offers from the Saudi Pro League and is expected to decide soon.

Buffalo USL Club Delays Launch Again: Buffalo Pro Soccer has pushed its USL Championship debut beyond 2027, the club's second delay, as it continues searching for a stadium site and lead owner after an earlier location fell through.

Modesto Scraps USL Stadium Plans: The Modesto, California city council voted to abandon a planned USL stadium project after an independent report identified a $43 million funding gap in the proposal.

SDH AM is live right now on our YouTube and Twitch channels, with Jon Nelson bringing you postgame reaction from last night's USMNT win plus an interview with Auburn women's soccer head coach James Armstrong. Worth your time on a morning when the whole sport is buzzing.

We've also got two reads worth your time today. Yesterday we announced a new partnership with Georgia Soccer built around an initiative called Soccer for All, aimed at expanding access to the game across the state at every level, from rec leagues to elite academies, youth through adult. And if you want a glimpse of where Atlanta's NWSL pipeline might come from, check out our piece on Georgia State women's soccer, where five Panthers across three classes have turned pro in three different countries.

And tonight, catch me live on 92.9 The Game and the Audacy app for Atlanta Soccer Tonight from 5 to 7:40, breaking down the USMNT's win, today's four match World Cup slate, and a look ahead at the rest of the weekend.

Real Madrid Locks In Two Landmark Commercial Renewals: Real Madrid announced a shirt sponsorship extension with Emirates worth close to €100 million per year through 2031, described as the largest in La Liga history, along with a kit deal extension with adidas through 2034. The Emirates partnership, which dates back to 2013, also covers the club's basketball team.

Manchester United Refinances Debt, Pushing Maturity to 2031: Manchester United has restructured $425 million in senior secured notes tied to the Glazer family's 2005 takeover, increasing the total to $550 million at a higher 5.36 percent interest rate and extending repayment from 2027 to 2031. The club's total financial debt now stands at £728 million.

Mancini Emerges as Frontrunner for Italy Job: Roberto Mancini, who led Italy to Euro 2020 glory before departing for Saudi Arabia in 2023, is reportedly the leading candidate to return as national team coach following FIGC presidential elections on June 22. The move remains controversial in Italy given the circumstances of his earlier exit.

Cameroon Targets Hervé Renard as New Coach: The Cameroonian Football Federation, led by Samuel Eto'o, is reportedly in contact with French coach Hervé Renard about taking over the Indomitable Lions ahead of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. Renard has previously won the AFCON with Zambia and Ivory Coast.

This World Cup is still finding its footing, but its opening days have already offered a reminder of why we keep showing up for this game: a baby announcement at the end of a record setting rout, a Toronto crowd that sang a team to its first ever point, a Port au Prince neighborhood sweeping its streets to watch together. That is the whole sport in miniature, and it is worth sitting with before the cynicism creeps back in.

Song of the Day: "Soak Up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow. Good days don't need overanalyzing. This one didn't either.

Jason