LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The United States (US) begin their World Cup challenge on Friday, taking on Paraguay in the first game in the tournament on US soil for 32 years. The World Cup co-hosts know that they must avoid slipping up in the showdown at the futuristic SoFi Stadium. US head coach Mauricio Pochettino says he expects his team to do much more than simply progress from Group D.

Unite Here Local 11, representing SoFi Stadium workers, voted to authorize a strike set to occur less than a week before the venue hosts a World Cup game, raising the prospect of operational disruptions at the major sporting event.