USA equals record win. Balogun bags two against Paraguay.

The hosts got busy. Seven minutes in, Christian Pulisic was already causing trouble. Damian Bobadilla, bless his heart, put it into his own net. Pochettino's crew didn't look back.

Then the Brooklyn-born, England-raised, Arsenal academy product Balogun took over. Two goals before halftime. Game over. Sky Sports said Paraguay, usually a defensive brick wall, looked absolutely lost. Overwhelmed. Couldn't handle the pace. Pochettino's rotations? They clicked.

Pulisic got a knock to the calf. Off at halftime. Pochettino told BBC Sport: "No risks." The game slowed. Predictable. Paraguay sub Mauricio pulled one back with 17 minutes left, a consolation prize. Giovanni Reyna, though, buried any lingering hope. Outside of the boot. Composed. Game truly killed.

This 4-1 isn't just a win. It's the USA's joint-biggest World Cup victory. On home turf, too, where expectations are already unhinged. Pochettino was practically giddy. "First 45 minutes? Amazing," he gushed. "The pressure? They handled it."

Don't get carried away. The USA have one knockout World Cup win. Ever. But maybe Pochettino has built something here. A team that can actually score against teams they'd usually bore to death. It's a start.