Pulisic ‘ready to battle’ Paraguay in US World Cup opener

United States star Christian Pulisic said the World Cup co-hosts are “ready to battle” on soccer’s biggest stage as they prepare for a potentially bruising opener against Paraguay on Friday.

Expecations are running high in the States as the US hosts the tournament for the first time since 1994, alongside Mexico and Canada, and talisman forward Pulisic insisted the squad around him is “able to compete with anyone.”

“We want to be a real force in this tournament,” he told AFP.

“We’ve got three really good games to show everyone what we’re all about,” he added.

The first of those comes against South American opposition in Paraguay.