Former U.S.goalkeeper Tim Howard told OutKick that the Yanks' dominant win over Paraguay proves just how dangerous this squad can be ahead of their matchup with Australia.And the rest of the country is clearly bought in.The 4-1 blowout drew a massive 24.9 million viewers on Friday, shattering records as the largest soccer audience in U.S.
history.WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONEFolarin Balogun of the U.S.and Gustavo Gomez of Paraguay compete for the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Los Angeles Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 12, 2026.
(Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto)But for Howard, the most encouraging takeaway was the feeling that the Americans left even more goals on the table."So many good things, so many contributions," Howard told OutKick."It's really good to win a game and say, 'Gosh, I wish we almost had six.' That's a good place to be."Howard pointed to Folarin Balogun's two-goal performance, Christian Pulisic's influence in attack and a strong defensive showing as reasons for optimism as the tournament progresses."There's a lot to build on," Howard said.
"The substitutes came in and played well.Balogun got his two goals.
Christian Pulisic was outstanding.I thought defensively we were good."FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCETim Howard, goalkeeper for the United States, plays during a game against Azerbaijan at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, on May 27, 2014.
(Michael Burns/ISI Photos/Getty Images)United States goalkeeper Tim Howard stands on the field before the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Jamaica at Levi's Stadium on July 26, 2017.(Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)After Matt Freese got the nod over veteran Matt Turner, Howard said he no longer views the goalkeeper competition as an open one."I don't think there's any competition now," Howard said.
"I think Matt Freese is the goalkeeper.We sort of saw that going into the tournament over the last year.
That played itself out.Matt Freese is the...