World Cup
The United States had arguably the best World Cup run in men’s team history to pull off an easy victory.
Folarin Balogun, center, celebrates scoring a goal for the United States in their World Cup opener against Paraguay. AP Photo/Andre Benner
The United States kicked off its 2026 World Cup campaign with a decisive 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday night, taking all three points in this match.
Three goals in the first half – a Paraguayan own goal and two goals from striker Folarin Balogun – put the United States in a commanding position. From there, the home team largely fell behind, while USA coach Mauricio Pochettino opted to use his substitutions and begin resting key players strategically.
Paraguay succeeded in scoring an honorable goal through Mauricio in the 73rd minute, but the goal was too late in the face of the dominant American display. A fourth goal from Gio Reyna at the end capped one of the best nights for the US men’s team in World Cup history.
Here are some takeaways:
A flawless first half
After years of speculation about how the United States would start its second home World Cup match, only the most optimistic fans expected anything close to what happened during the first 45 minutes.
Paraguay actually managed to score the first shot of the match through Diego Gomez in the second minute, but from that point on, it was all American in the first half.
All eyes were on Christian Pulisic, who fired home almost immediately after registering his first touch on the ball. The 27-year-old received the ball from the left wing in the seventh minute, racing between two defenders in the blink of an eye before cutting the ball across the goal mouth.
With Balogun in attendance, Paraguayan centre-back Raul Bobadilla tried to put his foot on the cross, but accidentally turned it into his own net. It’s been a great start for the United States, hopefully it’s on the right track.
With an early lead, the United States seemed to have settled into the game more comfortably, passing it with confidence. With a total of 71 percent of possession in the first half, the United States set a recent World Cup record.
Aside from the extra goals in the first half (more on that below), the American defensive system looked elite at times. Paraguay was completely unable to find an outlet even when it managed to regain possession. It was a promising all-round display for Pochettino’s side.
Balogun explodes
One of the special factors in the US team is Balogun, the 24-year-old Monaco striker who has scored 13 goals in Ligue 1 this season. His performance with the national team was less consistent, but he showed his true quality on Friday.
In what is quickly becoming a familiar pattern, Pulisic raced down the left wing in the 31st minute before sliding the ball across goal. This time, the cross reached Balogun’s right foot, and he skillfully slotted it into the net.
Just when Paraguay began to think they could trail at half-time by just two goals, Balogun scored again.
After a perfect header from midfielder Malik Tillman, Balogun outran his defender and simply beat him towards the Paraguay goal. The striker then showed off his skill, cutting across the ball before firing a left-footed shot into the top corner, causing the crowd to explode.
Silent second half
With a strong lead in the first half, there was a risk of complacency on the part of the American team. It didn’t quite happen, but the home team were certainly less lively in their play in the second half.
Pochettino eventually made a host of substitutions as he began to look beyond the game in front of him.
Paraguay’s only goal was the result of poor defending and poor positioning from the United States at that moment, but it ultimately proved to be an aberration.
Gio Reyna added another one at the end
One of the more controversial selections in the USA squad, midfielder Gio Reyna was substituted for Tillman in the 82nd minute.
Reyna played less (and wasn’t in good form) at club level last year, but eventually proved himself with one of the last kicks of the game.
Although it didn’t matter in the short term, Reina’s deft off-foot shot was a highlight for fans, and could be a precursor to future success. The former Dortmund player remains one of the most talented players on the US roster. The increase in confidence could lead to good results for the Americans in the World Cup.
Pulisic post-match update
The only rain cloud on the horizon during the US opener was Pulisic’s shock substitution in the first half.
Although it may have initially been taken as a direct commitment from Pochettino to rest his best player with the team leading 3-0, Fox sideline reporter Jenny Taft later noted that the USA coach would address the matter after the game.
Pochettino said in the post-match press conference:Via Tom Bogert) The replacement was precautionary.
“We didn’t want to take any risks,” Pochettino told reporters.
For American audiences, this will (mostly) be a sigh of relief. Now the USA can officially turn its attention to the second group stage match, which takes place against Australia on Friday, June 19 in Seattle at 3 p.m.
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