USA Open With Dominant 4-1 Win Over Paraguay
Folarin Balogun netted twice during the Americans’ historic three-goal first half as the United States kicked off its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest-ever victory in the tournament, defeating Paraguay 4-1 on Friday night.
Christian Pulisic delivered an assist and orchestrated a brilliant first-half display, helping the U.S. overwhelm Paraguay with an aggressive attacking performance and build a 3-0 lead by halftime — the largest halftime advantage the team has ever held in a World Cup match.
Gio Reyna added a fourth goal deep into second-half stoppage time, marking the first occasion the United States has scored four goals in a World Cup game. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Americans managed just three goals across four matches and had never previously scored more than three times in a single World Cup contest.
Under new coach Mauricio Pochettino, the U.S. looked revitalized, showcasing a more creative and dynamic style in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 70,492 fans in Los Angeles.
Maurício pulled one back for Paraguay in the second half, but La Albirroja had already fallen too far behind in their first World Cup appearance in 16 years.
The Americans took an early lead through an own goal that resulted from Pulisic’s playmaking. Balogun then struck in the 31st minute before adding his second goal in first-half injury time.
Making his World Cup debut, the New York-born, London-raised striker became the first U.S. player since 1930 to score multiple goals in a World Cup match. Balogun chose to represent the United States three years ago rather than continue in England’s national team system, where competition for places is fierce. The 24-year-old Monaco forward has since provided the high-level striker presence that U.S. teams have often lacked.
