The United States opened their home World Cup with a statement. A 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on June 12 saw the USMNT score more goals in a single World Cup match than they ever have before, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice on the biggest stage of his career so far.

Match Summary

The USMNT could not have asked for a better start to their home tournament. Mauricio Pochettino’s side were ahead inside seven minutes when a Weston McKennie cross was turned into his own net by Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla. From there, the United States never looked back.

Folarin Balogun, leading the line, doubled the lead shortly after, finishing off a flowing move started by Christian Pulisic, who squared the ball across the box from the left. Balogun had already seen one effort ruled out for offside earlier in the half, but his second attempt was clinical. Before half-time, Malik Tillman, arguably the standout performer on the pitch, played a defence-splitting pass to release Balogun into the box for his second goal of the night, putting the USMNT 3-0 up at the break.

Paraguay pulled one back in the second half, but the United States had the final word. A late move down the right saw Alex Freeman link up with Tyler Adams before finding Gio Reyna, who curled a finish with the outside of his right boot past the Paraguay goalkeeper to make it 4-1 and cap off a record-breaking night for the hosts.

A Record Night for the USMNT

Four goals represented a new record for the United States men’s national team at a single World Cup match, surpassing their previous best of three. The result is also a striking contrast to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the USMNT managed only three goals across their entire four-match campaign. For a team that has reached the knockout stage in each of its last three World Cup appearances, this was an emphatic declaration of intent on home soil.

Folarin Balogun’s two goals were the headline individual performance. Born in New York to Nigerian parents and raised in London, Balogun chose to represent the United States and delivered in spectacular fashion in front of a stadium packed with stars in Los Angeles.

A Niggly Edge

The match was not without its tense moments. Paraguay’s Junior Alonso picked up a late yellow card after repeatedly grabbing at Tyler Adams’ shirt before finally pulling him back, a small but telling sign of the visitors’ frustration as the scoreline got away from them.

What’s Next

The United States will next face Australia in Seattle on June 19, before returning to Los Angeles to close out their group stage campaign against the UEFA playoff winner on June 25. After a 2-1 win over Australia in a recent friendly, the USMNT will go into that fixture with confidence, but Pochettino’s side will know that the level of opposition will only increase from here.

Paraguay, meanwhile, will need a reaction after a difficult opening night, with the suspension and disciplinary issues from this match adding to the challenge as they look to recover in their next group fixture.

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