Folarin Balogun scored twice as the Americans overwhelmed Paraguay in the first half before Gio Reyna added a late flourish to seal a comfortable win in front of a crowd of over 70,400.
The U.S. took the lead in the eighth minute through an own goal by Paraguay midfielder Damian Bobadilla. A swift counterattack saw Christian Pulisic break through the defense before combining with Weston McKennie, whose cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Bobadilla.
The hosts continued to dominate possession and created several chances through Pulisic and Balogun. Their pressure paid off again in the 31st minute when Pulisic surged down the left flank and squared the ball for an unmarked Balogun, who calmly finished into the far corner to make it 2-0.
Balogun thought he had scored earlier in the half, but the effort was ruled out for offside after Pulisic had strayed beyond the last defender in the buildup.
Paraguay struggled to threaten the American goal and failed to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes. Their difficult first half worsened in stoppage time when Balogun produced a moment of individual brilliance. The striker raced onto a long pass, beat two defenders and fired a powerful strike into the top corner to give the U.S. a commanding 3-0 lead before halftime.
United States’ Folarin Balogun (20) celebrates scoring his side’s third goal against Paraguay with teammates during the World Cup Group D match in Inglewood, California, June 13, 2026. Photo by AP |
Paraguay showed greater urgency after the break and pushed the hosts deeper into their own half during the early stages of the second period. However, the Americans remained largely in control and limited their opponents’ opportunities.
A controversial moment arrived in the 53rd minute when referee initially booked U.S. captain Tim Ream for a foul on Miguel Almiron. After a VAR review, the yellow card was rescinded and instead shown to Almiron for simulation.
Paraguay eventually found a breakthrough in the 73rd minute through substitute Mauricio, who finished neatly into the far corner after being left unmarked on the left side of the penalty area.
The goal briefly raised hopes of a comeback, but Paraguay failed to sustain pressure against an organized U.S. side. According to Opta’s live projections during the match, the Americans still held a 98.4% chance of victory after conceding.
The hosts nearly restored their three-goal advantage moments later when Timothy Weah forced goalkeeper Orlando Gill into a fingertip save.
Their fourth goal finally arrived deep into stoppage time. Substitute Gio Reyna capped the performance with a spectacular trivela finish, curling the ball into the net just before the final whistle.
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Paraguay’s Mauricio celebrates after scoring during the World Cup Group D match against the United States in Inglewood, California, June 13, 2026. Photo by AP |
The victory gives the United States an ideal start in Group D and strengthens their position ahead of the second round of fixtures.
With Balogun in clinical form and the attack led by Pulisic creating constant problems for Paraguay’s defense, the co-hosts delivered one of the most convincing performances of the tournament so far.
The result leaves Paraguay with work to do in their remaining group matches if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
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