The United States opened their World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion on Friday, cruising to a 4–1 victory over Paraguay in front of a star-studded crowd in Los Angeles.
Folarin Balogun scored twice and Gio Reyna added a late curling strike as the co-hosts delivered a commanding performance in the tournament’s first match on US soil. An early own goal set the tone for a dominant display that left Paraguay chasing shadows for much of the game.
The match was played before a sold-out crowd of 70,492 at the stadium, with Hollywood celebrities including Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton among those in attendance. The United States are co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada.
The hosts needed just seven minutes to take the lead when Weston McKennie drove forward from midfield and combined with Christian Pulisic before a deflected effort from Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla ended up in his own net.
From there, the US controlled proceedings with sustained attacking pressure and fluid passing combinations. Balogun had a goal ruled out for offside in the 28th minute, but the striker doubled the lead moments later after finishing a low cross from Pulisic following excellent work by Antonee Robinson.
Balogun struck again on the stroke of half-time, turning inside his marker before curling a precise effort into the top corner to put the United States 3–0 ahead at the break. The home side dominated possession and dictated tempo throughout the opening 45 minutes.
Paraguay, however, found a response in the second half. Substitute Mauricio pulled one back after Julio Enciso, playing through injury, created space on the edge of the area to set up the finish.
The United States regained control and sealed the victory late on when Gio Reyna produced a composed outside-of-the-foot strike that curled beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
The only concern for the hosts was the halftime withdrawal of Christian Pulisic, who had been influential in the opening stages as the team’s attacking focal point.
The match was preceded by a high-profile opening ceremony featuring performances from international music stars including Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa, with the presentation staged beneath giant FIFA signage.
The result puts the United States in a strong position in Group D, which also includes Australia and Turkey, and marks an ideal start to their bid for a deep run into the tournament.
