Folarin Balogun starred as the USMNT opened its World Cup campaign with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with folarin balogun scoring twice in the first half to put the hosts firmly in control.
Christian Pulisic helped ignite the match, creating the opener when his run and pass forced a Paraguayan own goal, and he then crossed for Balogun’s first legitimate finish inside the far post.
Balogun added a second just before halftime, rifling a left-footed shot into the top corner, and the United States extended the lead late when substitute Gio Reyna bent in a fourth off the outside of his boot at the death.
The crowd of 70,492 supplied a charged atmosphere, with fans filing into the stadium hours early and chanting throughout the first half, which the coverage called one of the best halves the US has played at a men’s World Cup.
Balogun’s rise with the USMNT followed a recruitment drive that pulled him away from England, a move that crystalized after he withdrew from England’s under-21 camp and visited Orlando in 2023 to train near the US senior team, according to the match report.
The striker arrived at the tournament after a notable season at Monaco and had already scored nine goals with four assists in his first 27 appearances for the US, many in important matches, before adding the two World Cup goals in this opener.
Substitutions Injury Notes Lineup And Tournament Implications
Christian Pulisic was substituted at halftime after taking a kick to the calf and reporting tightness, a change head coach Mauricio Pochettino described as precautionary, and Pulisic said he hoped it was nothing serious.
On the FOX broadcast Jenny Taft reported Pulisic signaled to his family that he was OK, and Pochettino confirmed the decision aimed to avoid risk ahead of the next match versus Australia.
The starting lineup featured Matt Freese in goal and a back line including Sergiño Dest, Chris Richards and Tim Ream, who at 38 years, 250 days became the oldest US player to appear in a World Cup match, and five starters made their World Cup debuts.
A Video Assistant Referee review produced a rare mistaken identity decision, transferring a yellow card from Tim Ream to Miguel Almirón for embellishment after a review determined Ream had not made contact.
The win substantially improved the US chances to advance, with The Athletic’s World Cup tracker giving the United States a 97 percent chance to reach the round of 32 and a 59 percent chance to win the group, as reported in match coverage.
