United States Dominates Paraguay 4-1 in World Cup Opener, Pulisic Sustains Injury
The United States began its FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay in a Group D match held in Los Angeles on Friday. Striker Folarin Balogun scored two goals in the first half, contributing to the US team's highest-ever goal tally in a World Cup match and becoming the first US player since 1930 to score a brace in the tournament. The win was tempered by concern over Christian Pulisic's fitness, as he was substituted at halftime due to calf tightness.
The United States national team secured a decisive 4-1 win against Paraguay in their opening FIFA World Cup Group D match on Friday. The game, played in Los Angeles, saw a strong performance from the co-hosts, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice.
The US took an early lead in the seventh minute when Christian Pulisic set up Weston McKennie, whose cross resulted in an own goal by Paraguay's Damian Bobadilla. Balogun extended the lead to 2-0 after receiving a pass from Pulisic. He scored again on the stroke of halftime with a left-footed shot, concluding a dominant first half for the home side.
The victory was overshadowed by an injury to Christian Pulisic, who was substituted at halftime by coach Mauricio Pochettino due to tightness in his calf. Pochettino expressed hope that the issue would not be severe, allowing Pulisic to return for the next match.
Paraguay intensified their efforts in the second half, with substitute Mauricio scoring in the 73rd minute, capitalizing on a US defensive error. Despite this, the US maintained control, and Gio Reyna added a fourth goal from the edge of the box in the match's closing moments. Paraguay defender Junior Alonso acknowledged the need for improvement, citing two remaining group stage matches.
The match was played to a sold-out crowd of 70,492 at Los Angeles Stadium, which is the NFL home of the Rams and Chargers. High-profile attendees included Tom Cruise, David Beckham – who was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier that day – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Paraguay President Santiago Pena, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. A pre-game performance by singer Katy Perry and a parade of nations also took place.
The US will face Australia on June 19 in Seattle, while Paraguay is set to play Turkiye in Santa Clara. This tournament marks Paraguay's first appearance since 2010. According to Dawn Pakistan, the US entered the tournament aiming to improve on their last-16 finish in Qatar.
