Five Takeaways From US Rout of Paraguay in Historic WC Opener
Folarin Balogun scored twice and Gio Reyna added a late stunner as the co-hosts took control of Group D.
- On Friday, the United States defeated Paraguay 4-1 at Los Angeles Stadium, launching head coach Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup campaign with a dominant opening performance.
- Folarin Balogun scored twice before halftime, becoming the first American man since 1930 to record multiple goals in a World Cup match; Damian Bobadilla's own-goal and Gio Reyna's stoppage-time strike added to the rout.
- Pochettino credited the 70,000 fans at Los Angeles Stadium for providing energy that lifted the team, insisting the victory was "a collective effort" rather than individual brilliance.
- According to The Athletic, resale ticket prices on StubHub and SeatGeek for Team USA's next two games surged above $1,800 late Friday, while the team solidified its position to advance from Group D.
- The United States faces Australia in Group D next Friday in Seattle before concluding the group stage against Turkey in Los Angeles, seeking to maintain momentum from their opening victory.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Pine Journal
Five takeaways from US rout of Paraguay in historic WC opener
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — There were signs before kickoff that the U.S. World Cup team was going to have a magical opening night. Nobody would have predicted the historic 4-1 dismantling of a respected Paraguay team that had beaten Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in the World Cup qualifying round. But there were clues that Friday night was going to be special for Team USA and its fans. The U.S. team delivered and made history along the way. Team USA had…
ARY News
The NamibianPochettino hails entire squad after World Cup opening win
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino refused to single out any individual player for praise following the co-hosts' dream World Cup opening win, insisting the 4-1 victory on Friday over Paraguay was a collective effort.
Radio France Internationale
Modern GhanaUS boss Pochettino hails sweep past Paraguay to launch World Cup campaign
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino lavished praise on his players and the American fans after his side romped past Paraguay 4-1 at the Los Angeles Stadium.
The World Cup started in great style for the United States. Fueled by a packed SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the team led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino easily defeated Paraguay 4-1 in their opening Group D match, a dominant performance that placed the hosts among the top contenders.
FIFA World Cup 2026 — US’ win over Paraguay was built on team togetherness, not individual effort: Pochettino
MEXICO CITY, JUN 13: U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters his team’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their World Cup opener was the result of a team-first approach rather than the efforts of individual players. It was the first time the U.S. had scored four goals in a World Cup match, with two of those belonging to forward Folarin Balogun, who became the first U.S. player to score twice in a World Cup game since the 1930 tournamen…
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