Pulisic magic, Balogun double set tone for USMNT in soaring World Cup opener
· Yahoo Sports
LOS ANGELES – It would not be an exaggeration to call that the greatest United States men’s national team performance ever at a World Cup, and what a time and place to do it.
To kick off its first home soil men’s World Cup in 32 years, the Americans surged over Paraguay, 4-1, with early Christian Pulisic magic and two clinical finishes from Folarin Balogun in a 3-0 first half in front of a star-spangled and sold-out SoFi Stadium on Friday.
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The United States scored four goals in a World Cup game for the first time in the program’s history, and Balogun was the first American man to score two goals in a World Cup match since Berte Patenaude scored a hat trick in 1930 against, funnily enough, Paraguay.
“It was definitely a statement,” Balogun said. “Three goals in the first half, opening game. I felt like it was a real statement, and that's what we wanted to do. I'm very, very delighted with the overall performance, but especially the first half.”
Balogun also called the night “dreamy,” and this performance already has the United States dreaming of supremacy in Group D and potentially deep tournament run.
In this expanded World Cup format–48 teams this cycle, instead of the 32 teams of previous editions, where eight of the 12 third-place finishers will move on–a opening match victory and a plus-3 goal differential is likely enough to advance.
However, the Americans don’t want to get ahead of themselves with Türkiye and Australia set to kick off Saturday in Vancouver. The USMNT faces the Australian Socceroos in Seattle next Friday and closes the group stage against the Turks back in Los Angeles on June 25.
“It feels great. It felt good to help my team,” said Pulisic, who set up an Paraguay own goal eight minutes in and fed Balogun for the United States’ second goal in the 30th minute. “We haven’t accomplished anything yet. There’s still a lot more to do.”
If not the best performance in USMNT World Cup history, Friday was at least the best soccer the Americans have played under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Since being hired in September 2024, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss has employed a more pressing and attacking style of play that was on full display in the first half.
Throughout its World Cup qualification cycle in South America, Paraguay had played a style more reminiscent of how the United States used to play. La Albirroja played stout defensively allowing just seven goals across 12 qualifiers and counterpressed to wins over powers Brazil and Argentina.
Paraguay broke that shape in the first three minutes with early offensive pressure, trying to make an early dent in the Americans in front of their fervent, yet easily-made-nervous supporters. That might have worked against previous USA sides. It did not work against this one.
The USMNT used the space and attacked up the wings all game long, with Pulisic particularly cooking off the left side. Eight minutes in, Pulisic magically split two defenders and flicked the ball to Weston McKennie, whose own centering feed deflected off Damian Bobadilla into the Paraguay net for an own goal.
The pre-jacked red, white and blue crowd went into overdrive, and the United States never looked back.
“Whenever we walked out and heard the national anthem and seeing the crowd and people singing along, that is a moment that I got goosebumps and something that felt special,” McKennie said. “It was something that felt special. Something that’s hard to describe unless you’re there in that moment. The accumulation of all the work your team puts in, and all the guys, all the paths they took to be here in this moment together. I think that was the turning point for us. That’s what made it special.”
The United States nearly kept up the roll 20 minutes later, but Balogun was caught offside. That was merely a momentary deterrence.
Coming out of the hydration break in the 24th minute–another new feature of this World Cup to battle the North American summer heat–Antonee “Jedi” Robinson said he and Pulisic found a lane for a long ball, as Pulisic continued to attack the left wing.
In the 30th minute, Robinson found that lane and fired it down the line to Pulisic, who beat the defense and threaded a perfect pass to Balogun in the box. Balogun made no mistake, placing the ball to the right side, 2-0.
“There’s not much else to say. The kid’s insane,” Pulisic said of Balogun. “He’s lethal right now in front of the goal. We’re really lucky to have him.”
The U.S. continued to create down both flanks, and late into stoppage time, as the Paraguayans oddly dropped their pressure altogether, Balogun made magic.
Tillman had the time and space to slice a through ball to the right, where Balogun caught up to play the ball in stride. Balogun burned his defender, cut inside and with aplomb nailed the top left corner to send the L.A. crowd into halftime in an absolute frenzy.
It capped a complete 45-plus minutes for the Americans with a 3-0 lead at the break.“I don’t think I’m surprised. I’ve seen us play like this recently,” Pulisic said. “The guys were up for it. We have the ability to play and do the things we do on the ball, score goals, but today, just the effort, everything was there.”
Pulisic was subbed off after halftime with precaution for a potential calf injury. Pulisic said he was kicked in the back of the left calf, and it was something he’s dealt with before. The star forward is hopeful it’s noting and he’ll be back to full strength against Australia.
The Americans continued to dominate most of the second half, despite Paraguay finding the net in the 73rd minute. The U.S. defense fell asleep at the wheel for a second with a lost ball battle and lost coverage around the box.
The U.S. re-established its three-goal advantage once again in the very depths of stoppage time.
At the end of a 26-pass possession sequence, 82nd-minute substitution Gio Reyna scored a cleverly skilled goal in the eight minute of stoppage time. Reyna knocked the ball in from just inside the box with the outside of his left foot, which curled the ball far side for the 4-1 advantage.
It was the rocket’s red glare of an exclamation point on one of the most electric nights the U.S. Soccer program has ever seen.
In the lead-up to this home World Cup, the American players were asked plenty of questions about what this tournament can mean for the sport in this country, and most responded that it can inspire the next generation and excite a populous that isn’t always as excited about the world’s game as the rest of the world.
If the atmosphere around this Los Angeles opener and the performance that spurred it on is any indication, this could be a gamechaning and defining summer for the sport in this country and the trajectory of the U.S. men’s national team.
“Being in America, having this crowd around us, seeing the red, white and blue, all our red and white striped shirts in the crowd,” Pulisic said, “it’s awesome.” Hearing the USA chants. It’s really pushing us forward. We just hope it continues like that, and I’m sure it will. We’re just thankful for it.”