INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Folarin Balogun scored his second goal into the top corner of Paraguay’s net and then led his American teammates into the corner of their home stadium, basking in the frenzy created by their historic first half in their World Cup opener.
The world’s biggest soccer tournament finally returned to the US on Friday night after a generation of anticipation.
With this phenomenal match, even the Americans seem to have arrived.
Balogun scored twice in the Americans’ three-goal halftime flurry and the USA opened the home open. World Cup in 32 years with the biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
Christian Pulisic had an assist in a stellar halftime performance for the Americans, who wowed their Southern California fans with an aggressive attack as they raced to a 3-0 lead — the team’s largest in any World Cup game.
“It meant everything to us,” Pulisic said. “A half like that, to go the way it did and get the fans excited about our performance felt amazing.”
Gio Reyna scored another goal in the dying moments of the second half in injury time, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup game for the first time in their tournament history dating back to 1930.
This production, this confidence, this dominance – it was nothing like the vast majority of the Americans’ previous performances on the international stage over the years and decades.
They have won exactly one knockout match in the World Cup. They have almost always struggled to score at the biggest events, most recently managing just a combined three goals in their four games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In this pressure-packed home opener, the Americans were a transformed team as they played in coach Mauricio Pochettino’s more creative system in front of a passionate and star-studded Los Angeles crowd of 70,492. Led by the elite talent and fear-inspiring coaching of Balogun, Pulisic and Weston McKennie up front, the USA finally got their breakthrough performance at SoFi Stadium.
“It’s difficult to compare with the past,” said Pochettino, who took over at the end of 2024. “I don’t know what happened in the past. I think we have to talk about today because it was a great game. It was amazing for our fans to see, to watch this kind of game, and today, I’m very proud and we’re so proud. I think the fans of America are winning a lot for the sport that we’re winning here.”
Not everything went perfectly: Pulisic was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter at half-time for precautionary reasons. Pochettino said Pulisic was kicked in the back of his left calf during a training session this week and felt a cramp later in the match.
“Staying positive,” Pulisic said. “I don’t think it’s anything.”
Maurício scored in the second half for Paraguay but La Albirroja fell far behind early in their first World Cup match in 16 years.
“The USA won this match very clearly and fairly,” Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said through a translator. “They dominated tactically, technically and physically as well. … This team is a complex challenge because they have answers for everything you throw at them.”
After the USA went ahead on an early own goal set up by Pulisic man Balogun scored in the 31st minute AND again in the fifth minute of injury time in the first half.
The New York-born, London-raised striker made his World Cup debut with the first multi-goal appearance by an American player at the tournament since 1930. Balogun chose to represent the USA three years ago rather than stay in the English system, where he would surely have struggled to break into the Three Lions’ roster – and the 24-year-old Monaco pro has quickly provided the top-level strikers in the historically lacking American footballers.
“Poch has said many times, ‘Why not us?'” Balogun said. “We have to believe. You can’t do anything if you don’t believe in yourself.”
Pulisic set up the USA’s first two goals with incredible runs down the left side. In the seventh minute, the Milan standout cleverly split two defenders and passed to McKennie, whose centering touch hit the outstretched leg of Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla and went in, causing a stir in the stands.
The Americans gradually built up their attack centered around Pulisic’s runs – and three minutes after an apparent goal by Balogun was ruled out by an offside call, Pulisic again dribbled down the left flank and took a deflected pass to the onrushing Balogun, who tapped home.
Malik Tillman then produced a perfect pass in injury time to Balogun, who broke through the Paraguayan defense and found the top shelf beautifully.
The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by sliding into the box and fingering home his first World Cup goal. The moment was sweet for Reyna, who barely played at the Qatar World Cup amid a messy family dispute with former US coach Gregg Berhalter.
Dozens of American celebrities and cultural icons attended the 10-mile race south of Hollywood, including Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Bill Gates, Halle Berry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer
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