USA open home World Cup with rout against Paraguay

Folarin Balogun extended the lead (31st) after referee Danny Makkelie had initially interrupted play with an offside decision against Balogun and Pulisic. On the second goal, Sergino Dest provided the assist and Pulisic laid it off to Balogun. After a corner kick, center-back Chris Richards headed narrowly past the far post (38th), and Paraguay's keeper prevented the third goal against Malik Tillman (43rd). Shortly before the halftime whistle, Balogun then made it 3:0 with a spectacular strike (45+5) and sent the 70,492 spectators into a frenzy.

Early on, Diego Gomez had tested US keeper Matt Freese from a tight angle for the first time (2nd minute). Freese started in goal ahead of Matt Turner and justified his selection with a solid performance. The US defense, featuring 38-year-old veteran Tim Ream, allowed little over long stretches, even though Paraguay played with more courage after the break.

VAR intervention and Paraguay's response

After the interval, US coach Pochettino took Pulisic off at halftime. Sergino Dest had missed another chance to extend the lead in the 16th minute. In the 53rd minute, referee Danny Makkelie produced a curious scene: the Dutchman booked Deam for a tackle on Miguel Almirón and awarded a free kick to Paraguay. As the kick was already being taken, VAR intervened and sent the referee to the monitor. The Dutchman reviewed the incident, rescinded Deam's booking, and showed Almirón a yellow card for diving (53rd).

Paraguay, the team of Gustavo Alfaro, making their first World Cup appearance since 2010, fought their way back into the match. In the 73rd minute, Julio Enciso struck at the edge of the box and set up Mauricio perfectly, who scored to make it 3:1. Three minutes later, US substitute Timothy Weah finished powerfully, but the Paraguayan goalkeeper got his fingertips to the ball.

Reyna puts the cherry on top

The final word was spoken by substitute Giovanni Reyna in stoppage time (90+8), curling a stunning outside-of-the-boot effort into the far corner. Reyna, who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach, capped a gala performance from the hosts with a technical highlight. The ball landed precisely in the far corner, sealing the biggest opening-match victory by a US team at a World Cup.

At halftime, Alexi Lalas, who featured in the 1994 US home tournament opener against Switzerland (1:1), had delivered a remarkable verdict in the FOX studio: „Das war die beste erste Halbzeit einer Männer-Nationalmannschaft auf WM-Ebene jemals. Komplette Dominanz. Es geht nicht besser.“ The praise from the former US international underscored the historic scale of the performance.

Group stage outlook

Despite the stadium being officially sold out, numerous seats across the eight tiers of the stadium remained empty. SoFi Stadium, normally the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, provided an impressive backdrop for the opening match. Among the guests were celebrities such as Tom Cruise, David Beckham, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

With the clear win behind them, the USA can secure qualification for the knockout stage in their next group match against Australia in Seattle. Balogun, the 24-year-old from AS Monaco, staked his claim for the upcoming challenges with his two goals. Paraguay face Turkey the following night (5:00 AM CEST) in San Francisco and urgently need points after the heavy opening defeat.