The USA kicked off their home World Cup with a dazzling performance, beating Paraguay 4-1 in front of 70,492 fans at Los Angeles Stadium — a venue that sits across the parking lot from the Forum, where the Los Angeles Lakers once put on a show. The US men’s national team embraced that Showtime ethos, playing Paraguay off the pitch.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino had preached quiet confidence the day before, telling his players to play with joy and focus, advice from a member of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup side. He got exactly what he asked for in a dazzling first half.
“Folarin Balogun scored twice as USA beat Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opener at Los Angeles Stadium.”
The opening goal came in less than 10 minutes. Tim Ream fizzed a ball along the back to Alex Freeman, who played a well-weighted ball up the channel for Weston McKennie. The Juventus midfielder scampered upfield, getting the ball to Christian Pulisic as both players advanced on the box. Pulisic squared the ball for McKennie, whose shot caromed off Damián Bobadilla and tumbled into the net.
On his World Cup debut, Folarin Balogun bagged a brilliant 20-minute double. In the 31st minute, he finished off a cross from Pulisic. His second came with the final kick of the first half: he ran on to a ball up the channel from Malik Tillman and, after some nimble work to bypass Gustavo Gómez, placed a shot into the top corner.
Pulisic was taken off at half-time, although the move appeared to be due to caution rather than injury. Evidently, Pochettino saw no sense in subjecting the team’s star player to petty shin-kicks as Paraguay scrapped to get back into the game.
Paraguay improved after the break, monitoring Balogun’s movement and tightening ranks to close down the half-spaces that were often available to the US in the opening 45 minutes. Eventually, they pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute when the US were caught out of position after a restart.
But the US held on for a 4-1 win, starting their campaign with aplomb. Balogun, a former England Under-21 international, bagged the double in front of a galaxy of Hollywood stars and the Beckhams.
Past versions of the US often took their foot off the gas after scoring at World Cups. On Friday, this group kept pouring on the pressure.