Four Goals, One Statement: How the U.S. Opened Its World Cup with a Rout of Paraguay

The United States men’s national team didn’t just beat Paraguay on Friday night. They buried them. And in doing so, they sent a message not just to Group D, but to every team watching from home.

The final score at Los Angeles Stadium read 4-1. But for the first 73 minutes, it looked like a demolition. The U.S. raced to a 3-0 halftime lead thanks to a brace from Folarin Balogun and an own goal forced by a slick combination between Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie. By the time the whistle blew for the break, the sell-out crowd of 70,492 was already buzzing with a belief that this World Cup run might be something special.

Balogun’s first goal came in the 12th minute, a sharp finish after a defensive lapse by Paraguay. His second, just before halftime, was a clinical near-post strike that killed any hope of a comeback. The own goal, credited to Paraguay’s Gustavo Gómez, was the kind of chaotic, high-pressing goal that coaches love—Pulisic pressured the backline, McKennie flicked the ball forward, and the defender had no choice but to turn it into his own net.

The only real scare came in the 73rd minute, when Paraguay’s Maurício pulled one back with a composed finish. It cut the lead to 3-1 and gave La Albirroja a flicker of life. But any chance of a full comeback was extinguished deep into stoppage time, when Giovanni Reyna curled a stunning outside-of-the-foot shot past the goalkeeper to make it 4-1. That goal gave the U.S. its highest-ever single-game goal total in a World Cup match.

For Paraguay, playing in their first World Cup since 2010, the night was a harsh reminder of the gap between a tournament co-host playing at home and a side still finding its footing on the global stage.

The U.S. now turns its attention to Seattle, where they face Australia on June 19. A win there would all but secure a spot in the Round of 32, and with three points already in hand, the team controls its own destiny. The crowd in Los Angeles made it clear: this team has the support. Now it’s about maintaining the momentum.

If Friday night was any indication, the U.S. isn’t just happy to be here. They’re here to make noise.