A team that wanted to impose its will
On a Friday night in Inglewood, the United States men's national team offered something it has rarely delivered on the World Cup stage — a performance of genuine offensive conviction. Before 70,000 witnesses and a constellation of cultural onlookers, the Americans dismantled Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium, a result that felt less like a single victory than the opening statement of a team that has quietly reimagined itself. Under a new coach and with a striker finally worthy of the moment, the U.S. program appears to have crossed a threshold it has long approached but never cleared.
- The U.S. seized control from the opening whistle, creating relentless pressure that produced an own goal within seven minutes and never allowed Paraguay to settle.
- Folarin Balogun — a 24-year-old who chose the U.S. over England — scored twice before halftime, becoming the first American to net multiple World Cup goals since 1930 and instantly redefining what this program can expect from its striker position.
- Christian Pulisic's first-half creativity was the engine of the attack, but his halftime substitution — reason unclear — left the team visibly diminished and raised questions about his availability going forward.
- Paraguay's 73rd-minute consolation was a footnote; Gio Reyna's stoppage-time fourth goal was a redemption arc, scored by a player who had been sidelined by controversy at the last World Cup.
- The U.S. now leads Group D with three points, heading into a June 19 clash with Australia in Seattle — and carrying the weight of a performance that suggests Qatar was not a ceiling, but a floor they have already left behind.
The U.S. men's national team walked into SoFi Stadium on Friday night and played like a team that had something to prove — and then proved it. A 4-1 demolition of Paraguay, the highest-scoring World Cup match in program history, announced that something fundamental has changed in how this side operates.
The opening goal came in the seventh minute through a fortunate deflection off a Paraguayan defender, but fortune had little to do with the pressure that created it. Christian Pulisic was the architect of the first half, threading passes with precision and orchestrating the kind of fluid attack the U.S. has rarely produced on this stage. It was Folarin Balogun, however, who seized the night. The 24-year-old striker — who three years ago chose to represent the U.S. rather than pursue a path with England — scored twice before halftime, the second a brilliant finish into the top corner. No American had scored multiple goals in a World Cup match since 1930.
Pulisic was substituted at halftime under unclear circumstances, and the Americans were noticeably less incisive without him. Paraguay scored a consolation in the 73rd minute, but the match was long decided. Gio Reyna sealed it in stoppage time — a moment of personal redemption for a player who had barely featured in Qatar four years earlier amid a painful family dispute with the previous coaching staff.
The transformation traces back to new coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose more creative system has unlocked an attack that managed only three goals across all four matches at the last World Cup. The crowd — which included Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among others — reflected the cultural gravity of hosting the tournament in Los Angeles.
The U.S. sits atop Group D and faces Australia on June 19 in Seattle. If Friday was a signal, the team arriving in the Pacific Northwest will bear little resemblance to the one that quietly exited Qatar.
The American men's soccer team arrived at SoFi Stadium on Friday night and simply overwhelmed Paraguay from the opening whistle. By the time the final whistle sounded, the scoreboard read 4-1, a result that felt almost inevitable given how thoroughly the U.S. controlled the match. It was the kind of performance that suggested something had fundamentally shifted in how this team plays.
The opening goal arrived almost by accident. In the seventh minute, Christian Pulisic threaded a pass down the left side with the kind of precision that would define his first half. Weston McKennie collected it and sent a centering touch toward the goal. The ball struck Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla's outstretched foot and deflected past goalkeeper Orlando Gill. The crowd of 70,492 erupted. An own goal, yes, but it reflected the relentless pressure the Americans were applying.
Folarin Balogun, the 24-year-old striker who chose to represent the United States three years ago rather than pursue his chances with England, then took over. In the 31st minute, he slid a finish past Gill to make it 2-0. Before halftime, with the match already decided, Balogun struck again—a brilliant effort into the top left corner that announced his arrival on the World Cup stage. Two goals in a debut World Cup match. For a U.S. program that has historically struggled to field elite striker talent, the moment carried real weight. The last American to score multiple goals in a World Cup match was in 1930.
Pulisic, who had orchestrated much of the early dominance, was replaced at halftime by Sebastian Berhalter. The AC Milan midfielder appeared to signal to family in the stands that he was fine, though the team did not immediately clarify whether the substitution was precautionary or injury-related. Without him, the Americans were noticeably less sharp in the second half. Paraguay pulled one back in the 73rd minute through midfielder Mauricio, a consolation that changed nothing about the trajectory of the match. Gio Reyna added a fourth goal in stoppage time, a moment of particular sweetness for the winger, who had barely featured at the Qatar World Cup four years earlier amid a family dispute with then-coach Gregg Berhalter.
The victory reflected the influence of new coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose more creative system had transformed how the team attacks. At Qatar, the U.S. had managed only three goals across four matches. Here, in a single game, they had already surpassed that total. The performance suggested a team with genuine offensive ambitions, built around Pulisic's creativity and Balogun's finishing.
The crowd itself spoke to the moment. Dozens of celebrities and cultural figures had made the trip to Inglewood—Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Bill Gates, Halle Berry, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was the kind of turnout that reflected both the cultural moment of the World Cup and the particular star power of hosting the tournament in Los Angeles.
With three points secured, the U.S. sits atop Group D, ahead of matches between Australia and Turkey on Saturday. The next American test comes on June 19 in Seattle against Australia. If Friday's display is any indication, the team that takes the field in the Pacific Northwest will look nothing like the one that limped through Qatar.
Notable Quotes
The Americans were a team transformed while playing in new coach Mauricio Pochettino's more creative system— Match analysis
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What made this performance so different from what we saw four years ago in Qatar?
The system changed. Pochettino came in with a philosophy that prioritizes creative movement and attacking width. Pulisic's runs down the left side weren't accidents—they were the architecture of the whole thing. In Qatar, the U.S. was more cautious, more reactive. This felt like a team that wanted to impose its will.
Balogun's two goals in his World Cup debut—how significant is that really?
It matters because the U.S. has never had a reliable, elite-level striker. Balogun chose this team over England, where he likely would have been a backup. Now he's showing why that gamble might pay off. Two goals in 90 minutes against a real opponent is the kind of statement that changes expectations.
Christian Pulisic was taken off at halftime. Was he hurt?
Nobody said. He signaled to his family he was fine, but the substitution happened. Without him in the second half, the team was visibly less dangerous. That tells you how much of the attack was running through him.
What does this mean for the rest of the group?
Australia and Turkey play Saturday. Whoever wins that match will be chasing the U.S. for the top spot. But if the Americans play like this again, it's hard to see them not advancing. The question is whether this was a statement performance or the new normal.
The crowd—was that just celebrity tourism, or did it matter?
Both. Yes, there were famous people there. But 70,000 people in Los Angeles, many of them soccer fans, creating that kind of atmosphere—that's real. The team felt it. You could see it in how they played.