{"id":584,"date":"2026-06-14T11:34:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T11:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=584"},"modified":"2026-06-14T11:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T11:34:07","slug":"usmnt-relentless-vs-paraguay-to-win-world-cup-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=584","title":{"rendered":"USMNT relentless vs. Paraguay to win World Cup opener"},"content":{"rendered":"
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. \u2014 The United States got its 2026 World Cup off to a thundering, near-flawless start with a 4-1 win over Paraguay in its opener Friday at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Read more Yoshinobu Yamamoto loses no-hit bid in 9th, but Dodgers rout White Sox<\/a><\/p>\n

After eight long years of anticipation, under the weight of immense expectations, star forward Christian Pulisic met the moment; he created two early goals that lit up a giddy crowd of 70,492.<\/p>\n

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Folarin Balogun, the striker recruited away from England, scored the second and then rifled a third into the top corner on the brink of halftime.<\/p>\n

The goals, and the occasion, ignited tens of thousands of fans, many clad in red and white stripes. Chants of \u201cU-S-A, U-S-A\u201d crescendoed around the opulent stadium. The first half was arguably the best half of soccer that the U.S. has ever played at a men\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n

If there was any cause for concern, it came as Pulisic was substituted at halftime, which is a potential worry. And over the second 45 minutes, as the pace slowed, Paraguay grabbed a goal in the 73rd minute. But the night ended on an exclamation point for the U.S., with substitute Gio Reyna bending in the Americans\u2019 fourth off the outside of his boot at the death. The four goals are the most a U.S. men\u2019s team has ever scored at a World Cup \u2014 and more than the U.S. scored during the entirety of its 2022 World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n

All in all, it was dream start to a home World Cup around which so much hope has been built. For a generation of players charged with charting a different course for American soccer, it was a long-awaited coming-out party that will send hype into overdrive.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a closer look at a largely ideal World Cup opener for the U.S.:<\/p>\n

Pulisic and McKennie have known each other since they were young teenagers, meeting on a bus at an under-14 national team ID camp. They\u2019ve spent nearly half their lives playing soccer together for U.S. national teams \u2014 first at youth levels, then for the senior team beginning in 2018. They, more than anybody, represent the promise of this \u201cgolden generation\u201d of American players. And despite their sharply contrasting personalities \u2014 Pulisic an introvert, McKennie gregarious \u2014 they are close friends.<\/p>\n

So it was poetic that they, on this stage built for them, created the opening goal in less than eight minutes.<\/p>\n

McKennie got on the ball in midfield and sprayed the ball out to Pulisic, who snaked through two Paraguayan defenders, then squared the ball back to his teammate and friend. McKennie looked to play a ball across the box, but Paraguay defender Dami\u00e1n Bobadilla stuck out his foot and deflected it past his own goalkeeper to give the U.S. an early lead.<\/p>\n

It was Pulisic again as the danger man for the U.S. just past the half hour mark. The AC Milan winger got on the ball on the left side and crossed for Balogun, who finished inside the far post.<\/p>\n

After such a bright start for Pulisic, it was a shock to see him come off at halftime for Sebastian Berhalter. The son of former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter would add defensive bite to midfield in a 3-0 game, but it was still surprising to see the U.S.\u2019s best player come off the field after 45 minutes.<\/p>\n

On the FOX broadcast, reporter Jenny Taft said Pulisic signaled to his family that he \u201cwas OK,\u201d she said, but it was not immediately clear if the change was made for tactical reasons or an injury issue. Mauricio Pochettino cleared that up some, saying that Pulisic took a kick to the calf, and he started to feel tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to take any risks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Over the next week, as the U.S. prepares to face Australia in Seattle, that calf will be closely monitored<\/p>\n

Read more Green signs executive order to preserve 2026 renewable energy tax credit<\/a><\/p>\n

Coming out of the 2022 World Cup, one of the major areas the U.S. knew it needed to address was efficiency in the final third. Most notably, the U.S. needed a No. 9 it could count on to score consistently.<\/p>\n

In 2023, they found their answer. And it\u2019s why Folarin Balogun was the easy pick to be the breakout player of the World Cup for the U.S.<\/p>\n

He wasted little time showing why he could be a big reason the U.S. has a successful summer tournament. The former England under-21 striker, who committed to the U.S. in 2023, scored twice in the first half, including a brilliant and confident left-footed finish into the upper corner that gave the Americans a 3-0 lead right at halftime.<\/p>\n

Balogun, coming off of a fantastic season at Monaco, was the subject of an over-the-top recruitment three years ago. A British-Nigerian-American forward who was scoring bags of goals while on loan from Arsenal to Reims in France\u2019s Ligue 1, Balogun traveled to Orlando after withdrawing from England under-21 camp in 2023. The U.S. senior team just happened to be training in Central Florida, too.<\/p>\n

The chase to win the striker over was on \u2014 and American fans spamming his Instagram helped to sway the decision. Balogun committed to the U.S. program a few months after that Orlando visit. Over the last three years, he scored nine goals with four assists in his first 27 appearances with the U.S., with many goals coming in big games or against tough opponents.<\/p>\n

He backed up that knack for scoring in the biggest moments for the national team on Friday with his two-goal outing to open the World Cup. It reinforced why Balogun might be the most important player in the U.S. lineup not named Pulisic.<\/p>\n

Time and time again throughout the laborious buildup to the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. played in half-empty stadiums, in soulless environments, or even as an away team on home soil.<\/p>\n

On Friday, fans met the moment too. They began filing into SoFi Stadium four hours before kickoff, buzzing with excitement. There were American soccer lovers from many different walks of life \u2014 Black men and White men, Latina women and Asian women, grandparents and young kids, many wearing U.S. soccer jerseys or other paraphernalia.<\/p>\n

Overpriced tickets had generated concern that the match would not be sold out. But diehard supporters, many of whom jumped at dipping prices over the past week, decided they couldn\u2019t miss this grand occasion. They helped propel the team, and the team propelled them, and the virtuous cycle of emotion that head coach Pochettino has long craved came to fruition.<\/p>\n

In the second half, the Video Assistant Referee stepped in to overturn a call. But it wasn\u2019t a goal, it wasn\u2019t a penalty and it wasn\u2019t offside. The VAR stepped in to review for \u201cmistaken identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was to overturn a foul and yellow card on Tim Ream and instead give that card for embellishment to Miguel Almir\u00f3n.<\/p>\n

Upon further review, it was clear Ream, who had insisted on his innocence, did not make contact with Almir\u00f3n. And with that, the 2026 World Cup introduced a new wrinkle, and something that should put players on notice going forward at this tournament.<\/p>\n

Read more Brazil manager: \u2018Nerves were all over the place\u2019 in opening Morocco draw<\/a><\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in The Athletic. <\/em>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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