The World Cup arrived in the United States with fireworks, celebrities and a packed stadium. By the final whistle in Los Angeles, it also had a new star.
Folarin Balogun scored twice as the USA launched their home World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay, matching the nation’s biggest-ever win at the tournament and sending an early warning to the rest of the field.
More than 70,000 fans packed SoFi Stadium expecting a spectacle. Mauricio Pochettino’s side delivered one almost immediately.
The breakthrough came after just seven minutes when Christian Pulisic burst through the Paraguayan defence and helped create an own goal from Damian Bobadilla. It was the perfect start for a team carrying the weight of expectation on home soil.
Pulisic, wearing the captain’s armband and playing with confidence, was at the heart of everything. The AC Milan star then supplied Balogun for the striker’s first goal after an earlier effort had been ruled out for offside.
The former Arsenal forward was not finished. Moments later, he raced onto Malik Tillman’s pass, shrugged off a challenge and curled a stunning finish into the top corner to put the hosts firmly in control.
“Yeah, it was definitely a statement, three goals in the first half opening game,” Balogun said. “I felt like it was a real statement, and that’s what you wanted to do.”
His performance placed him in rare company. Balogun became the first American player since 1930 to score twice in a World Cup match, writing his name into national team history on football’s biggest stage.
Pochettino was equally delighted with what he witnessed.
“In the first 45 minutes, I said we were amazing,” the Argentine said. “It’s difficult to find a team to play like this. So happy and so proud.”
The only concern arrived at half-time when Pulisic was withdrawn after taking a knock to his calf. “We didn’t want to take any risks with him,” Pochettino explained.
Paraguay briefly threatened a comeback through Mauricio’s well-taken goal, but the contest was already slipping away. The South Americans, known for their defensive resilience, struggled to cope with the speed and movement of the American attack.
The final flourish belonged to Giovanni Reyna. Deep into stoppage time, the substitute curled a brilliant effort into the net with the outside of his boot, capping a memorable evening.
“This is only one game,” Pochettino cautioned. “It’s the start, but we need to be intelligent.”
