Balogun Braces as USA Routs Paraguay 4-1 in World Cup Opener
The lights in Inglewood do more than shine—they dazzle. Inside the massive, radiant Los Angeles Stadium, the pressure on the U.S. men’s national team was overwhelming. Thirty-two years after the World Cup last arrived in America, the home team strode onto the field with history watching and 70,492 fans demanding a spectacle. They exceeded expectations. The U.S. team outclassed Paraguay. Nobody discussed ticket prices anymore. Celebrities like Tom Cruise and David Beckham, fresh from his Walk of Fame star ceremony, joined politicians Marco Rubio and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña in the luxury suites. They came for entertainment, and Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun delivered. Just seven minutes in, Paraguay’s defence, usually resolute in CONMEBOL qualifying, faltered. Pulisic surged past two defenders and fed Weston McKennie. McKennie’s quick cross created chaos, causing Paraguay's Damian Bobadilla to accidentally deflect the ball into his own net. But the true headline was Balogun. The striker asserted his dominance in the box. Just after a first-half hydration break, Pulisic sprinted up the left flank. He fired a pinpoint cross to Balogun, who coolly slotted the ball past Orlando Gill’s outstretched hands. 2-0.  Balogun struck again right before halftime. He chased down a long pass, shrugged off a sliding defender, manoeuvred through two others, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner. Both ruthless and memorable. The adrenaline showed. "It's exactly how we wanted to start the tournament." Then came a surprise. When the teams returned for the second half, Pulisic was missing from the lineup. He had been substituted, even though there was no clear sign of injury or discomfort during the first half. The crowd became uneasy, whispering among themselves, while all eyes turned to coach Mauricio Pochettino, who now had to clarify his decision to the press. As expected, Paraguay responded aggressively after halftime. The Americans briefly lost focus, and substitute Mauricio capitalised on a defensive lapse in the 73rd minute to score for Paraguay. The Americans quickly snuffed out hopes of a comeback. In stoppage time, Gio Reyna lingered at the edge of the box and stylishly flicked a ball with the outside of his right foot into the net. Pure class. 4-1. "The opposition was better than us," a disappointed Junior Alonso said after the game. The Paraguayan defender was honest: "Regretting things won’t help us at all; we need to use these mistakes to improve." For the U.S., the disappointing exit in Qatar now feels distant. With momentum, points, and confidence, they next face Australia on June 19 in Seattle. If they keep playing like this, Group D should be concerned.
