The United States launched their home World Cup in emphatic fashion Friday, thrashing Paraguay 4-1 with a perfectly scripted opening performance to delight a star-studded home crowd in Los Angeles.
Folarin Balogun scored twice while relentless US pressure led to an early Paraguay own goal from Damian Bobadilla before substitute Gio Reyna added a late fourth to cap a dream start for Mauricio Pochettino’s side at the SoFi Stadium in Group D.
The US entered the tournament amid a swirl of uncertainty after a series of defeats and unconvincing performances in pre-World Cup friendlies.
But any doubts about their ability to progress past the first round were obliterated in a dazzling first-half display which saw them roar into a 3-0 lead to all but seal victory in the opening 45 minutes.
“Just a great start from the guys,” US star Christian Pulisic said afterwards. “The guys came out with so much energy, just a great performance and a deserved win.
“It’s just the start of a long journey. We’ve got a lot more to do. It’s really, really great start and we should be proud but we’ve got to keep pushing and be ready for the next game.”
