US ahead #20 Folarin Balogun (c) celebrates with teammates after scoring his crew’s third objective in the course of the 2026 World Cup Group D soccer match between USA and Paraguay on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026. — AFP
LOS ANGELES: The US may scarcely have scripted a greater begin to their World Cup as a Folarin Balogun brace and Gio Reyna roller fired the co-hosts to a 4-1 drubbing of Paraguay in entrance of Hollywood royalty in Los Angeles on Friday.
The hosts took the lead within the match’s first sport on US soil inside seven minutes because of an personal objective, and by the top of an completely dominant half the house followers have been in dreamland, their aspect up by three.
Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton have been amongst a sold-out 70,492 crowd because the US — co-hosting the match with Mexico and Canada — piled wave after wave of assaults on the South People, with Reyna sprucing off the win late in stoppage time after Mauricio had pulled one again.
The win and emphatic scoreline places the US in a beneficial place already to progress from Group D, which additionally comprises Australia and Turkiye.
The evening’s solely potential bitter word was the half-time withdrawal of Christian Pulisic, the US attacking talisman who’s carrying the hopes of the nation as they try a deep run into the World Cup knockouts for the primary time since their quarter-final look in 2002.
Christian Pulisic #10 of america seems to be on as he walks off on the finish of the primary half in the course of the Fifa World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, US. — AFP
Paraguay couldn’t have been extra obliging company from kickoff. Within the seventh minute, Weston McKennie picked up the ball within the centre circle and drove upfield, discovering Pulisic.
Pulisic darted between two defenders and returned the ball to McKennie, whose move to striker Balogun was bundled into his personal internet by a hapless Damian Bobadilla.
The stadium erupted, and a US onslaught started.
The hosts oozed confidence. Each McKennie and Tillman performed backheel by way of balls into the world, whereas captain Tim Ream sprayed out passes from the center of defence.
Balogun had a objective dominated out within the twenty eighth minute. He had strayed offside, as had Pulisic within the buildup.
However the Monaco striker had the ball within the internet once more three minutes later, because of an excellent ball down the left flank by Antonee Robinson to Pulisic, whose cross to Balogun took a slight fortuitous deflection.
American singer and songwriter Katy Perry performs with younger singer Tius Luka forward of the 2026 World Cup Group D soccer match between USA and Paraguay on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026. — AFP
The US added a 3rd on the cusp of half-time. Tillman discovered Balogun down the fitting, who evaded Omar Alderete’s problem, skipped inside Gustavo Gomez and curled his shot completely into the highest left nook.
It may have been 4 or 5, with Chris Richards — getting back from harm — flashing a header barely an inch huge. The US had 75% possession within the first half.
Now with out the damaging Pulisic, the hosts sat again barely within the second half.
Paraguay lastly supplied a menace. Their harmful ahead Julio Enciso, who began regardless of a hamstring harm, picked up the ball on the sting of the world and fed in Brazil-born substitute Mauricio, who pulled one again.
Reyna scored an excellent fourth with the skin of his proper foot that curled simply contained in the far publish.
The sport had been preceded by a Tinseltown-style opening ceremony. Katy Perry delivered the headline efficiency, accompanied by singers Future, Tyla, Anitta and Okay-pop star Lisa.
Performers danced round a large World Cup trophy beneath huge “FIFA” letters within the gold favoured by US President Donald Trump — who didn’t attend, as a substitute wishing the crew luck by way of cellphone earlier than kickoff.
