US opens World Cup campaign with dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay
Quick Look
- The United States began their World Cup campaign with a resounding 4-1 victory against Paraguay.
- Striker Folarin Balogun scored twice, but concerns arose over Christian Pulisic's fitness.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay. The victory marked their most goals ever in a World Cup match.
The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday, powered by a first-half double from striker Folarin Balogun, but the victory was tempered by concern over the fitness of Christian Pulisic.
The emphatic Group D win marked a dream start for the co-hosts, whose four goals were their most ever in a World Cup match.
Balogun became the first US player to score twice in a World Cup game since the 1930 tournament.
“Amazing result,” US captain Tim Ream said. “It’s exactly the way we wanted to start the tournament.”
The US broke through Paraguay’s defence in the seventh minute when Pulisic deftly split two players and found Weston McKennie, whose cross was kicked into the net by Damian Bobadilla for an own goal.
Shortly after the first-half hydration break, Pulisic raced with the ball up the left side and sent a perfect cross to Balogun, who angled his shot past the diving goalkeeper Orlando Gill for a 2-0 lead.
Open Questions
- What is the extent of Christian Pulisic's injury?
- How will Pulisic's potential absence affect the US team?
