Balogun brace powers USA to 4-1 victory over Paraguay
Monaco striker Folarin Balogun was the star of the show as the United States Men National team (USMNT) did enough to defeat Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opening match on Saturday morning.
Balogun scored a stunning brace in the game as the Americans set their World Cup scoring record giving fans reason to believe after sweeping their opponents away in the Group D game played at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angels.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side drew first blood in the game with a seventh-minute own-goal opener that saw Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie combine to give the USMNT that perfect start in the match.
Paraguay’s defence structure was left exposed again when Christian Pulisic set up Balogun to score the second goal for the American national team in the 31st minute of the game.
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Balogun bagged his brace in the first half of stoppage time when he connected a pass from teammate Malik Tillman before beating two defenders to fire home a shot which beat the helpless Paraguay goalkeeper.
Managed by Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay played highly compact, defensive, and physical game, looking to frustrate the Americans and it paid off when Mauricio reduced the deficit in the 73rd-minute of the game.
The USMNT put the game beyond the Paraguay team when Gio Reyna scored the fourth goal for USMNT with the last kick of the game sending fans into rapturous celebrations.
The USA will now face Australia, while Paraguay is set to match up against Türkiye in the second group games of the World Cup on June 19, 2026.
