USA power past Paraguay in opener
Jun 14, 2026
New York [US], June 14: The United States have opened their FIFA World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in their Group D clash at the Los Angeles Stadium.
The Americans took an early lead in the seventh minute after Paraguay's Damian Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net before Folarin Balogun took control of the match with a first half brace.
Balogun struck in the 31st minute and again in first-half stoppage time to give the USA a commanding 3-0 advantage at the break.
Paraguay showed some fight early in the second half and pulled one back in the 73rd minute through Mauricio, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly ended.
Substitute Gio Reyna sealed the result deep into stoppage time, scoring in the 90th minute to cap off a dominant performance by the hosts.
The convincing win gives the United States a strong start to their World Cup campaign, while Paraguay will need to regroup quickly ahead of their next group fixture.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
