The USMNT and Paraguay kicked off at 9 p.m. ET from Los Angeles Stadium. The USMNT, coached by Mauricio Pochettino, enters Friday at the No. 17 spot in the FIFA World Rankings.
The United States’ World Cup bid got off to a dream start when Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla scored an own goal in the sixth minute, giving the Americans an early lead in the highly anticipated group stage matchup.
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Fans inside the packed stadium in Inglewood, California, roared as the USMNT seized an early advantage.
Folarin Balogun doubled the United States’ lead in the 30th minute. The New York native celebrated enthusiastically with his teammates after scoring his first World Cup goal, a milestone moment in his international career.
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Balogun’s strike gave the U.S. a two-goal cushion in the 30th minute, the third-fastest the Americans have reached that mark in a World Cup match. The only time Team USA managed to put the ball in the net sooner was in 2002 against Portugal (29th minute) and in a 1930 meeting with Paraguay (15th minute).
Balogun struck again just before halftime, extending the United States’ lead and sending the crowd in Inglewood into a frenzy.
Balogun raced onto a pinpoint pass from teammate Malik Tillman before curling a shot into the top-left corner for a standout goal.
Team USA headed into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Midfielder Mauricio pulled one back for Paraguay in the 73rd minute, trimming the United States’ lead to 3-1. The Americans will return to action June 19 against Australia in Seattle.
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