World Cup Group Stage - 1
USA 4 - 1 FT Paraguay
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
Juan Caceres 10'
31' Folarin Balogun (Christian Pulisic)
↓ Damian Bobadilla ↑Maurício Magalhães Prado 45'
45' ↓ Christian Pulisic ↑Sebastian Berhalter
HT
50' Folarin Balogun (Malik Tillman)
52' Tim Ream
Miguel Almirón 53'
59' Tyler Adams
↓ Antonio Sanabria ↑Alex Arce 62'
72' ↓ Sergiño Dest ↑Timothy Weah
72' ↓ Folarin Balogun ↑Ricardo Pepi
Maurício Magalhães Prado (Julio Enciso) 73'
Diego Gomez 79'
↓ Miguel Almirón ↑Ramon Sosa 79'
↓ Juan Caceres ↑Gustavo Velázquez 79'
↓ Diego Gomez ↑Alejandro Romero Gamarra 80'
82' ↓ Malik Tillman ↑Giovanni Reyna
Alex Arce 88'
Junior Alonso 93'
98' Giovanni Reyna (Alex Freeman)
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
USA
Goalkeepers
Matthew Freese 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
90
Minutes
Defenders
Alexander Freeman 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
7.3
Rating
Chris Richards 
MAGNET
93
Activity
93
Activity
83
Passes
10
Duels
Tim Ream
MAGNET
96
Activity
96
Activity
91
Passes
5
Duels
Antonee Robinson 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Tyler Adams
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Malik Tillman 
PROVOCATEUR
4
Fouls Won
4
Fouls Won
7
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Sergiño Dest
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
72
Total Mins
72
Entry
Weston McKennie 
DRIBBLER
3
Dribbles
3
Dribbles
3
Attempts
100%
Success %
Christian Pulišić
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
2
Key Passes
7.7
Rating
Forwards
Folarin Balogun 
HITMAN
2
Goals
2
Goals
3
On Target
9.1
Rating
BENCH
Matt Turner
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Chris Brady
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Auston Trusty
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Miles Robinson
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mark McKenzie
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Joe Scally
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sebastian Berhalter
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Maximilian Arfsten
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Giovanni Reyna 
CLUTCH HERO
98
Goal Time
98
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
7.3
Rating
Cristian Roldán
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Brenden Aaronson
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tim Weah
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
18
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alex Zendejas
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ricardo Pepi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
18
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Haji Wright
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Paraguay
Goalkeepers
Orlando Gill
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Juan Cáceres 
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
5
Tackles
56%
Duel Win %
Gustavo Gómez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Omar Alderete
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Junior Alonso
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Diego Gómez 
SWEEPER
4
Cleanups
4
Cleanups
2
Interceptions
2
Blocks
Andrés Cubas
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Damián Bobadilla 
FRIENDLY FIRE
Own Goal
Mistake
Own Goal
Mistake
0
Fouls
5.8
Rating
Miguel Almirón
LATE SHIFT
11
Late Mins
11
Late Mins
79
Total Mins
79
Entry
Forwards
Antonio Sanabria
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
62
Total Mins
62
Entry
Julio Enciso
PROVOCATEUR
4
Fouls Won
4
Fouls Won
8
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
BENCH
Gastón Olveira
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Roberto Fernández
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Fabián Balbuena
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alexandro Maidana
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gustavo Velázquez
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
José Canale
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mauricio 
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
Braian Ojeda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alejandro Romero
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Matías Galarza
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alex Arce
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
28
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gustavo Caballero
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gabriel Ávalos
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Isidro Pitta
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ramón Sosa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/15/2025 | USA | 2 - 1 | Paraguay | Friendlies | Subaru Park |
| 03/27/2018 | USA | 1 - 0 | Paraguay | Friendlies | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, North Carolina) |
| 06/11/2016 | USA | 1 - 0 | Paraguay | Copa America | Lincoln Financial Field |
USA Win
Paraguay Win
Draw
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Balogun Brace Fuels Ten-Man USA to World Cup Opening Thriller
Must-Watch Futmetrix Score: 96/100. Despite playing nearly an entire half with ten men, the host nation delivered a ruthless attacking masterclass to announce their World Cup intentions.
Early Havoc at SoFi
The Stakes for this group stage opener were monumental, and the palpable tension shattered immediately at SoFi Stadium. USA set a furious, high-pressing tempo from the jump, forcing a disastrous error in the seventh minute when Damian Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net. Rather than sit back and protect the early advantage, the host nation dominated possession and kept their foot firmly on the accelerator. Their unrelenting pressure paid off handsomely again just past the half-hour mark. Christian Pulisic carved open the bewildered Paraguay defense with a pinpoint delivery, allowing Folarin Balogun to slot home his first of the night. It was a commanding first-half attacking display that left the South American outfit chasing shadows across the pitch.
VAR Drama and a Hero's Brace
Our verdict on the match hinged entirely on a wild two-minute sequence just after the break. Right out of the tunnel, Balogun grabbed his brace by converting a sharp feed from Malik Tillman in the 50th minute, seemingly putting the game to bed. But the Balance of the tie flipped violently just two minutes later. A VAR review confirmed a straight red card for veteran defender Tim Ream, leaving the hosts a man down for nearly 40 minutes. Paraguay sensed blood in the water and surged forward, turning the match into a frantic siege. Substitute Maurício Magalhães Prado instantly vindicated his manager's tactical tweak, firing past the keeper off a clever setup from Julio Enciso to breathe sudden life into the visitors.
The Final Word
The numerical disadvantage forced the Americans into a desperate rearguard action, yet the Intensity never waned. A breathless barrage of 25 combined shots turned the final stages into a spectacular end-to-end clash. Paraguay threw absolutely everything forward searching for a miracle, leaving acres of space at the back. Deep into stoppage time, the hosts exploited that exact vulnerability to perfection. Coming off the bench, Giovanni Reyna latched onto a brilliant pass from Alex Freeman in the 98th minute to deliver the final dagger. The 4-1 scoreline might slightly flatter the victors given the second-half anxiety, but surviving a red card with such lethal attacking flair proves this squad means serious business on the global stage.
Key Questions
What made F. Balogun the Man of the Match?
He was absolutely clinical, netting a crucial brace to secure the victory before the team was reduced to ten men.
What caused the 5-goal thriller?
High offensive tempo, an early own goal, and a red card that forced a wildly open, end-to-end second half.
What does this mean for USA's season?
Taking three points in the opening group stage match puts them in pole position to advance to the knockout rounds.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Opening Day Nerves at the World Cup
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 27/100. A gritty group stage opener where survival takes precedence over spectacle, making it a rugged watch for purists rather than casual neutrals.
The Setup
The USA step out onto the pitch at SoFi Stadium on June 13, 2026, knowing that early momentum is everything in tournament football. With the pressure of a host nation crowd, this opening match of the group stage is entirely about finding a way to survive and advance. However, our metrics paint a muted picture for the neutral viewer. A dismal Stars rating indicates a distinct lack of marquee names to draw the global eye. Furthermore, a sluggish Form rating for both camps suggests a cagey, hesitant start to the tournament. What keeps this tie somewhat intriguing is a solid Balance rating; neither side is poised to run away with it easily, even if the immediate Stakes feel dialled down before the group permutations officially take shape.
Key Battle
With no standout individual superstars commanding the spotlight, this match will be decided by collective discipline. The home midfield will attempt to set the tempo and break lines, while Paraguay will likely rely on a resolute, deep-sitting defensive unit. Expect a physical war of attrition in the middle third where second balls, tackles, and set-piece execution matter far more than intricate passing sequences.
Our Prediction
We expect the host nation to eventually wear down their South American opponents. The visitors will defend stubbornly in a low block, but the home side's slight edge in overall quality should yield a narrow 1-0 victory late in the second half.