The USA national team successfully began the home World Cup by defeating Paraguay 4-1. The main hero of the match was Folarin Balogun, who scored a brace.
The USA national team confidently started the World Cup, which is being held for the first time in three countries — the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
In the opening match, the Americans defeated Paraguay 4-1, making a serious claim to advance from the group after the first round.
The tournament hosts quickly seized the initiative. Already in the seventh minute, after a swift attack, Paraguayan defender Damian Bobadilla sent the ball into his own net.
Before the break, the Americans effectively settled the question of the winner. The main actor was Folarin Balogun. Initially, one of his goals was disallowed for offside, but soon the striker scored after a pass from Christian Pulisic. Just before halftime, Balogun completed a brace, bringing the score to 3-0.
For the USA national team, such a start is particularly important, as home World Cups traditionally come with increased attention from fans and additional pressure on the players.
In the second half, Paraguay managed to reduce the deficit. In the 73rd minute, Mauricio Prado finished a quick attack for his team, making the score 1-3.
However, the South Americans could not maintain the intrigue. Already in stoppage time, Giovanni Reyna scored with a beautiful shot from the edge of the penalty area, establishing the final result — 4-1.
After the first round, the USA leads the fight in Group F. Also in the group are the national teams of Australia and Turkey, who still have to play their opening match.
This World Cup has become historic. For the first time, 48 national teams are participating in the final stage instead of the previous 32.
At the end of the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, along with the eight best teams that finish in third place. This means that a successful start significantly increases the chances of continuing the fight for the title.
The group tournament will conclude on June 27, and the knockout matches will begin the following day. The World Cup final will take place on July 19.
