The U.S. men's national soccer team won against Paraguay 4-1 on Friday night in their World Cup debut as co-hosts. The match took place in Los Angeles, where the U.S. team played aggressively throughout. Folarin Balogun scored two goals, Gio Reyna added another, and an own goal by Paraguayan defender Damian Bobadilla contributed to the scoreline. This marked the highest number of goals scored by a U.S. men's team in a World Cup match.
Paraguay received five yellow cards during the match, indicating a rough style of play. U.S. forward Christian Pulisic was substituted at halftime as a precaution after sustaining a kick to his left calf. Notably, U.S. center-back Chris Richards completed all 83 of his passes, achieving the highest number of passes with 100% accuracy in a World Cup game since 1966, according to sports analytics firm Opta. The U.S. team is scheduled to face Australia next Friday in Seattle.