The United States didn’t come to participate. They came to win — and they made that clear from the very first minute with a display of modern, intelligent and ruthless football that left Paraguay without answers and sent a message to the entire world. A commanding 4-1 victory in front of 70,492 fans at Los Angeles Stadium sent the crowd home convinced: this team is coming for much more.

«Ho’a che ári yvága» — the sky fell on me. That’s how the Guaraní language describes a total catastrophe, a devastating failure that leaves you without strength. There is no better way to describe what Paraguay experienced on this night in Los Angeles.

The Debut in Images

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Mauricio Roberto Pochettino set up a high-intensity tactical system from the opening whistle: relentless pressure from Paraguay’s own penalty area, quick transitions down the flanks and a wide pitch that proved lethal against Gustavo Julio Alfaro’s defensive structure. Wing-backs Sergiño Gianni Dest and Antonee Robinson made constant overlapping runs down both sides, creating numerical advantages that Paraguay never found an answer for.

In many ways, Paraguay received a heavy dose of their own medicine — that same defensive, compact system that had earned them victories over the years was used against them with brutal efficiency.

If Pochettino provided the blueprint, three men executed it to perfection. Malik Tillman was the conductor in central midfield, controlling the tempo of the game from start to finish with composure beyond his years. Christian Mate Pulisic was an unstoppable force down the left flank, creating danger every time he touched the ball. And Folarin Jerry Balogun was simply unplayable — fast, physical and clinical in front of goal.

Players of the caliber of Miguel Almirón, Andrés Cubas and Diego Gómez, alongside striker Julio Enciso, tried their best. But there was little they could do against the aggression and organization of a team that never allowed them to settle.

The Goals

The night started early on the wrong side. In the 7th minute, Damián Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net under the suffocating pressure of the American press, setting the tone for what was to come.

At the half-hour mark, Folarin Jerry Balogun put any remaining doubt to rest with a precise finish inside the box — his first World Cup goal. The Monaco striker wasn’t done: in the 73rd minute, a thunderous left-footed strike into the top corner past Orlando Gill’s outstretched hand confirmed his magnificent night and sent the stadium into a frenzy.

Paraguay found brief respite in the 77th minute through Mauricio Magalhães, after a neat combination between Almirón and Enciso. But the joy was short-lived. Giovanni Reyna put the finishing touch on the victory with a first-time finish of the highest quality, closing out the rout and sealing the message: the United States are here to stay.

Balogun’s Night

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Lineups