By Rory Carroll
INGLEWOOD, California, June 12 (Reuters) – The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday, powered by a first-half double from striker Folarin Balogun, but the victory was tempered by concern over the fitness of Christian Pulisic.
The emphatic Group D win marked a dream start for the co-hosts, whose four goals were their most ever in a World Cup match. Balogun became the first U.S. player to score twice in a World Cup game since the 1930 tournament.
“Amazing result,” U.S. captain Tim Ream said. “It’s exactly the way we wanted to start the tournament.”
The U.S. broke through Paraguay’s vaunted defence in the seventh minute when Pulisic deftly split two players and found Weston McKennie, whose cross was kicked into the net by Damian Bobadilla for an own goal.
Shortly after the first-half hydration break, Pulisic raced with the ball up the left side and sent a perfect cross to Balogun, who angled his shot past the diving goalkeeper Orlando Gill for a 2-0 lead.
Balogun struck again on the stroke of halftime, taking a long pass and shaking off a sliding defender and hammering a left-footed shot into the top corner of the net to wrap up a flawless half for the home side.
PULISIC INJURY CONCERN
The only blemish on the night for the U.S. came when Pulisic was substituted at halftime by coach Mauricio Pochettino because of tightness in his calf.
“It was difficult for him to walk, but I hope that it is not a big issue and he can be ready for the next one,” Pochettino said.
Paraguay came out of the break with more intensity, and finally got on the board in the 73rd minute with a goal from substitute Mauricio, who took advantage of a defensive lapse by the U.S.
But the Americans continued to control the game and Gio Reyna scored from the edge of the box with the outside of his right foot in the closing action of the match.
“The opposition were better than us,” Paraguay defender Junior Alonso said.
“We were able to play further forward (in the second half). These are things we need to improve on for the next match. We have two games left, and we must improve. Regretting things won’t help us at all; we need to use these mistakes to improve and put in a better performance that brings us closer to victory.”
Ream said his team would seize on the momentum.
“There’s not a whole lot of words to describe the feeling,” he said.
“You want to start the tournament off on a good foot, scoring four goals, getting three points. It sets you up for the rest of the group stage, for sure.”
HIGH-PROFILE SPECTATORS
Played under Los Angeles Stadium’s massive, semi-translucent roof, the game drew a crowd of high-profile spectators, including Tom Cruise and David Beckham, who was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier in the day.
Despite pre-tournament concerns over high ticket prices, Los Angeles Stadium was sold out for the match, with the NFL home of the Rams and Chargers — and site of next year’s Super Bowl — configured for a World Cup capacity of 70,492.
“Massive thank you to the fans because the energy they gave to the team was amazing,” Pochettino said.
“We can do amazing things if the fans are in this as well.”
The U.S. entered the tournament looking to improve on their last-16 finish in Qatar.
Paraguay, meanwhile, came through the demanding CONMEBOL qualifying campaign to make their first appearance in the tournament since 2010.
The first men’s World Cup match on U.S. soil in 32 years included a pregame performance by singer Katy Perry and a parade of nations, where some booing could be heard when the flag of Iran was carried into the stadium. Iran play their first match of the tournament in Los Angeles on Monday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio watched the match alongside Paraguay President Santiago Pena and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The U.S. will again be favoured when they face Australia on June 19 in Seattle, while Paraguay will look to bounce back when they travel to Santa Clara to face Turkey.
(Reporting by Ed White, Janina Nuno Rios, Hatem Maher and Rory CarrollEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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