USA opened with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, but the scoreline only tells part of it. They were 3-0 up by halftime, Christian Pulišić shaped the game before the break, and Folarin Balogun supplied the finishing. By the time Giovanni Reyna bent one in with the outside of his boot in the 90th minute and 8th second of stoppage time, the opener already looked comfortable.

Why Balogun and Pulišić decided it early

The main story from USA vs Paraguay was how quickly the Americans took control. Mauricio Pochettino set his side up in a 4-2-3-1, with Pulišić given a central creative role and Balogun leading the line. Paraguay started in a 4-4-2 and were overrun early.

Balogun ended the match with 2 goals and a 9.1 rating, the highest mark on the pitch. That matched what the game felt like. Whenever USA got into dangerous areas, he looked like the player most likely to turn it into something real.

Pulišić was only on the pitch for 46 minutes, but he still finished with 1 assist and a 7.7 rating. That says plenty about his influence in the first half, when USA built the 3-0 lead that settled the match long before the final whistle.

There is some debate around why he went off at halftime, but the precautionary explanation is the stronger one. Pulišić, the AC Milan winger, told football-italia.net: "I just got a bit of a kick in the first half; I'm hoping that it's nothing, taking precaution. I'm staying positive; I don't think it's anything."

Pochettino's account sounded a little more concerning, even if he also stressed hope rather than certainty. He told football-italia.net: "He received a kick before today (too) in a training session; we hope it's not a big issue. When he finished the first half, he could not walk. We're hopeful the next game he'll be available."

That leaves room for some tactical interpretation, but not much. When both the player and manager talk about a kick and precaution, it is hard to sell the substitution as purely a football decision.

Reyna added the gloss and VAR supplied the odd moment

Reyna's rating was only 6.4 because he played 8 minutes, but his contribution was still the cleanest late moment of the night. His goal came with the outside of his boot in the 90th minute and 8th second of stoppage time, a finish that made the 4-1 result feel as emphatic as USA's first-half control had suggested.

Balogun's brace will take the headlines, and fairly so. He became the first American with two goals in a World Cup fixture, which gives the performance a bit more weight than a standard opening-night double.

The strangest passage came in the 53rd minute. VAR intervened to transfer a yellow card from Tim Ream to Miguel Almirón, an unusual correction in a game that was already effectively done at 3-0.

That sequence looked messy because Almirón took three full strides after losing possession before hitting the turf with no significant contact. Reports framed it as a mistaken-identity correction, and that fits the available detail better than any alternative, even if the whole episode did little except interrupt a match that USA had already taken away from Paraguay.

What this result actually says about USA

The easy read is that USA won 4-1 and started well. The more useful read is that their best attacking players made the game feel settled by halftime.

Balogun gave them the penalty-box threat. Pulišić gave them control and creativity before going off. Reyna supplied the late finish that rounded out the night. If the only concern after that is how quickly Pulišić recovers from a kick, USA will take this opener every time.

FAQ

Why did Christian Pulišić come off at halftime against Paraguay?

[Christian Pulišić](player:christian-pulisic) said he took a kick in the first half and described the change as precautionary. Mauricio Pochettino also said he had been kicked in training before the match and that he could not walk when the first half ended, though he added that the staff were hopeful for the next game. That makes the precautionary explanation stronger than any tactical reading.

How good was Folarin Balogun against Paraguay in the World Cup opener?

[Folarin Balogun](player:folarin-balogun) scored 2 goals and posted a 9.1 rating, the best mark in the match. He gave [USA](club:usa) the cutting edge that turned a strong opening spell into a 3-0 halftime lead before the game finished 4-1.

What happened in the VAR mistaken identity incident in USA vs Paraguay?

In the 53rd minute of [USA vs Paraguay](match:2026-06-13-usa-vs-paraguay), VAR intervened to move a yellow card from [Tim Ream](player:tim-ream) to [Miguel Almirón](player:miguel-almiron). The incident stood out because Almirón took three full strides after losing possession before going to ground with no significant contact. It was an odd moment, but it did not shape the result because USA were already 3-0 up.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →