{"id":15684,"date":"2026-06-16T02:14:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T20:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=15684"},"modified":"2026-06-25T14:47:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T09:17:44","slug":"usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/","title":{"rendered":"USA 4\u20131 Paraguay: Last-minute Strikes in Both Halves Light Up the Opening Night"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some matches end. Others linger. The United States&#8217; 4\u20131 demolition of Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was the kind of performance that World Cup hosts dream about. They were dominant from the beginning, clinical when it mattered, and punctuated by two stoppage-time goals that made the final scoreline feel entirely fitting. The 2026 FIFA World Cup\u2122 had come home, and the USMNT made sure everyone knew it.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#Dream_start_Bobadillas_own_goal_7%E2%80%B2\" title=\"Dream start: Bobadilla&#8217;s own goal (7&#8242;)\">Dream start: Bobadilla&#8217;s own goal (7&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#Balogun_adds_the_second_%E2%80%94_after_VAR_takes_one_away_30%E2%80%B2\" title=\"Balogun adds the second \u2014 after VAR takes one away (30&#8242;)\">Balogun adds the second \u2014 after VAR takes one away (30&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#The_goal_of_the_half_%E2%80%94_right_at_the_whistle_454%E2%80%B2\" title=\"The goal of the half \u2014 right at the whistle (45+4&#8242;)\">The goal of the half \u2014 right at the whistle (45+4&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#Paraguay_fight_back_%E2%80%94_briefly_72%E2%80%B2\" title=\"Paraguay fight back \u2014 briefly (72&#8242;)\">Paraguay fight back \u2014 briefly (72&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#Reyna_seals_it_in_the_dying_seconds_907%E2%80%B2\" title=\"Reyna seals it in the dying seconds (90+7&#8242;)\">Reyna seals it in the dying seconds (90+7&#8242;)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#What_this_result_means\" title=\"What this result means\">What this result means<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Four goals. Two of them in the last seconds of each half. Christian Pulisic pulling the strings. Folarin Balogun taking two of the chances. And Giovanni Reyna arriving off the bench to put the stamp on it all in the 90+7th minute. Group D has a clear frontrunner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Watch every match of the 2026 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\"><strong>FIFA World Cup\u2122<\/strong><\/a><strong> live on ZEE5 in India. Get the \u20b9799 quarterly plan or the \u20b91,699 annual plan \u2014 don&#8217;t miss a moment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dream_start_Bobadillas_own_goal_7%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Dream start: Bobadilla&#8217;s own goal (7&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/usa\/usa-squad\">United States<\/a> did not need long to get the SoFi Stadium crowd on their feet. In the 7th minute, Christian Pulisic drove at the Paraguay defence and released a perfectly weighted pass for Weston McKennie, whose shot deflected off the unfortunate Dami\u00e1n Bobadilla and rolled into the net. An own goal, technically. A ruthless piece of pressing, in reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SoFi Stadium roared. Paraguay had barely touched the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Balogun_adds_the_second_%E2%80%94_after_VAR_takes_one_away_30%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Balogun adds the second \u2014 after VAR takes one away (30&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States thought they had doubled the lead earlier, only to see a goal ruled out for offside. No matter. Minutes later, Pulisic found space down the left and drove a low cross into the box. Folarin Balogun side-footed another goal at close range, making the score 2\u20130.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paraguay were chasing shadows. Their midfield had no answer to the pace and movement the USA were generating through the press, and Pulisic, operating just behind the strikers, was everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_goal_of_the_half_%E2%80%94_right_at_the_whistle_454%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>The goal of the half \u2014 right at the whistle (45+4&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the first two goals were about team movement, the third was pure individual quality. Four minutes into first-half stoppage time \u2014 just as Paraguay were beginning to think they would get to the break at 2\u20130 \u2014 Malik Tillman slid a through ball into Balogun&#8217;s run. One touch to control. One touch to beat his defender. And then a curling finish into the top corner that would have graced any stage in world football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3\u20130. The half-time whistle went seconds later. The stadium was still rocking when the players walked off. Balogun had two goals and the crowd had a new favourite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Paraguay_fight_back_%E2%80%94_briefly_72%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Paraguay fight back \u2014 briefly (72&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second half told a different story for a spell. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/paraguay\/paraguay-squad\">Paraguay<\/a>, to their credit, came out with purpose after the break and began to find pockets of space that the USA had not been giving them. In the 72nd minute, Julio Enciso \u2014 one of Paraguay&#8217;s most dangerous players \u2014 created a chance that Maur\u00edcio finished confidently. 3\u20131. A consolation, but it gave Paraguay something to build on and made the crowd momentarily uneasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The USA did not panic. They managed the game, kept possession, and waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reyna_seals_it_in_the_dying_seconds_907%E2%80%B2\"><\/span><strong>Reyna seals it in the dying seconds (90+7&#8242;)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seven minutes into second-half stoppage time. Paraguay was pressing for a second goal. The game seemingly winding down. And then Giovanni Reyna \u2014 on as a substitute \u2014 received the ball on the edge of the box, opened his body, and struck a sublime outside-of-the-boot finish that arced past the keeper and into the far corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">4\u20131. The stadium exploded. The match ended with a moment of genuine brilliance in the last seconds. Injury time in both halves had produced two of the night&#8217;s four goals. The USMNT had not just won \u2014 they had entertained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_this_result_means\"><\/span><strong>What this result means<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States top Group D with a maximum three points and an emphatic goal difference. Paraguay have work to do. For a team playing on home soil in front of a packed stadium, this was everything \u2014 the result, the performance, and the theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Indian fans watching FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 at 6:30 AM IST, this was a morning worth waking up early for. Four goals, two in stoppage time, and a host nation that has announced itself. The tournament is very much alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Every match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup\u2122 is live on ZEE5 in India. The USA&#8217;s next Group D fixture is coming up \u2014 explore <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\"><strong>ZEE5 FIFA subscription <\/strong><\/a><strong>plans and watch live.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some matches end. Others linger. The United States&#8217; 4\u20131 demolition of Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was the kind of performance that World Cup hosts dream about. They were dominant from the beginning, clinical when it mattered, and punctuated by two stoppage-time goals that made the final scoreline feel entirely fitting. The 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031,3121,3132],"class_list":["post-15684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-group-h","tag-match-report"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>USA 4\u20131 Paraguay: Last-minute Strikes in Both Halves Light Up the Opening Night - ZEE5 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"USA vs Paraguay match report FIFA 2026\u2122\u2014USMNT dominate 4-1 as Pulisic and Balogun shine.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"USA 4\u20131 Paraguay: Last-minute Strikes in Both Halves Light Up the Opening Night - ZEE5 Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"USA vs Paraguay match report FIFA 2026\u2122\u2014USMNT dominate 4-1 as Pulisic and Balogun shine.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ZEE5 Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-15T20:44:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-25T09:17:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1132\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sourav K\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ZEE5India\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ZEE5India\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sourav K\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sourav K\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033\"},\"headline\":\"USA 4\u20131 Paraguay: Last-minute Strikes in Both Halves Light Up the Opening Night\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-15T20:44:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-25T09:17:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/\"},\"wordCount\":757,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png\",\"keywords\":[\"FIFA World cup 2026\",\"Group H\",\"Match Report\"],\"articleSection\":[\"FIFA World Cup 2026\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/usa-4-1-paraguay-last-minute-strikes-in-both-halves-light-up-the-opening-night\/\",\"name\":\"USA 4\u20131 Paraguay: Last-minute Strikes in Both Halves Light Up the Opening Night - 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