The United States men's national team kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay on home soil Friday.
The win came despite the early exit of star forward Christian Pulisic, who was substituted at halftime as a precaution.
First-Half Dominance
Pulisic played a key role in building a three-goal lead during the first half. He registered an assist on Folarin Balogun's goal.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino replaced Pulisic with Sebastian Berhalter to start the second half.
Fox sideline reporter Jenny Taft said Pulisic signaled to the friends-and-family section that he was fine.
Without Pulisic, the U. S.
struggled to maintain offensive rhythm. Paraguay's Mauricio scored in the 73rd minute to cut the deficit.
The Americans sealed the win in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time. Gio Reyna scored with a powerful long-range shot.
Pulisic's Injury Update
Pochettino explained after the match that Pulisic took a knock to the back of his leg. The substitution was a preventive measure.
“I just got a bit of a kick in the first half, so I'm really hoping that it's nothing,” Pulisic said.
“Taking a little bit of precaution today, but I'm hoping I'll be fine the next few days.”
Historic Passing Record
Defender Chris Richards set a historic milestone.
According to OptaJack, he completed all 83 passes he attempted, the most with a perfect accuracy rate in a World Cup match since 1966.
The USMNT next faces Australia in Seattle on June 19 for their second Group Stage match.
