USMNT Pummels Paraguay to Delight of DC Crowd
The US men’s national team opened World Cup Group D play with a resounding 4-1 victory over Paraguay, a result that likely even the most optimistic of USA fans would not have even dreamt of.
It brought to mind shades of Russia’s 5-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in its first match as host of the 2018 World Cup, and it will almost certainly stand alongside that shocker as one of the best performances by a host nation in its first match in the history of the tournament.
While the match, itself, was a joy from essentially start to finish for US supporters, the Freedom250 Washington DC Fan Zone experience was a roller coaster of an experience.
The entrance situation felt borderline draconian, although in the organizer’s defense, thunderstorm warnings had plagued the area up until around kickoff. Still, the fan zone encompassed a huge area within the National Mall, which likely should have called for more entryways than the slim two total that utilized just three metal detectors per location for the delayed large crowds of USMNT fans.
We arrived at our entrance about two hours early and still only gained entry into the event about 30 minutes into the first half of the match, much to the chagrin of the supporters that surrounded us as we made our slow, agonizing way into the venue.
I heard several fans lament that they should have just posted up at a local bar, which to put it bluntly, for an official watch party in the nation’s capitol of all places, shouldn’t really have been the case.
Here’s to hoping that as the tournament goes on, Freedom250 and FIFA can live and learn from what was ultimately a disappointing fiasco.
Logistical nightmare and weather issues aside, the end result and overall vibe once finally passing through security was top-notch. There is a certain air of excitement in watching the US run out to a big lead with the Capitol building looming in the background, and this more than made up for the inconvenience of getting in.
What cannot be understated and lost in the shuffle of such a performance is the fact that Paraguay is one of the grittiest teams in the 2026 World Cup field as exemplified by their tremendous and unexpected run in COMNEBOL qualifiers. This was a side that allowed just ten goals in 18 matches against the best teams that South America had to offer finishing second only to Ecuador in that category.
The first goal came from an own goal thanks to the efforts of Captain America, Christian Pulisic. He split a double team to feed Weston McKennie, and his chip in the box deflected off Damian Bobadilla and into the net. That got the US off and running, and Paraguay quite simply couldn’t stop their momentum from there.
It almost seemed like Paraguay, again one of the best defensive teams in COMNEBOL, had underestimated the US, giving them far too much space, which players like Pulisic, midfielder Malik Tillman, and fullback Alex Freeman were all too happy to exploit all night long.
What also cannot be understated is that this US side, for years and years it seems, could not find a consistent starting striker, but within one night and one borderline magical performance, it appears that AS Monaco’s Florian Balogun has erased any doubt that he will fill that role going forward.
His brace, sandwiched between that Paraguay own goal and Giovanni Reyna’s topper, constituted perhaps the greatest single-game World Cup performance from a US striker that has ever been witnessed. And the whole thing looked rather easy for him.
And just to add that extra cherry on top of a tremendous performance, it was Reyna, of all players, to score the fourth. And not just any old fourth, but a trivela goal, a highly technical shot struck with the outside of the kicking boot to create a distinct spin on the ball.
It’s a highlight reel moment that constituted one of the best US goals ever scored in a World Cup match in what felt like one of the best results the USMNT has ever achieved on the world stage.
Reyna was perhaps the most controversial of all selections for Pochettino, so it’s only fitting that the man who, after a shred of discomfort caused by the goal by Mauricio for Paraguay in the 77th minute, restored the three-goal advantage in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
The script writers were truly having a field day with that one.
From 2022 World Cup zero to 2026 World Cup hero, Reyna still has a lot to prove going forward, but with that shot alone, he displayed a level of fearlessness and ingenuity that has been sorely lacking for the US in major tournaments like this for decades.
The DC fan fest crowd, as delayed as it was in its arrival, was still a great time. There was that trademark American arrogance here and there. One fan told me confidently at 3-0 that the US “was always going to blow out Paraguay.”
“Para-who?” remarked another fan. But whether or not this comment was tongue-in-cheek, it did get a laugh out of me, admittedly.
Overall, for better or worse, the broadcast provided quite the spectacle. By World Cup standards, I found it to be quite celebrity-heavy, but that’s to be expected in a match taking place in Los Angeles. There were times when the camera panned to the crowd that it almost felt like watching a Lakers game rather than a USMNT match.
But, hey, any support American football (soccer) can receive at this point would be greatly appreciated by those who support the growth of the game in this nation.
The next step will be seeing whether or not the squad can keep hold of this tremendous momentum and ensure they don’t overlook their upcoming opponents.
US soccer has been long overdue for its “cultural moment,” and it’s going to take a lot of humility and focus on the part of Pochettino’s side to build upon Friday night’s showing and turn it into a potentially deep World Cup run.