LOS ANGELES : The United States could scarcely have
scripted a better start to their World Cup as a Folarin Balogun brace and Gio
Reyna curler fired the co-hosts to a 4-1 drubbing of Paraguay in front of
Hollywood royalty in Los Angeles on Friday, reports BSS.
The hosts took the lead in the tournament’s first game on
US soil within seven minutes thanks to an own goal, and by the end of an
utterly dominant half the home fans were in dreamland, their side up by three.
Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton were among
a sold-out 70,492 crowd as the US—co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and
Canada—piled wave after wave of attacks on the South Americans, with Reyna
polishing off the win late in stoppage time after Mauricio had pulled one back.
The win and emphatic scoreline puts the US in a favorable
position already to progress from Group D, which also contains Australia and
Turkey.
The night’s only potential sour note was the half-time
withdrawal of Christian Pulisic, the US attacking talisman who is carrying the
hopes of the nation as they attempt a deep run into the World Cup knockouts for
the first time since their quarter-final appearance in 2002.
Paraguay could not have been more obliging guests from
kickoff. In the seventh minute, Weston McKennie picked up the ball in the
center circle and drove upfield, finding Pulisic.
Pulisic darted between two defenders and returned the ball
to McKennie, whose pass to striker Balogun was bundled into his own net by a
hapless Damian Bobadilla.
The stadium erupted, and a US onslaught began.
The hosts oozed confidence. Both McKennie and Tillman
played backheel through balls into the area, while captain Tim Ream sprayed out
passes from the heart of defense.
Balogun had a goal ruled out in the 28th
minute. He had strayed offside, as had Pulisic in the buildup.
But the Monaco striker had the ball in the net again three
minutes later, thanks to a superb ball down the left flank by Antonee Robinson
to Pulisic, whose cross to Balogun took a slight fortuitous deflection.
The US added a third on the cusp of half-time. Tillman
found Balogun down the right, who evaded Omar Alderete’s challenge, skipped
inside Gustavo Gomez and curled his shot perfectly into the top left corner.
It could have been four or five, with Chris Richards—returning
from injury—flashing a header barely an inch wide. The US had 75 percent
possession in the first half.
Now without the dangerous Pulisic, the hosts sat back
slightly in the second half.
Paraguay finally offered a threat. Their dangerous forward
Julio Enciso, who started despite a hamstring injury, picked up the ball on the
edge of the area and fed in Brazil-born substitute Mauricio, who pulled one
back.
Reyna scored a superb fourth with the outside of his right
foot that curled just inside the far post.
The game had been preceded by a Tinseltown-style opening
ceremony. Katy Perry delivered the headline performance, accompanied by singers
Future, Tyla, Anitta and K-pop star Lisa.
Performers danced around a giant World Cup trophy beneath enormous “FIFA” letters in the gold favored by US President Donald Trump—who did not attend, instead wishing the team luck via phone before kickoff.
