To draw parallels with the United States’ recent triumph over Paraguay, one must look back to an era when teams withdrew from the World Cup due to the Great Depression, arriving on ships and playing with leather balls stitched together with seams and laces.
The commanding 4-1 victory equaled a 96-year-old record, marking the largest goal margin achieved by the USA in a men’s World Cup contest (they previously won 3-0 in the inaugural 1930 tournament against Belgium and, interestingly, Paraguay).
This match also set a new record for the most goals scored by the USA in a men’s World Cup, featuring a first-half explosion that mirrored the most unforgettable 45 minutes of World Cup history for the team: the 3-0 lead against Portugal in 2002, a result that ESPN’s commentator Jack Edwards famously claimed was “stopping traffic all over Europe”
This outcome will undoubtedly be etched in the record books for various reasons. However, it will hold a unique significance for US fans due to the intangible elements that characterized the match.
“I think we are winning a lot of fans, and adding fans for this sport,” Mauricio Pochettino said of his side’s performance. “I think it was a great match; was amazing for our fans to see this type of game.”
The USA has transformed from the workmanlike team that previously gritted its way through World Cups, displaying resilience, to a more fluid and exciting squad (though they still demonstrated their tenacity, remaining unshaken despite a second-half goal from Paraguay).
The hallmark of this opening victory was its style. The midfield combinations flowed seamlessly, defenders were deftly maneuvered, and well-coordinated plays rendered the initial own goal by Paraguay a mere afterthought. The crowd of 70,492 at Los Angeles Stadium erupted with oohs and aahs.
“It’s pretty special to watch,” said Christian Pulisic, who was in fine form before being substituted at halftime due to a minor injury, later deemed not serious. “It’s fun to look around and know that there’s different guys that can pull off these different skills and moves and things going on. It’s great. I feel like there’s such a good connection between us right now.”
The USA’s midfielders expertly tangled Paraguay’s defensive line with their rotations, prompting Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro to liken their play to “This is a team that is complex, because they have answers to every element you throw at them,” He remarked, “We knew they were a very complex rival. We knew they have coordination, broadness, triangulations, and we were not ready … They dominated technically, tactically and physically as well.”
This could very well be regarded as the finest World Cup performance ever delivered by a USA men’s team, featuring two standout individual performances from US players.
Pulisic emerged as the USA’s leader in World Cup assists, consistently posing a threat during his 45 minutes on the pitch. Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun’s brace made him the first US player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match since 1930, when Bert Patenaude netted three against Paraguay.
While praising Pulisic and Balogun, Pochettino underscored the importance of teamwork, quickly naming each starter and calling their contributions “You want to push me to talk about names, and it’s about the team … the collective approach,”
“Of course, we have talented players that you can observe … but one thing we need to praise is the collective effort.” he stated. “I felt like it was a real statement.”
This team-oriented philosophy contributed to what Balogun described as a “I’m not one to speculate,” in Southern California. “I haven’t seen all of them.” he noted.
But the question remains: was it the best of all time?
“I’m not one to speculate,” Pulisic replied. “I haven’t seen all of them.”
