MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group D · Saturday, June 13 · Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles · 70,492 in the stands

kickoff 18:00 local · 21°C · 85% humidity · roofed stadium

USA

7′ (og)

31′ Folarin BALOGUN (pen)

45+5′ Folarin BALOGUN (pen)

90+8′ Giovanni REYNA (pen)

4:1

Paraguay

73′ MAURICIO (pen)

tap a player for their match file

USA4-2-3-1
Paraguay4-4-2
Matt FREESE6.0Sergino DEST6.6Chris RICHARDS6.8Antonee ROBINSON6.3Tim REAM6.9Alex FREEMAN6.6Tyler ADAMS6.7Weston McKENNIE6.9Malik TILLMAN7.7Christian PULISIC7.6Folarin BALOGUN8.2Orlando GILL4.8Omar ALDERETE6.5Juan Jose CACERES5.3Junior ALONSO5.5Gustavo GOMEZ5.9Diego GOMEZ5.3Miguel ALMIRON6.2Andres CUBAS5.7Damian BOBADILLA4.7Antonio SANABRIA6.4Julio ENCISO7.1
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′USAPAR

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 7′Bobadilla0.03 xG
  • 31′Balogun0.16 xG
  • 45+5′Balogun0.14 xG
  • 73′Mauricio0.22 xG
  • 90+8′Reyna0.08 xG
USA 0:0 PAR0'kickoff
2' Gomez — xG 0.10 · Missed3' Balogun — xG 0.07 · Saved7' Bobadilla — xG 0.00 · Goal14' Enciso — xG 0.02 · Missed31' Balogun — xG 0.16 · Goal35' Balogun — xG 0.08 · Missed37' Tillman — xG 0.08 · Blocked38' Richards — xG 0.04 · Missed43' Tillman — xG 0.27 · Saved47' Balogun — xG 0.02 · Blocked48' Almiron — xG 0.03 · Blocked49' Gomez — xG 0.03 · Blocked45 + 5' Balogun — xG 0.14 · Goal50' Gomez — xG 0.03 · Blocked57' Tillman — xG 0.09 · Blocked61' Tillman — xG 0.06 · Missed65' Enciso — xG 0.02 · Blocked65' Gomez — xG 0.03 · Missed71' Almiron — xG 0.04 · Blocked73' Mauricio — xG 0.22 · Goal75' Tillman — xG 0.14 · Saved77' Weah — xG 0.03 · Missed89' Pepi — xG 0.11 · Missed90' Berhalter — xG 0.02 · Missed90 + 7' Weah — xG 0.02 · Blocked90 + 8' Reyna — xG 0.08 · Goal

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

USA 0:0 PAR
0.51.01.50′15′30′45′60′75′90′7' Bobadilla — GOAL31' Balogun — GOAL45 + 5' Balogun — GOAL73' Mauricio — GOAL90 + 8' Reyna — GOAL1.410.52

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

USA 4-2-3-1 attack →, ← PAR 4-4-2 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

24Matt FREESEMatt FREESE2Sergino DESTSergino DEST3Chris RICHARDSChris RICHARDS5Antonee ROBINSONAntonee ROBINSON13Tim REAMTim REAM16Alex FREEMANAlex FREEMAN4Tyler ADAMSTyler ADAMS8Weston McKENNIEWeston McKENNIE17Malik TILLMANMalik TILLMAN10Christian PULISICChristian PULISIC20Folarin BALOGUNFolarin BALOGUN12Orlando GILLOrlando GILL3Omar ALDERETEOmar ALDERETE4Juan Jose CACERESJuan Jose CACERES6Junior ALONSOJunior ALONSO15Gustavo GOMEZGustavo GOMEZ8Diego GOMEZDiego GOMEZ10Miguel ALMIRONMiguel ALMIRON14Andres CUBASAndres CUBAS16Damian BOBADILLADamian BOBADILLA9Antonio SANABRIAAntonio SANABRIA19Julio ENCISOJulio ENCISO

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

59%
Possession
29%
1.88
Expected goals
0.60
75
Threat
25
16
Shots
9
6
On target
1
520
Passes completed
234
50
Forced turnovers
49
11.2s
Ball recovery time
17.4s
8.33
High-press phases
3.93
16
Fouls committed
13
2
Offsides
1
120 km
Distance covered
114 km
34.0 km/h
Top speed
33.3 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. USA attack →, ← Paraguay attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 7′Damian BOBADILLA (Paraguay) scores an own goal.
  2. 9′Juan Jose CACERES (Paraguay) is booked by the referee.
  3. 31′Folarin BALOGUN (USA) scores!!
  4. 45+5′Folarin BALOGUN (USA) scores!!
  5. ′Before the second half begins MAURICIO (in) comes off the bench to replace Damian BOBADILLA (out) (Paraguay)
  6. ′Before the second half begins Sebastian BERHALTER (in) comes off the bench to replace Christian PULISIC (out) (USA)
  7. 53′Miguel ALMIRON (Paraguay) is booked by the referee.
  8. 59′Tyler ADAMS (USA) is booked by the referee.
  9. 62′Alex ARCE (in) comes off the bench to replace Antonio SANABRIA (out) (Paraguay)
  10. 72′Timothy WEAH (in) comes off the bench to replace Sergino DEST (out) (USA)
  11. 72′Ricardo PEPI (in) comes off the bench to replace Folarin BALOGUN (out) (USA)
  12. 73′MAURICIO (Paraguay) scores!!
  13. 79′Diego GOMEZ (Paraguay) is booked by the referee.
  14. 79′Ramon SOSA (in) comes off the bench to replace Miguel ALMIRON (out) (Paraguay)
  15. 79′Gustavo VELAZQUEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Juan Jose CACERES (out) (Paraguay)
  16. 79′Alejandro ROMERO GAMARRA (in) comes off the bench to replace Diego GOMEZ (out) (Paraguay)
  17. 82′Giovanni REYNA (in) comes off the bench to replace Malik TILLMAN (out) (USA)
  18. 88′Alex ARCE (Paraguay) is booked by the referee.
  19. 90+3′Junior ALONSO (Paraguay) is booked by the referee.
  20. 90+8′Giovanni REYNA (USA) scores!!

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

USA's Poise Overwhelms Paraguay After Early Jolt

Paraguay stunned the stadium with a seventh-minute goal, but USA's structure quickly reasserted dominance. The Americans' high-press frequency (8.3 phases versus Paraguay's 3.9) and superior ball recovery (11.2 seconds to Paraguay's 17.4) meant control was never truly contested. With 59 per cent possession, Reyna and Tillman ran the tempo while Paraguay laboured in recovery. USA converted further chances before and after half-time to secure the win.

USA's dominance was quantified through chance creation: 1.88 expected goals against Paraguay's marginal 0.6. Balogun's 8.2 rating typified USA's midfield control, while Enciso and Mauricio (7.1 and 7.2) couldn't match the intensity. A missed big chance in the 43rd minute (xG 0.27) marred USA's efficiency only slightly; the gulf in expected goals reflected a performance of complete structural command.

USA's 11.2-second ball recovery time versus Paraguay's 17.4 seconds created the foundation for a 1.88-to-0.6 expected-goal gulf.

31′

USA's first goal equalised a shocking deficit and began their inevitable takeover.

What USA needed

Possession and press intensity overcame early shock to dominate decisively.

  • High-press frequency (8.3 phases) disrupted Paraguay's build-up play constantly.
  • Ball recovery superiority (11.2s vs 17.4s) created sustained attacking pressure.
  • Early goal conceded (7') never derailed a clear control advantage.

What Paraguay needed

Early breakthrough squandered in the face of USA's structural dominance.

  • Ball recovery time (17.4s vs 11.2s) meant insufficient attacking build phases.
  • High-press phases (3.9 vs 8.3) failed to disrupt USA's possession rhythm.
  • Chance creation (0.6 xG vs 1.88) was fundamentally outmatched by USA.