To uncover a comparable moment to the United States’ emphatic victory against Paraguay, one must look back to an era when World Cup teams withdrew due to the Great Depression. The few teams that made it to the tournament traveled by ship and played with leather balls stitched together with seams and laces.
The impressive 4-1 triumph equaled a 96-year-old record, marking the largest victory margin for the USA in a men’s World Cup match, having previously won 3-0 on two occasions during the inaugural 1930 tournament against Belgium and Paraguay.
This latest four-goal performance also set a new record for the most goals scored by the USA in a men’s World Cup event. The team’s first-half blitz, where they netted three goals, matched a previous historic 45 minutes of play seen in 2002 against Portugal, a match that ESPN commentator Jack Edwards famously declared was “stopping traffic all over Europe”
This result will be etched in the history books for its statistical significance. However, it holds an even more cherished place in the hearts of US fans due to its exhilarating and free-spirited nature.
“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 appeared in past World Cups, relying on grit and determination. While they maintained some of that resilience, as evidenced by not being deterred by a second-half goal from Paraguay, their style of play was notably more dynamic.
The standout feature of the USA’s opening victory was the fluidity of their play. Combinations flowed effortlessly in midfield, while defenders were deftly maneuvered. The sequence leading to Paraguay’s own goal was so well-crafted that it seemed almost secondary to the overall performance. The sold-out crowd of 70,492 at Los Angeles Stadium erupted in excitement.
“It’s pretty special to watch,” said Christian Pulisic, who was having a stellar game before being substituted at halftime due to a minor injury. He later downplayed the seriousness of the knock. “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 midfielders skillfully dismantled Paraguay’s defense with their rotations, a tactic that Paraguay’s coach, Gustavo Alfaro, likened 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.”
Some may argue that this performance stands as the best World Cup showing by a USA men’s team to date. It included two of the most remarkable individual displays by US players in World Cup history.
Pulisic not only emerged as the USA’s leader in World Cup assists but was also a constant threat during his 45 minutes on the pitch. Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun’s two goals 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 emphasized the significance of teamwork, quickly naming each starter in succession and calling their collective efforts “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 asserted. “I felt like it was a real statement.”
This team-oriented strategy led to what Balogun described as a “I’m not one to speculate,” in Southern California, stating, “I haven’t seen all of them.”
But was this performance the best of all time?
“I’m not one to speculate,” Pulisic said. “I haven’t seen all of them.”
