Sports
U.S. players see their electric win over Paraguay as the start of a push to win over fans
The U.S. men’s soccer team isn’t only trying to win games in this World Cup. It is trying to win hearts and minds as well.
“We want the game to grow,” star midfielder Christian Pulisic said. “We want to get Americans excited to watch this game, to watch our team. That’s obviously a big goal of ours. And being successful would give that the best boost.”
The Americans certainly got a great start Friday, opening the second World Cup played on U.S. soil with a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay. It was one of the most complete performances the American men have had on the sport’s biggest stage, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice, Pulisic setting up two goals, and just one momentary lapse on defense separating goalkeeper Matt Freese from a shutout.
The U.S. passed well, defended well and, most important, was clinical and dangerous in front of the net, finishing well.
U.S. midfielder Giovanni celebrates with Antonee Robinson and Sebastian Berhalter after scoring against Paraguay.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“It was a real statement,” Balogun said. “And that’s what we wanted. I’m very delighted with the overall performance.”
The effort was warmly received by a sold-out crowd of 70,492 at SoFi Stadium, with record-setting crowds watching on TV throughout the country.
Fox Sports announced 15.99 million watched the win, making it the most-viewed U.S. World Cup match on English-language television.
And the Spanish-language broadcast drew a total audience of 8.9 million across Telemundo, Peacock and Telemundo’s streaming platforms. It was the most-watched U.S. World Cup match on Spanish-language television network platforms, harking back to the 1994 World Cup, the first played in the U.S. that also attracted record TV audiences.
At 38, captain Tim Ream is the only member of the team who was alive in 1994, but he and his younger teammates repeatedly have been reminded of the impact that tournament had on soccer in the U.S. That 1994 team won just one game, though, scored just two goals and didn’t make it past the round of 16.
This team is convinced it can do better — on and off the field.
Fans cheer after U.S. beat Paraguay to open the World Cup Friday at SoFi Stadium.
(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s trying to be an inspiration for the next generation and grow the game,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “I think we have the opportunity to do that.”
Part of that is kick-starting the kind of interest in soccer that briefly swept the country during the first U.S. World Cup 32 years ago. And this team certainly energized fans Friday.
“Having this crowd around us, seeing the red, white and blue, it’s awesome,” Pulisic said. “It’s really pushing us forward. We just hope it continues like that.”
It will if Pulisic and Co. continue playing like that.
The U.S. controlled the ball for nearly an hour of the 90 minutes, completed more than twice as many passes as Paraguay and took almost twice as many shots. It was a game that was as attractive and inviting as it was one-sided, one that might turn the most skeptical viewer into a fan.
It was, midfielder Weston McKennie said, the kind of game that could push the U.S. closer to becoming a proper soccer nation.
American midfielder Weston McKennie outruns two Paraguay defenders.
(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)
“Because it’s a World Cup and it’s in America, people came out,” McKennie said. “We’re OK with that. There’s a lot of people that maybe have never come out to support us. But hopefully today, with this performance, they can connect with us.
“You feel this electricity in the stadium and the passion. That’s one thing that’s going to change soccer here.”
Pulisic and McKennie helped put the U.S. in front to stay in the seventh minute, although the goal was credited to Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla, who got his right foot in front of a McKennie pass intended for Balogun and deflected it into the net for an own goal. Pulisic made the whole sequence happen, however, pushing the ball between a pair of defenders before poking it on to McKennie in the center of the box.
Balogun scored twice in the final 20 minutes of the first half, one-timing a perfect pass from Pulisic in from the penalty spot in the 31st minute, then running on to a perfectly weighted through ball from Malik Tillman and avoiding two defenders to line a left-footed shot into the top left corner five minutes into stoppage time.
The brace was the first of Balogun’s international career and came in his World Cup debut before a crowd of family and friends, a cheering section he saluted from behind the goal line after scoring.
“I had to sort through a lot of ticket [requests.] It’s a dream night, you know? I’ve not been able to take it all in,” said Balogun, whose brace marked the first multigoal game by an American in the World Cup since 1930.
And that wasn’t the only history the U.S. made Friday. Defender Chris Richards, whose status for the opener was in doubt after he tore two ligaments in his left ankle a month ago, completed all 83 of his passes, the most without a miss in a World Cup game since 1966.
Mauricio pulled one of those goals back for Paraguay in the 73rd minute, before Gio Reyna closed the scoring with his first World Cup goal deep in stoppage time.
Pulisic, who said he took a kick to his left calf in the first half, was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter to start the second. Pulisic showed no signs of injury while talking with reporters after the match, and coach Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful the injury will not limit Pulisic during the next match Friday against Australia.
For the U.S., the commanding win over Paraguay was just the start. The best, the players promise, is yet to come.
Fans fill SoFi Stadium during the U.S. World Cup win over Paraguay on Friday.
(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)
“Today was a great starting point for us,” McKennie said. “But we know that’s just a start and this is something we don’t want to over-celebrate. Because we want this to be the normal for us.
“We have two more games to go in the group. Hopefully we improve.”
Added Pulisic: “There’s so much more we want to accomplish.”
And not all of that will take place on the field.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino released a statement on Monday addressing his interactions with President Donald Trump amid USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun’s suspended one-game ban.
Trump told reporters he asked Infantino if FIFA would review the play. Infantino said in his release that “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent” and “operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
FIFA President Gianni Infantino answers questions during a 2026 soccer World Cup news conference Thursday, June 16, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues,” he said. “During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.
“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump as he receives the FIFA Peace Prize during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw. (Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Balogun was given a red card after a VAR review to look at a play in which Balogun stepped on the ankle of a Bosnia and Herzegovina defender. He would have been suspended for the team’s match against Belgium but FIFA decided to suspend the one-game ban.
Trump addressed the controversy in the Oval Office.
“All I did was, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” the president said. “And again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different.
“I think it’s a terrible … if they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain. I relayed it. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t believe he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision and they made the right decision because, No. 1, it wasn’t a foul and you want to see a game with your best players.”
Trump said the feeling would be the same if Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Harry Kane would have been given a red card in a similar way.
He also took issue with the call itself.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a news conference at the stadium in Mexico City on June 10, 2026, a day before the opening FIFA World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP)
“If you would have taken him out, I think it would have really stained this incredible championship,” Trump continued. “We gotta have our best players and Belgium, Belgium’s got a great team by the way. We have our best players and they have to have their best. If we win or we lose, it’s fair. Otherwise, let’s say we lost to them, then we lost the game. It would be a terrible thing. I think they made a really brilliant decision.
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“I think the referee’s call was horrible and nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it’s fine. The referee’s decision to red card, I didn’t know what the hell a red card was and when I found out I said, ‘You gotta be kidding.’ … I said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of power, that’s terrible.’ And then I looked at his past and it wasn’t so great.”
Belgium’s appeal was dismissed later Monday.
Rui Hachimura became the latest Lakers player to move on, agreeing to a two-year, $28-million deal with the Clippers on Monday, people familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times.
Hachimura played at a high level for the Lakers in the playoffs, averaging 17.5 points per game in 10 postseason games, the third-highest average on the team.
He was a lights-out shooter, making 54.9 percent of his field goals and a sizzling 56.9 percent of his three-pointers, which ranked him fifth in three-point shooting during the NBA playoffs.
According to people familiar with the team but not authorized to speak publicly, some members of the Clippers coaching staff liked how Hachimura played and thought he would be a good pickup because of his shooting and athleticism.
The Lakers acquired Hachimura, 28, from the Washington Wizards in Jan. 2023. He spent three-plus seasons with the Lakers and was a favorite of his teammates.
His ability to knock down three-pointers from the corner opened up things for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, both of whom could rely on Hachimura to be ready to catch and shot even when he didn’t get many touches.
Over 68 games last season with the Lakers, 41 as a starter, Hachimura averaged 11.5 points and shot 51.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from three-point range.
He started all 10 playoff games for the Lakers, scoring a playoff-high 25 points against the Thunder in 43 minutes, going nine-for-15 from the field, four-for-eight from three-point range.
Sports
England stuns Mexico 3-2 in instant World Cup classic, hands team first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca
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One of the tournament’s instant classics unfolded Sunday at the historic Estadio Azteca, where 87,500 screaming fans created a deafening atmosphere.
England weathered the storm, silencing the sea of green with a ruthless finishing display to escape with a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane combined to crush El Tri’s World Cup dreams. El Tri is a popular nickname for the Mexican men’s national team.
WORLD CUP ROUND OF 32 SOCCER PREVIEW AS ENGLAND, BELGIUM AND USA ALL SEEK REGULATION WINS ON A PACKED DAY
England’s Harry Kane buries a penalty kick to score his second goal against Mexico. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) ((Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images))
In a stunning two-minute span in the first half, Bellingham struck twice, leaving Mexico’s defense completely shell-shocked.
But before halftime, Julian Quinones gave El Tri a lifeline. He buried a clutch goal, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
The second half was as electric as the first.
USA WORLD CUP STAR CALLS LACK OF APPEAL PROCESS FOR TEAMMATE’S RED CARD ‘BOGUS’
In the 53rd minute, England went down to 10 men after Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card. Suddenly, the momentum appeared to swing in Mexico’s favor.
England’s Jude Bellingham clears the danger as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford celebrates the crucial defensive stop. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) ((Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images))
Instead of capitalizing on the numerical advantage, however, Mexico gifted England a golden opportunity.
Goalkeeper Raul Rangel recklessly brought down Anthony Gordon inside the penalty area, conceding a spot kick. Captain Harry Kane calmly stepped up and buried the penalty, restoring England’s two-goal cushion at 3-1.
Still, Mexico refused to fold.
In the 69th minute, the referee pointed to the spot once again, awarding Mexico a penalty after another frantic sequence inside England’s box.
Raul Jimenez confidently converted, cutting the deficit to 3-2 and setting up an edgy finish.
England’s Jude Bellingham (left) reacts after Mexico’s Julian Quinones scores their side’s first goal of the game during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match at Mexico City Stadium, Mexico. Picture date: Sunday July 5, 2026. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) ((Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images))
From there, England dug in, despite being down to 10 men. England absorbed wave after wave of Mexican pressure before hanging on for a gritty 3-2 victory, advancing to the quarterfinals against Norway.
England booked its place in the quarterfinals and handed Mexico its first-ever World Cup defeat at the Estadio.
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Traveling England supporters celebrated by belting out “Wonderwall” one more time.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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