USMNT Player Ratings: Balogun and Pulisic Shine in 4-1 World Cup Opening Win Over Paraguay

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  Ryan S. ClarkJun 12, 2026, 11:23 PM ET

The United States men’s national team began its 2026 World Cup campaign with its highest-scoring performance in tournament history, defeating Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Damián Bobadilla’s own goal and two Folarin Balogun strikes gave the U.S. a three-goal advantage by halftime. Mauricio pulled one back for Paraguay, but Giovanni Reyna’s late finish restored the margin to three.

With the Americans sitting atop Group D ahead of Australia’s match against Türkiye on Saturday, here is how the U.S. players performed in a commanding opener that puts them in an early position to reach the knockout stage.

Manager rating (out of 10)

Mauricio Pochettino, 7 — Bringing Chris Richards back into the starting lineup gave Pochettino his preferred XI, and the U.S. looked strong in several phases. While the Americans were expected to win, they have not always delivered in matches where they entered as favorites.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, 5 = average)

GK Matt Freese, 4 — Freese faced his first meaningful challenge inside the opening two minutes when Diego Gomez tried to find an angle, but the goalkeeper stepped across to block the attempt. He was not seriously tested again until the second half, when Mauricio reduced the deficit to 3-1.

RB Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman had a relatively quiet match at first, with much of the U.S. attacking play coming through central areas and down the left. Defensively, he was also less involved until he was caught recovering before Mauricio’s goal.

CB Chris Richards, 5 — Richards missed the pre-World Cup friendlies against Senegal and Germany because of injury, raising questions about his readiness. He was beaten by half a step on Paraguay’s first shot on target, but settled into the match and became a threat from corner kicks. He also had some strong defensive moments, though he was beaten in the buildup to the pass that helped Paraguay cut the deficit.

CB Tim Ream, 6 — Ream was also exposed on the early shot that Freese saved, but he contributed to the U.S. build-up with long, direct passes, particularly toward the left. He also did his job in blocking shots that never made it on target.

LB Antonee Robinson, 6 — Robinson continues to make a strong case for himself, with his speed, positioning, 1-on-1 defending and incisive passing causing problems for Paraguay down the left side.

CM Weston McKennie, 7 — McKennie was everywhere. His positioning helped force the deflection that led to the opening goal, but his overall value came from his versatility and ability to find space across the midfield and attacking areas.

CM Tyler Adams, 6 — Adams repeatedly helped the U.S. regain control and reset possession when needed. His involvement in the buildup to Balogun’s disallowed goal also showed his ability to support the attack.

AM Sergiño Dest, 5 — Dest offered moments of quality on the right, giving the U.S. an additional attacking outlet when play was not coming through the center or left flank.

AM Malik Tillman, 7 — Tillman could have scored, but his assist on Balogun’s second goal, which made it 3-0, was the standout moment. He gave the U.S. a box-to-box presence, worked well with Adams to keep possession and remained a threat before moving to the left after halftime.

AM Christian Pulisic, 8 — Pulisic looked most dangerous on the left, combining well with Robinson down the wing and drifting inside to create chances. His involvement helped lead to Balogun’s goal, and he linked effectively with McKennie and Tillman before being replaced at halftime.

ST Folarin Balogun, 8 — Balogun’s brace came from excellent positioning and movement. His runs added another dimension to the U.S. attack, especially on Tillman’s through ball, when he found space, paused and curled home a finish to make it 2-0.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)

CM Sebastian Berhalter (Pulisic, 45′), 5 — Berhalter moved into the box-to-box role and helped the U.S. maintain its structure in both attack and defense.

CM Giovanni Reyna (Tillman, 82′), NR — Reyna gave the U.S. another central option as fatigue affected Tillman, then capped his impact with a late goal that made it 4-1.

AM Timothy Weah (Dest, 72′), NR — Weah came on late and nearly created a corner with a shot in the final 15 minutes.

ST Ricardo Pepi (Balogun, 72′), NO — Pepi looked close to scoring before his chance was deflected out of play.

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