EE. UU. vs Paraguay: Copa del Mundo 2026

61 min Balogun loses the ball in the box, but Tillman is there to shoot. A Paraguayan defender gets a foot on the ball as Tillman kicks it, so it's a painful effort in the end.

We still don't really know why Christian Pulisic is out. Fox sideline reporter Jenny Taft says he sent a thumbs-up to his family.

59 min It's not a bad corner kick, but the US can't get a head on it.

Adams gets a yellow for fouling Mauricio before Paraguay can get anywhere. Not much of a protest from the US midfielder.

58 min Dest attacks on the right, slips (as several players have tonight) and wins a corner.

57 min Robinson is open on the left and floats a cross too high. The US maintain possession, and Tillman's shot from 15 yards is blocked.

56 min McKennie makes several good touches on the ball and one bad one. But before Paraguay can get the ball forward, Adams breaks things up and is fouled for his troubles.

55 min There's a shout for a penalty as Balogun falls just inside the box, but it's incidental contact.

54 min Bad giveaway by Paraguay with the goalkeeper well off his line, and Tillman will regret trying to pass rather than lobbing.

I'll mention as I may have mentioned before – everyone in soccer forgets that “attempts to trip†is in the Laws of the Game, so you don't have to see contact. But Ream clearly wasn't attempting that.

This is very strange. The ball was barely cleared when the ref blew the whistle to listen to the VAR crew.

He goes to review the play and sees what we all saw – Ream made no contact.

Now he has a red card in hand? No, that's a ruse. He had both cards in his hand, and he wipes out the yellow to Ream and shows it to Almiron instead. He announces over the PA, clearly saying “simulation.â€

50 min A curious delayed decision from our referee. Almiron slips past Ream. The US captain slides and misses the ball but also misses Almiron. The Paraguayan attacker takes a few steps forward and then falls down. Ream gets a yellow card.

Now we're getting a VAR check for … mistaken identity?

48 min Now we're seeing signs of competent play from Paraguay, but they literally get in their own way on offense.

But here's a bad giveaway from the US, and Diego Gómez ends up with a shot that caroms off a defender's leg and drifts over the upper corner.

47 min We've resumed, and the USA have possession deep in the Paraguayan half.

Balogun's audacious bid for a hat trick is deflected.

Interesting substitution at the half: Sebastian Berhalter replaces Christian Pulisic.

For Paraguay: Mauricio has replaced Damian Bobadilla.

But if you're looking ahead as a US fan, it's worth noting – Paraguay have shown no signs whatsoever of being a competent World Cup team. They were dreadful. The defenders were lost. The midfielders couldn't complete passes.

For the record, the USA have indeed won a World Cup group before – 2010, thanks to the Tim Howard-to-Landon Donovan-to-Clint Dempsey and Donovan on the rebound goal that sent every sports bar in the US into prolonged fits of joyful screaming. They took first on goals scored ahead of a team I'm blanking on … I think they wear white or red?

(But maybe this is the year for England.)

Still a long way to go, though. That was one half out of six. This team is capable of playing much worse than this.

Halftime mailbag I: “Mauricio Pochettino's urging his players to play like kids again seems to have been taken to heart: They're full of flicks and tricks, nutmegs and such,†writes Justin Kavanagh. “It's good to see a team playing without fear, especially on their home soil.â€

“There are plenty of reasons to want to see the US get knocked out early in this competition,†Andy Tuohy says. “Not least the geopolitical situation. And the fact no team of colour has any fans against them. But, one reason now is the constant cutaway to bloody celebrities every 5 minutes.â€

I'm not sure who's controlling the world feed. It might not be a US thing. David Beckham isn't that big a deal in this country.

“I bloody like these US players,†Joe Meredith says. “Balogun's second was beautiful. Nine points in the group? Is that mad to say?â€

It's not the strongest of groups, so it's conceivable, but will we eventually see some regression to the mean? Then again, the “law of averages†doesn't really exist, as late Spinal Tap drummer Mick Shrimpton would attest.

Truly a remarkable half for the USMNT – probably its best at a World Cup since the back-half against Slovenia in 2010. A lot of quality on the ball and determination to get into the attacking half whenever space presents itself, but it's the off-ball movement that's really making Paraguay sweat. They're desperate to get into a rigid structure, and they aren't being afforded the time.

I'm straining to remember when the US men have ever played a better half in a match of consequence. The only one I can remember is the first half against Portugal in 2002 that set the tone for the glorious run to the quarterfinals.

They're closing every passing lane. They're combining brilliantly and beating defenders 1v1.

Worth noting, though: Portugal put things together in the second half and cut the lead to 3-2.

Good thing he chose the USA, isn't it? The striker collects a pass in the box and patiently fakes and stutter-steps his way past a defender, then rips the ball into the upper left corner.

45 min +3 Tillman has been a menace to Paraguay. He had the close-range shot a few minutes ago, and now he intercepts as Paraguay desperately try to interrupt another long spell of US possession.

45 min +2 Paraguay win a free kick just past midfield and decide it's time to send everyone forward. It floats too high, and Freese snares the ball with no trouble.

45 min Paraguay manage to get some numbers around Tillman to dispossess him. Richards stops the counter at midfield.

Now one for the blooper reel – Ream slips but manages to head the ball over to Richards. The captain stands back up to receive the return pass.

Five minutes of stoppage time ahead.

43 min Point-blank shot! Well-worked down the right for the USA, and Gill has to stand his ground to keep the score at 2-0.

42 min Cáceres finally stops Pulisic, getting between the US attacker and the ball and prompting Pulisic to foul.

40 min Matt Freese touches the ball for the first time since … maybe the second minute?

But now an unpleasant sight – Balogun is down in some pain. USA take the free kick, and Dest works the ball to the end line before centering. Gill intercepts.

The players on the field were made to wait about 20-30 seconds after the hydration break to begin play again. Can't say for certain what the holdup was, but it looked an awful lot like it does at NFL games where everyone just stands around while the TV station comes back from commercial.

38 min Richards heads it just wide off the corner kick.

36 min If you remember a viral video of a few years ago in which a group of professional players took on dozens of schoolkids and still managed to work the ball around and score, that's what it looks like.

Tillman decides to have a go. Deflected for a corner.

35 min This is comical defending from Paraguay. They can't stop Pulisic. They can't stop McKennie. They can't stop Adams.

Pulisic beats Cáceres again and lofts a cross for Balogun, who can't get enough on the header.

33 min USA have possession. Paraguay seem bewildered at the moment.

No doubt about that one – a through ball finds Pulisic behind the hapless defense but kept onside by the center backs. He cuts it back to Balogun, who sends a laser past a defender into the net.

30 min USA turning up a bit of pressure as Paraguay pass around at the back. Now Paraguay return the favor.

Nice sequence from Pulisic to Adams to Balogun, who finishes well, but Balogun was clearly offside, and Pulisic may have been as well.

28 min Action has resumed, a bit tentatively.

End 1st quarter … I mean, hydration break.

Just before the whistle, Pulisic once again easily beat Cáceres, who is clearly in over his head. What adjustments will Paraguay make while everyone is hydrating?

22 min Robinson adds numbers to the left-side attack. Balogun and Tillman combine, but Alonso neatly shields the ball so goalkeeper Gill can collect.

21 min Tillman and McKennie figure Pulisic is doing so well on the left that they might as well join him. It's a nifty bit of skill from Tillman, but McKennie can't control.

20 min A farcical foul from Cáceres, who jumped on Balogun's back.

We have a correction on an earlier yellow card, though – the world feed showed one for Gómez, but that apparently is not the case.

18 min Richards was down for a worrying length of time. He's back up, as is Aldarete. Both players are off the field until they get waved back on.

You almost wonder if there's a side bet in the US locker room about who can execute the most nutmegs. Pulisic has already pulled off two, drawing a yellow. Tillman followed suit a few minutes later. This team is playing with the confidence they tried to convey through interviews over the past few weeks.

17 min Another US chance! Balogun plays it out right to Dest, but his touch is far too heavy. He still works it back into the center, and Paraguay eventually concede a corner.

Aldarete and Richards are both down from a clash of heads. Richards nearly got that on frame.

15 min Good spell of possession from Paraguay now, and Almiron hits the ground looking for a foul. Upon looking at the replay, it's difficult to see why it wasn't called.

14 min Paraguay will need to draw up a new plan to contain Pulisic. Cáceres has already shown he can't do it, and he's on a yellow card.

So is Gómez, for reasons not readily apparent.

Enciso breaks out the fancy footwork to try to get past Adams. He shoots, and it may have been slightly deflected.

12 min Bobadilla stands in Tillman's way and is called for a foul near midfield. The US opt to play short passes and maintain possession.

11 min From the free kick, the US try something from the training ground that probably needs more work on the training ground. Players not quite on the same page.

But they maintain possession. They smell blood right now.

Balogun is marauding in the box, trying to lay it back to a teammate. It's intercepted by not cleared.