Things couldn’t have gone much better for the United States in its World Cup opener.
In the seventh minute of the United States’ 4-1 win over Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday, the Americans were gifted an own goal that gave them an early lead — so early that it’s actually the third-fastest goal for the U.S. in World Cup history. Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla was credited with the own goal. Weston McKennie was the last U.S. player to touch the ball in the run of play.
The U.S. has scored a goal in the first 15 minutes of a World Cup match six times in history, with three coming against Paraguay (two in 1930 and one tonight). The two earliest goals for the U.S. in a home World Cup match have both been own goals: on Friday against Paraguay and against Colombia in 1994.
Clint Dempsey holds the record for the fastest goal by a U.S. player at a FIFA Men’s World Cup with a 30-second goal vs. Ghana at Brazil 2014. The U.S. has only lost one time at the World Cup when scoring first. Its only loss came against Spain in 1950.
The U.S. extended its lead with a first-half brace by striker Folarin Balogun. He is the first American man to have multiple goals in a World Cup game since Bert Patenaude in 1930.
Midfielder Gio Reyna capped things off in the eighth minute of stoppage time to give the U.S. its first-ever four-goal result at the World Cup. His goal is now the latest regulation goal for the U.S. in a World Cup match.
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