Folarin Balogun announced himself to a home World Cup with two first-half goals, and the USA made their tournament opener utterly convincing, beating Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium to go top of Group D on goal difference ahead of Australia. Pochettino's side were dominant from the first minute to the last.
The game was effectively over before the break. Seven minutes in, Damián Bobadilla diverted the ball into his own net to hand the hosts an early cushion, and Paraguay never recovered their footing. The opening goal came against the run of play, but it drained whatever composure the South Americans had brought into the Inglewood night.
Balogun made it two on 31 minutes, converting after Christian Pulisic's involvement, and the striker was not done. Four minutes before half-time he added a third, this time with Malik Tillman as provider, to send the USA in at the interval with a lead that Paraguay's travelling support could scarcely believe. Three goals inside 45 minutes, 65 per cent possession, 13 of their 16 shots coming from inside the box: Pochettino's side had been relentless, and the half-time dressing room had very little to discuss.
There was a flicker for Paraguay early in the second half. Substitute Mauricio pulled one back on 73 minutes, assisted by Julio Enciso, and for a spell the scoreline looked as though it might tighten into something more presentable. It did not. Giovanni Reyna, introduced for the closing stages, settled any lingering nerves with a fourth in stoppage time, tapping in after Alexander Freeman's assist to wrap up the kind of opening-night victory that sets a tone for the whole group.
The numbers told the full story. Paraguay managed one shot on target all evening, accumulated five yellow cards, and completed just 73 per cent of their passes against an American side that strung 509 of their 598 attempted passes together. Matthew Freese was called upon once in goal. The scoreline, if anything, flattered the visitors.
For Balogun the evening was personal as well as professional. Born in London, raised partly in the United States, he had waited for a stage like this. He found it at SoFi, and he looked entirely comfortable on it. Two goals, constant movement between the lines, and the kind of finishing confidence that suggests there is considerably more to come in this tournament.
Paraguay's evening was encapsulated by Almirón, the most recognisable name in their starting XI, who was booked and replaced before the eightieth minute without leaving a meaningful mark on the match. Their 4-4-2 was rigid and easily bypassed by a US side that moved the ball quickly through midfield, with Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie providing the platform from which Pulisic, Tillman and Dest could operate with freedom.
The second half was more ragged. Dest came off at 72, Pulisic had already been replaced at the break, and the tempo naturally dropped without those two in the picture. But the result was never seriously in doubt once that third goal went in just before half-time.
Pochettino's USA sit top of Group D after one match, their goal difference already the best in the group. Australia occupy second after their own win over Türkiye, and that meeting will matter in due course. For now, the hosts have done precisely what they needed to: win clearly, give the SoFi crowd something to celebrate, and introduce Folarin Balogun to the world.