The USMNT opened the November window with a 2–1 win over Paraguay at Subaru Park, a result that reinforces the team’s steady form against World Cup opponents. The night started fast: Gio Reyna scored just four minutes in, Paraguay equalized at ten, and the U.S. regained control before Folarin Balogun secured the second-half winner. The performance extends the USMNT’s unbeaten run to four matches against nations already qualified for the tournament.
A fast start and a match that heated up right away
The USMNT stepped on the field with a clear plan to press and push the tempo. The payoff came quickly after they regained possession from a corner. Arfsten got the ball on the right, created space and swung in a cross to Reyna, who headed it off the underside of the bar and across the line. It was Reyna’s ninth goal for the national team and the first header of his professional career, putting him past his father Claudio’s mark.
The momentum stayed high. Paraguay responded in the tenth minute when Almirón delivered a first-time cross from the left and Alex Arce finished with a header to level the match. With two goals in under ten minutes, the game showed the physical and dynamic rhythm expected from teams treating this phase as direct preparation for the World Cup. The USMNT kept generating chances. Dest beat his marker on the right, slipped into the box and found Roldán free, but goalkeeper Orlando Gill made the save.
Renewed pressure, worked plays and the goal that sealed the win
After the break, the match stayed open, but the U.S. spent more time in the attacking third. They created two strong chances in a row, both involving Tessmann and Dest, forcing Paraguay to regroup quickly inside the box. Gill also pushed a powerful left-footed strike from Dest over the bar.
The deciding play came in the 71st minute, built on American pressure high up the field. Roldán and Diego Luna won the ball back, and Balogun started the move on the left in a give-and-go sequence with Reyna. Reyna’s low cross deflected off a defender and fell to Balogun, who finished with his left foot, scoring his third goal in three straight starts.
Paraguay answered with a long-range shot from Almirón that Freese tipped over the bar, and Pepi threatened on the other end after a deflection from Luna, but his close-range attempt was blocked. In the final minutes, the U.S. managed the tempo and closed out the victory securely.