Folarin Balogun delivers USMNT winner in wild Paraguay friendly  | OneFootball

By Ari Liljenwall

The US men's national team continued 2026 FIFA World Cup preparation with an entertaining 2-1 victory over Paraguay in Saturday's international friendly at the Philadelphia Union's Subaru Park.

It was the first of two November friendlies for the USMNT, serving as the prelude to a matchup with Conmebol powerhouse Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Saturday's result was delivered by a 71st-minute game-winner from Folarin Balogun, who broke a 1-1 deadlock after the sides traded goals in the opening 10 minutes.

Borussia Mönchengladbach attacker Gio Reyna made the most of his selection to the starting XI, scoring the USMNT's fourth-minute opener with a pinpoint header, then playing creator on the sequence that ended with Balogun's decisive strike. In between, Paraguay forward Álex Arce scored a 10th-minute equalizer with a diving header, assisted by Atlanta United star Miguel Almirón.

The US held on despite a wave of late pressure, which boiled over in second-half stoppage time with a bench-clearing fracas just before the final whistle.

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