Pulisic subbed off at halftime, 'hoping it's nothi...
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- Christian Pulisic was substituted at halftime of the USMNT's 4-1 World Cup opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, telling reporters he was kicked in the back of his left calf and didn't believe the injury was serious.
- Coach Mauricio Pochettino said the move was precautionary, noting Pulisic had also been kicked in the calf during a training session two days earlier and 'started to feel tight' at the end of the first half.
- Folarin Balogun scored twice for the US, becoming the first American to score multiple goals in a World Cup match since Bert Patenaude's hat trick in 1930.
- The USMNT led 3-0 at halftime — a first in team World Cup history — after Pulisic helped force an own goal and set up Balogun for the second before his departure.
- Giovanni Reyna added a late goal to restore the three-goal cushion after Paraguay scored in the second half, sealing the 4-1 victory before a jubilant Southern California crowd.
- The USMNT plays Australia on June 19 in Seattle, then finishes Group D play against Türkiye on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.
Why it matters: Pulisic's availability directly shapes the USMNT's Group D ceiling — the Americans can't afford to lose their most creative attacker with Australia and Türkiye still to come. Balogun's brace, the first multi-goal US World Cup performance in 95 years, gives Pochettino a proven secondary scoring threat if Pulisic's calf doesn't heal in time.
