The United States made a stunning start to their home World Cup campaign, producing a dominant display to defeat Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles and record their joint-biggest victory in World Cup history.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side wasted little time settling into the tournament, taking the lead after just seven minutes in front of a packed crowd. Christian Pulisic was at the heart of the move, with his dangerous play forcing Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla to turn the ball into his own net. The captain was later substituted at half-time.

The hosts then took complete control through Folarin Balogun. The former Arsenal striker struck twice before the interval, capping an outstanding first-half performance.

Paraguay improved after the break and managed to pull a goal back through substitute Mauricio with 17 minutes remaining, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished. Giovanni Reyna sealed an impressive victory in stoppage time with a superb finish.

While tougher tests undoubtedly lie ahead, the USA could hardly have asked for a better start to their World Cup journey. Pochettino’s men combined energy, quality and confidence to send a strong message to the rest of the tournament and give their supporters plenty of reason for optimism.