Giovanni Reyna Caps USA's 4-1 World Cup Win With 24-Pass Trivela Against Paraguay

Q: With star Christian Pulisic mysteriously subbed at halftime, is the USA's World Cup dream already facing a major hurdle?

No. The evidence so far suggests Christian Pulisic’s halftime exit was a precaution, not a major threat to the USA’s World Cup campaign. Pulisic was substituted after taking a kick to his left calf in the first half against Paraguay. He said afterward that he was “hoping that it’s nothing” and did not think it was serious. Coach Mauricio Pochettino gave a similar explanation, saying Pulisic felt tightness and the staff did not want to take risks, especially with the USA already leading 3-0 at halftime. The context matters. The United States still won 4-1, and the attack remained dangerous without him. Folarin Balogun scored twice, and Giovanni Reyna came off the bench to produce the standout moment of the night with a brilliant stoppage-time goal. That performance underlined that the team has other match-winners if Pulisic needs short-term management. There is still some reason for caution. Pochettino acknowledged Pulisic had difficulty walking immediately after the knock, so his condition will need monitoring. But with six days before the next group match against Australia, the timing is favorable for recovery. At this stage, the bigger takeaway is not crisis but depth. Pulisic remains central to the USMNT, yet the opener showed the team can create, score and control a match through Balogun, Reyna and others. Unless further medical updates reveal a more serious injury, this looks like a manageable concern rather than a major hurdle.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 13

4-1 became the final score when Giovanni Reyna struck in the last minute of stoppage time, finishing the United States' 2026 World Cup opener against Paraguay with an outside-of-the-boot goal.
A 24-pass move set it up, with the U.S. circulating the ball around Paraguay's box before Reyna took two touches and bent a trivela past the goalkeeper.
The goal sealed a statement result after a dominant first half driven by Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun, even as Paraguay pushed back in a tighter second half.
For Reyna, 23, the finish marked a high-profile return after injuries, club struggles and a long shadow from his troubled 2022 World Cup cycle.