{"id":384340,"date":"2025-11-17T03:18:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T03:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/384340\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T03:18:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T03:18:12","slug":"usmnt-2-paraguay-1-reyna-scores-in-start-pochettinos-side-unbeaten-in-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/384340\/","title":{"rendered":"USMNT 2, Paraguay 1: Reyna scores in start; Pochettino\u2019s side unbeaten in 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHESTER, Pa. \u2013\u00a0With goals from Gio Reyna in the first half and Folarin Balogun in the second, the U.S. men\u2019s national team downed Paraguay, 2-1, to reinforce what has been a solid run of form over the past three international windows.<\/p>\n

The U.S. is now unbeaten across its last four games \u2014 all against World Cup-qualified opponents.<\/p>\n

Reyna, making his first appearance with the U.S. since the disastrous March Nations League camp \u2014 a window in which he played just 21 minutes in a third-place match as he tried to regain fitness and form \u2014 didn\u2019t take long to make an impression. Max Arfsten used a nice stepover and acceleration on the right side and sent in a cross that Reyna rose and headed off the underside of the crossbar, where it bounced behind the goal line and then into the upper netting to give the Americans a lead. The fourth-minute finish was the first headed goal of Reyna\u2019s career, according to TruMedia, and it pushed him past his father, Claudio Reyna, with his ninth national-team goal.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long, though, for Paraguay to find the equalizer.<\/p>\n

Just one long ball from the back line over the top sprung Miguel Almir\u00f3n past Joe Scally, the Borussia Monchengladbach defender who was also back in the team for the first time since March. Almir\u00f3n sprinted into the open space and played a ball across the goal to Alex Arce, who was in front of the trailing Miles Robinson and Tim Ream and put a diving header easily past Matt Freese from just five yards out.<\/p>\n

Reyna was involved again on the second goal. Diego Luna\u2019s fantastic defensive pressure led to an awful turnover in Paraguay\u2019s defensive third right onto the foot of Balogun. The forward held the ball and dropped it off for the overlapping Reyna, whose pass looking for Cristian Roldan in the box deflected off the heel of a Paraguayan defender. Balogun was there to clean up the loose ball in the box and buried it to lift the U.S. to the win.<\/p>\n

It continues a hot run of form for the U.S. forward, who has three goals in his last four games for his country and very much looks the part of the starting No. 9.<\/p>\n

Things took an aggressive turn in the 91st minute, as a brawl broke out between the U.S. and Paraguay next to the benches when Alex Freeman and Gustavo Gomez started wrestling over a ball for a throw-in. Robinson was ripped backwards by several Paraguayan player as he ran into the scrum. The fight lasted about two minutes and Paraguay\u2019s Omar Alderete was red-carded on the bench after the players were separated.<\/p>\n

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The end of USA vs. Paraguay got \ud835\udc12\ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc18 \u2694\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/LjkybUJA4B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 B\/R Football (@brfootball) November 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The U.S. will take that fight into its next match, Tuesday against Uruguay in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a deeper look at Saturday\u2019s win:<\/p>\n

Gio Reyna back with a bang<\/p>\n

Reyna\u2019s inclusion in this November squad<\/a> turned heads and raised questions<\/a> about Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s selection process. Reyna entered this week having played fewer club minutes since Aug. 1 than any other player in the USMNT picture. He had made just one start of any competitive kind, for club or country, since March 1. He hadn\u2019t contributed to a goal since January.<\/p>\n

And on Saturday, despite all that, he showed why Pochettino picked him; why the head coach called him an \u201cenormous talent\u201d and \u201cspecial situation\u201d; and why he could \u2014 not will, but could \u2014 help the USMNT at the World Cup.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t brilliant. He barely sprinted. You could argue that his slow, leisurely pressing contributed to the defensive breakdown on Paraguay\u2019s first-half goal.<\/p>\n

But he was clean on the ball. He saw passes that nobody else did or could. There was one in the 30th minute, a seemingly blind, first-time, 30-yard ball with a man on his back out to Sergi\u00f1o Dest on the right, that reminded everyone of his quality.<\/p>\n

There was also the goal, the moment that everyone will see; and the contribution to Balogun\u2019s goal. But there were a dozen other moments that highlight reels won\u2019t capture, moments when, if you zeroed in on Reyna, you could see how he helps this team and why some teammates like playing with him.<\/p>\n

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Gio Reyna scores his first USMNT goal since March 2024 \ud83d\udca5 pic.twitter.com\/ejy6XrZrt2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 B\/R Football (@brfootball) November 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Folarin Balogun’s third goal in his last four USMNT games restores the lead \ud83e\udee1 pic.twitter.com\/fe85pV30M2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 B\/R Football (@brfootball) November 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWhen I have him on the field with me on the national team, I always feel a lot more relaxed,\u201d Christian Pulisic said in a recent interview with CBS Sports<\/a>. \u201cI feel like he\u2019s a really, really good player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arfsten continues to make his case<\/p>\n

Going into January camp in 2025, Max Arfsten was a longshot to be in the mix for the U.S. World Cup team.<\/p>\n

But Arfsten learned long before that \u201ceveryone\u2019s journey is different.\u201d The left wingback played college soccer. He didn\u2019t make the San Jose Earthquakes first team. He played just 12 games in his first season in Columbus.<\/p>\n

But, as laid out wonderfully in this profile earlier in the week<\/a>, Arfsten turned his chance with the U.S. team into a featured role \u2014\u00a0and potentially a starting job at next summer\u2019s World Cup. Arfsten has played more minutes than any other field player besides captain Tim Ream. He isn\u2019t taking it for granted.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I come here, I still feel a massive point to prove,\u201d Arfsten says. \u201cThat\u2019s how I approach everything at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Saturday, he provided the assist to Reyna with a nifty stepover, sprint and cross with his \u201coff\u201d right foot, and was solid again over 90 minutes at left back.<\/p>\n

With Antonee Robinson\u2019s knee injury lingering far longer than anyone wanted and the Fulham left back still trying to work back on the field, Arfsten might just meet his dream in 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to play in Europe, I want to play in the World Cup,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel like those are the two next steps for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Max<\/p>\n

\n Max Arfsten and Folarin Balogun during the USA\u2019s 2-1 win over Paraguay (Omar Vega \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Unbeaten run stretches to four<\/p>\n

The U.S.\u2019s improved run of form has coincided with Pochettino switching to a 3-4-2-1 system in September. He changed mid-game during a hefty loss to South Korea, but the group showed signs of improvement immediately upon the switch.<\/p>\n

In the following four matches, the USMNT beat Japan (2-0), drew Ecuador (1-1) and beat Australia and Paraguay (both 2-1). All four nations have qualified for the World Cup.<\/p>\n

An identity and structure has come with the shift, even as the players have changed more than the staff may have liked. Without Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie this window, the U.S. still had positive moments against Paraguay and came away with a positive result, if an imperfect performance.<\/p>\n

The group did move more to a 4-2-3-1 with second half subs to bring on Luna and Freeman for Scally and Dest.<\/p>\n

Pochettino constantly stresses the importance of competition, both in matches to fight for every blade of grass and in training to maintain a place in the lineup or the squad in general.<\/p>\n

This is a group that has been fighting and much more cohesive over the last few months. It comes in the aftermath of what was easily the nadir of the Pochettino era in the spring\/summer, culminating with a blowout loss to Switzerland before the Gold Cup and a public spat with Pulisic.<\/p>\n

Pochettino and his staff not only righted the ship, but are starting to build momentum towards the World Cup.<\/p>\n