The second half delivered constant action as both teams continued their World Cup preparations with high tempo and physical play.

A Heated Second Half With Chances on Both Sides

At minute 90+1, tempers boiled over when Gustavo Gómez battled for the ball with Alex Freeman, sparking a scuffle that briefly halted the match. Just moments earlier, the U.S. had survived a near own goal after a dangerous move by Blas Riveros ricocheted off Arfsten and narrowly missed the net.

Paraguay pushed hard in the final minutes. Rodrigo Ojeda tested goalkeeper Matt Freese, while the visitors earned multiple corner kicks in search of an equalizer. The U.S. made several substitutions to refresh the attack, bringing in Sebastian Berhalter, Ricardo Pepi, Jordan Morris, and Timothy Tillman.

The home side also produced clear opportunities, including a big miss from Pepi, who couldn’t finish alone in the box after a defensive recovery from Paraguay.

Reyna and Balogun Lead the U.S. Attack

The decisive moment came in the 71st minute. Gio Reyna broke into the area and sent a pass that took a fortunate deflection before falling to Folarin Balogun, who made no mistake this time to score the 2–1 winner.

Earlier, in the 4th minute, Reyna had opened the scoring with a brilliant header off a perfect cross from Arfsten, giving the United States an ideal start. But Paraguay responded quickly in the 10th minute, when Miguel Almirón delivered a superb long ball that Álex Arce headed into the net for the equalizer.

Throughout the match, Sergiño Dest, Joe Scally, Miles Robinson, and Tim Ream were heavily involved in buildup play and defensive efforts. Diego Gómez, Diego González, and Matías Rojas brought intensity for Paraguay, forcing the U.S. to stay alert under pressure.

Both coaches — Mauricio Pochettino for the U.S. and Gustavo Alfaro for Paraguay — used the friendly to test lineups and tactical variations ahead of the World Cup.

All the Goals