The U.S. men’s national team defeated Paraguay 2–1 at Subaru Park in a positive start to the November international break.
Headlining the action was Gio Reyna in his first start since the 2024 Copa América. The talented midfielder scored the first goal on the night just four minutes in. His first headed goal for club or country was quickly erased as Paraguay responded through Álex Arce.
A less-eventful second half had some life injected when Reyna combined with Folarin Balogun for the game-winning goal.
Despite the friendly setting, the match was competitive and things got chippy between the two sides early. Tensions boiled over near the final whistle as a coming together between Alex Freeman and Gustavo Gomez over the ball caused the benches to clear.
Overall, a performance that Mauricio Pochettino will be proud of given the effort shown. This USMNT team has heart and grit.
USMNT Player Ratings vs. Paraguay (3-4-3)
GK: Matt Freese—6.2: The NYCFC man was helpless on the goal conceded. Other than that, it was a quiet night. He was forced into two saves in the second half.
CB: Joe Scally—7.3: A solid showing at right center back in Scally’s return. With the talent ahead of him as a wing back, Scally likely needs to fight for minutes in the back three.
CB: Miles Robinson—7.4: Lost track of Arce for the equalizer in the first half. Didn’t offer the same presence Chris Richards often does in the role, but kept things ticking in possession.
CB: Tim Ream (c)—7.5: Outside of the first goal, the veteran was assured at the back.
RM: Sergiño Dest—6.5: Active going forward, but lacked that final bit of quality to create big chances. Overall a decent showing for the PSV right back in a more advanced role.
CM: Tanner Tessmann—7.5: A strong performance from the Lyon midfielder. Tessmann looks like a real contender for starting minutes in the 2026 World Cup.
CM: Cristian Roldan—6.8: Quietly went about his business in a midfield pivot. Roldan will want his first-half shot on goal back given he was given the ball on a platter.
LM: Max Arfsten—8.4: The rise of Max Arfsten has softened the blow of Antonee Robinson’s absence. The Columbus Crew wingback has questions to answer defensively, but there’s no doubting his attacking presence off the left.
RW: Gio Reyna—8.3: What a reintroduction for Reyna. A goal inside four minutes and a decisive cross that led to the second-half goal. Pochettino has a headache on his hands if Reyna shows up against Uruguay.
ST: Folarin Balogun—7.4: Pressed high, but struggled for service for much of the game. Scored the game-winner before coming off in the second half.
LW: Brenden Aaronson—6.7: A frustrating night for Aaronson. Consistently on the ball, but also lacking that final moment of quality on numerous occasions. Drew three fouls, but also lost the most amount of duels (9).
Subs not used: Jonathan Klinsmann (GK), Patrick Schulte (GK), Roman Celentano (GK), Auston Trusty, Mark McKenzie, John Tolkin, Haji Wright
Paraguay (4-3-3)
Starting XI: Orlando Gill (GK); Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Blas Riveros, Júnior Alonso; Damián Bobadilla, Diego Gómez, Miguel Almirón; Julio Enciso, Álex Arce, Diego González
Subs used: Ramón Sosa, Braian Ojeda, Antonio Sanabria, Lucas Romero
Player of the Match: Max Arfsten (USMNT)
USMNT 2–1 Paraguay—How it Unfolded at Subaru Park
All eyes were on Reyna to begin the game. How would the playmaker respond to the opportunity given?
The early passages of play saw the USMNT press high as they established their shape. They won a corner less than five minutes in which led to a chaotic moment in the box. As the ball bounced around, it eventually made its way out to Arfsten who played in a tantalizing cross. Reyna rose tall and headed the ball past Gill for the opening goal.
His nonchalant celebration might have given off a calm and collected scene, but there was also a sense of relief on Reyna’s face.
The good feeling was quickly wiped away though as Paraguay responded swiftly. Miguel Almirón played a deadly cross which Arce had no issue heading past Freese. Pochettino will be unhappy with the nature of the goal conceded given his defense fell asleep right after scoring.
Roldan had a golden opportunity to put the USMNT back in front around the 20th minute after a dangerous run from Dest, but his effort went right at Gill.
The rest of the first half saw tempers flare a bit as fouls and yellow cards started to pile up, though neither goalkeeper was truly threatened. The USMNT finished the half with 11 fouls, the most in the Pochettino era.
Much of the second half lacked attacking quality from both sides. The hosts dominated possession, but any time the ball was moved around the box Paraguay were quick and decisive with closing down passing and shooting lanes. Dest had a sight at goal in the 65th minute, but his left-footed effort flew over the bar in his last action of the game.
The USMNT finally found the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute after some brilliant play from Balogun and Reyna. The Monaco striker held the ball up well, laid it off for Reyna as he played it back into the box. A fortunate, slight deflection benefitted the USMNT as Balogun was finally rewarded after a relatively quiet night.
Substitutes Timothy Tillman, Diego Luna and Ricardo Pepi nearly combined for a third after coming on, but the latter could not get his feet right in a major moment.
On the verge of stoppage time, Blas Riveros played a dangerous ball across the face of the USMNT goal which nearly deflected in for an own goal.
Tension throughout the night finally hit a breaking point near the final whistle as Alex Freeman and Gustavo Gómez fought over the ball. The tussle led to both benches clearing and unused Paraguayan substitute Omar Alderete receiving a red card.
USMNT vs. Paraguay Halftime Stats
USMNT vs. Paraguay Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Player Ratings vs. Paraguay: Returning Star Shines Bright.
