Subscribe to The Cooligans
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros react live to the USMNT‘s stunning 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The boys break down one of the most complete performances in modern U.S. Soccer history, discussing how Mauricio Pochettino’s side overwhelmed a talented South American opponent with confidence, intensity and attacking quality. They also name Folarin Balogun their Player of the Match after his brilliant two-goal performance.
Advertisement
Then, Christian and Alexis dive deeper into the individual performances that powered the victory. From Gio Reyna‘s spectacular goal to Christian Pulisic‘s dominant first-half display, the guys explain why the USMNT looked every bit like a team capable of making noise in the tournament. They also give Chris Richards his flowers after a commanding defensive performance that set the tone from the opening whistle.
To wrap up the show, The Cooligans look ahead to the United States’ next World Cup clash against Australia and debate just how far this team can realistically go in the tournament. The guys also recap Canada‘s impressive draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, discussing what the result means for Canada’s chances of advancing and the growing strength of North American soccer on the world stage.
Timestamps:
(0:00) — Reacting to the USMNT’s dominant performance
Advertisement
(10:30) — Balogun’s Historic Night Breakdown
(19:30) — Pulisic’s Performance Report Card
(23:30) – Chris Richards’ near perfect performance
(32:00) – Looking ahead to next game vs Australia
(40:30) – Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina recap
Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with Chris Richards #3 during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)
🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube
Check out all episodes of The Cooligans the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv
