USMNT Victory Over Paraguay Erupts Into Wild Benches-Clearing Brawl With Flying Fists

The United States men's national soccer team secured consecutive victories for the first time since the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup with a 2–1 triumph over Paraguay on Saturday evening, though the match concluded with drama. 

Following goals from Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun that secured the victory at Subaru Park, tensions boiled over in the closing minutes. USMNT defender Alex Freeman and Paraguay's Gustavo Gómez engaged in a tussle over possession in the 91st minute, which escalated into a melee involving both squads. 

Though the exact catalyst for the confrontation remained ambiguous, it seemed the referee had awarded a throw-in to the Americans before Freeman and Gómez disputed the decision, leading to their physical altercation over the ball. Subsequently, multiple players from both teams joined the fracas. 

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson were among the first field players to intervene, before teammates from both sides and coaching staffs became involved in the incident. 

Paraguay defender Omar Alderete received a red card during the commotion, despite not participating in the match as either a starter or substitute. 

The USMNT and Paraguay match broke out into a fight near the end of extra time 😮pic.twitter.com/e9PKnkQmk5

Beyond the late-match altercation, the evening proved highly encouraging for the USMNT. They not only claimed their second consecutive victory, but Reyna netted his first international goal in over 600 days while several players enhanced their World Cup prospects ahead of 2026. 

The United States will next turn attention to their final fixture of the 2025 calendar when they meet Uruguay on Nov. 18, seeking three consecutive wins against top 30 ranked opponents for the first time under manager Mauricio Pochettino. 

Following the Uruguay encounter, just two March friendlies and potentially two June matches remain before the Americans begin World Cup play on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.  

The USMNT and other qualified teams will learn their World Cup group stage adversaries and potential tournament routes during the World Cup draw on Dec. 5.