FIFA World Cup Record: Chris Richards Completes All 83 Passes As USA Thrash Paraguay 4-1 In Los Angeles
Folarin Balogun scored twice. Gio Reyna hit a stunner. Christian Pulisic ran the show before going off at halftime. And quietly, in the middle of all of it, Chris Richards completed every single pass he attempted and broke the record.
The numbers from SoFi Stadium on Friday night are going to be discussed for a while. The United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opener, their highest ever scoreline at the tournament. But buried inside that result is a passing statistic that belongs in a different conversation entirely. Chris Richards attempted 83 passes against Paraguay. He completed all 83. According to ESPN Insights, that is the most passes any player has completed with 100 percent accuracy in a World Cup match since records of this kind were compiled from 1966 onwards.
The centre-back, who plays his club football for Crystal Palace, was the quiet architect of everything the United States built from the back on Friday. His passing range, composure and ability to move the ball cleanly under pressure gave Mauricio Pochettino's side a foundation to attack from, and they attacked with devastating effect.
How the Match Unfolded
The tone was set in the seventh minute. Pulisic split the Paraguayan defence, McKennie drove at goal, and Damian Bobadilla turned the ball into his own net. The fastest World Cup goal the United States have ever scored. Balogun made it two in the 31st minute with a clinical finish after a cutback from Pulisic, then added a third before halftime with a curling strike that gave the goalkeeper no chance. It was the first time the USMNT had scored three goals in a World Cup half.
Pulisic did not come out for the second half. Pochettino confirmed afterwards that his captain had taken a kick to the calf and begun to feel tightness. The precautionary substitution was the right call given what is still ahead in the group stage. Paraguay pulled one back in the 73rd minute through a Mauricio strike that briefly gave the scoreline a false look. Reyna settled it in the 88th minute, receiving on the edge of the box and dispatching with the outside of his right foot into the far corner.
The Other Records From Friday Night
Tim Ream, at 38 years and 250 days, broke Fernando Clavijo's record as the oldest American to appear at a World Cup. Balogun became the first USMNT player to score a brace in a World Cup match since Brian McBride in 2002. The USA face Australia in Seattle on June 19 and Turkey in Los Angeles on June 25. They go into both games as serious contenders.
United States