Skip Bayless watched the U.S. Men’s National Team beat Paraguay 4-1 at Los Angeles Stadium and, in real time, turned a moment of soccer chaos into a fresh jab at the Dallas Cowboys. After the USMNT’s strong performance—sparked by Christian Pulisic and two firs
Friday night didn’t just belong to Team USA.
At Los Angeles Stadium. Cowboys fans got an unexpected detour from the usual path of NFL frustration when Skip Bayless pulled Dallas into the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup opener—right through the noise of the match itself. The U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. and during that run of goals. Bayless found a stray moment of football that somehow kept spinning the Cowboys into his commentary.
Team USA looked sharp under Mauricio Pochettino, while Paraguay spent much of the game chasing. Christian Pulisic helped set up the opening goal. and Folarin Balogun struck twice in the first half to give the home side a quick grip on the contest. Bayless posted during the match on X. tying what he was watching to the defensive disappointments he associated with the Cowboys from last season.
“I don’t closely follow World Cup buildup, but from what I just saw, either Team USA is better than I expected – a true contender – or Paraguay’s defense is no better than last year’s Cowboys’.”
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 13, 2026
That post landed because Bayless rarely lets a sports stage go by without finding Dallas in the background. Even with a World Cup match underway. the Cowboys remained part of his running narrative—this time not as a separate topic. but as the measuring stick for what Paraguay’s defense looked like against the U.S.
The U.S. didn’t just win. It made history in the final minutes. Balogun’s performance mattered in a big way: he became the first American to score a first-half World Cup brace since 1930. Then Gio Reyna stepped in late. finishing a 26-pass sequence in stoppage time that sealed a 4-1 win—and the first four-goal World Cup match in U.S. Men’s National Team history.
Still, the NFL angle was what Bayless pushed hardest. He framed Paraguay’s defensive collapse as a reminder of how frustrated Dallas fans felt watching the Cowboys’ group last season. For the Cowboys, the offseason never truly leaves the spotlight. And for Team USA. Bayless’ post showed how quickly a home World Cup night can drag mainstream American sports voices—well beyond soccer—into the conversation.
By the time the final result was in. Bayless had done what he always does: turned the sport he’s watching into a link to the team his audience loves to argue about. In one 4-1 statement at Los Angeles Stadium. the World Cup delivered the goals—and the Cowboys got pulled back into the storyline again.
Skip Bayless Dallas Cowboys USMNT World Cup Paraguay Los Angeles Stadium Mauricio Pochettino Christian Pulisic Folarin Balogun Gio Reyna X