US Advance at Copa America

On This Day in 2016, The Americans Prove Their Mettle in a Gritty Victory Over Paraguay

After their emphatic 4-0 statement victory over Costa Rica in Chicago, the United States men's national team arrived in Philadelphia with renewed confidence and a clear path to the Copa America Centenario quarterfinals in 2016. The mathematics were simple: avoid defeat against Paraguay at Lincoln Financial Field.

Yet for a team that had been teetering on the brink of elimination just days earlier, nothing about this tournament had proven simple. The specter of their opening defeat to Colombia still loomed, and with it, the mounting pressure on head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, whose job security had become a topic of public discussion following pointed comments from U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati about the team's recent disappointments in major competitions.

On the eve of the Paraguay match, Klinsmann embraced the pressure with characteristic defiance. Rather than advocating for defensive caution, the German-born coach promised an aggressive approach that would define his team's character.

"We don't have the character to just sit back and let them come and hope for a counter," Klinsmann declared to reporters. "That's not us. We have to be really involved in the game. We have to set the tone. We have to keep a high level of aggressiveness and keep the determination going from the first second of the game."

The coach's confidence wasn't born from blind optimism but from experience. His team had navigated similar pressure two years earlier in Brazil, emerging from the so-called "Group of Death" at the 2014 World Cup by defeating Ghana and drawing with Portugal. That resilience would be tested again on a warm June 11 evening in Philadelphia, where 37,455 fans gathered to witness whether the Americans could convert their revival into sustained success.

Klinsmann's tactical continuity reflected his confidence in the group. For the third consecutive match, he deployed the same starting eleven, maintaining the 4-4-2 formation that had unlocked Costa Rica's defense. The familiarity bred confidence, particularly for a defense anchored by the emerging partnership of John Brooks and Geoff Cameron, with Brad Guzan providing veteran leadership between the posts.

The early signs suggested Paraguay would test that defensive resolve. Just eleven minutes into the match, the South Americans created the kind of dangerous situation that had plagued the Americans against Colombia. Miguel Almirón spearheaded a swift three-on-one counterattack that should have resulted in the opening goal. Instead, it became the defining moment that announced John Brooks's arrival as a world-class defender.

The 23-year-old center-back, who had endured criticism for inconsistent performances over the previous year, stepped forward with perfect timing and executed a sliding tackle that not only dispossessed Almirón but set the tone for what would become a masterclass in defensive resilience. The play exemplified the growth Klinsmann had long preached, the kind of learning through adversity that transforms promising players into reliable international performers.

"A year ago, a lot of people were very critical of him," Klinsmann would later reflect. "And I said, 'Well, he has to have those experiences. He needs to kind of make mistakes to grow.' There's no growth without failure. And so he grew."

With Paraguay's early threat neutralized, the Americans began to assert their own attacking intentions. Gyasi Zardes and DeAndre Yedlin found space on the flanks, probing for openings in a Paraguay defense that appeared organized but not impenetrable. Clint Dempsey, operating with the freedom that had made him so effective against Costa Rica, drew fouls and created half-chances that suggested the breakthrough would come.

It arrived in the 27th minute through a sequence that perfectly encapsulated the Americans' improved movement and understanding. Zardes, collecting the ball near midfield, accelerated down the left wing with the directness that had become his trademark. Rather than attempting to beat his defender with skill, he used his pace to reach the byline before delivering a low cross that split the Paraguayan defense.

The ball found Dempsey at the penalty spot, exactly where the veteran striker's instincts had positioned him. With the composure that had defined his international career, Dempsey drove the ball past goalkeeper Justo Villar for his second goal of the tournament. The strike not only gave the Americans the lead they desperately needed but also provided Dempsey with another milestone moment in Philadelphia. In this city, he had scored his first international goal eleven years earlier.

"When Clint scored that goal," Zardes said, "it makes things much easier."

The goal transformed the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field. On the sidelines, Klinsmann allowed himself a moment of visible relief, his animated celebrations reflecting the weight of expectation that had been lifted from his shoulders. Paraguay's response in the remainder of the first half suggested they would not surrender easily. Darío Lezcano nearly equalized in the 45th minute, advancing on goal only to be denied by Guzan's sharp save at the near post. The close call served as a reminder that the Americans' task was far from complete, despite their tactical dominance.

The second half began with the same measured intensity, both teams aware that a single moment could reshape the entire trajectory of the match. That moment came in the 47th minute, though not in the way anyone anticipated. Yedlin, who had been solid in his defensive duties, received a yellow card for a challenge on Almirón at midfield. The caution itself was debatable, but Yedlin's reaction suggested frustration with the decision.

What happened next would haunt the young defender and fundamentally alter the match's complexity. Just one minute later, Yedlin committed another foul on Miguel Samudio, this time with less justification and in full view of Chilean referee Julio Bascuñan. The second yellow card was inevitable, and with it came the red that reduced the Americans to ten men with more than forty minutes remaining.

"It's two yellows, it's fine," Klinsmann would later say of the decision, though he acknowledged that Yedlin had "just lost his head for a second." The ejection forced an immediate tactical adjustment, with Michael Orozco replacing Yedlin in defense as Dempsey was sacrificed with the substitution, and the Americans shifting to a more defensive posture.

Rather than panic, the Americans regrouped with the kind of collective determination that had defined their best performances in major tournaments. Brooks, already outstanding, elevated his performance to another level, making crucial interceptions and clearances that frustrated Paraguay's attempts to capitalize on their numerical advantage. The defensive effort was complemented by Guzan's goalkeeping, particularly during a frantic period with ten minutes remaining when Paraguay mounted their most sustained pressure. The veteran keeper made a spectacular double save, first denying Jorge Benítez from point-blank range before immediately recovering to block Almirón's follow-up attempt.

Paraguay's frustration peaked in the 89th minute when Gustavo Gómez appeared to have equalized, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The decision preserved the Americans' slender lead and their tournament hopes, though the final whistle couldn't come soon enough for Klinsmann and his increasingly anxious staff. When referee Bascuñan finally ended the contest, the Americans had secured not just the victory they needed but something more valuable: proof that they could overcome adversity through collective resilience rather than individual brilliance. The 1-0 scoreline told only part of the story; the manner of the victory spoke to character traits that had been questioned throughout Klinsmann's tenure.

The evening's drama wasn't finished. As the American players gathered in their Center City hotel to watch the conclusion of Group A, Costa Rica was completing a stunning 3-2 upset of Colombia in Houston. The result, which seemed inconsequential to American hopes just hours earlier, suddenly transformed the group standings. Colombia's defeat dropped them to second place, elevating the United States to the top of Group A and fundamentally altering their quarterfinal prospects.

Instead of facing a daunting trip to the Meadowlands to meet Brazil, the Americans would head to Seattle's CenturyLink Field to face Group B's runner-up. The likely opponent would be Ecuador, a team they had defeated 1-0 in a pre-tournament friendly just weeks earlier. The possibility of avoiding Brazil, the tournament's most dangerous team, represented an unexpected gift that could extend their Copa America journey.

"It's just a wonderful opportunity for our team now to play these type of games," Klinsmann reflected after learning of their group triumph. "It's grow, grow, grow and rise to the occasion. We have nothing to lose. Why not be courageous? Why not put on pressure and give them a game?"

As the team prepared to leave Philadelphia, the transformation from the group that had been outplayed by Colombia seemed complete. Three matches had produced three different storylines: the humbling defeat that exposed their limitations, the explosive victory that restored their confidence, and the gritty triumph that proved their character. The variety of challenges they had overcome suggested they were prepared for whatever the knockout stages might present. The Copa America quarterfinals awaited, and with them, the opportunity to achieve something that had eluded American teams for seven years: victory in a knockout match at a major tournament.