The U.S. men's national team opened up their Copa America campaign with a 2-0 win over Bolivia at AT&T Stadium on Sunday courtesy of first-half goals from Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.
Pulisic scored just three minutes into the game in style, taking an impressive shot from distance that flew into the back of the net. It set the tone for an attack-minded performance from the tournament hosts, who were constantly searching for goals and eventually doubled their lead through Balogun's 44th-minute strike. It marked the AS Monaco player's first international goal since October and was also an important moment for his prospects since the center forward position remains up for grabs on the USMNT.
Gregg Berhalter's side maintained the offensive mindset for the second half, but despite attempts from Pulisic and substitute Ricardo Pepi, they were unable to find another goal. The USMNT ultimately were wasteful in attack, taking 20 shots but mustering a little more than two expected goals.
The U.S. rise to the top of Group A and have a chance to build a winning streak on Thursday when they face Panama at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Pulisic was easily the star of the USMNT's show and is quickly living up to the billing as the team's focal point in attack. It was an impressive shift for him with one goal, one assist, three shots and three chances created, demonstrating that his fine form for AC Milan is translating for the U.S. at a very important phase in the team's preparations for the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
The same, though, cannot be said across the board. Balogun helped his case by scoring his first international goal in nearly nine months and also took three shots during his 66-minute shift. Some remain unconvinced by the 22-year-old but he fared better than his main competition for a starting spot -- Pepi. The substitute took an impressive six shots in 25 minutes, putting four on target but failing to score through a combination of bad luck and bad finishing. He has not been the frontrunner for the role for some time and will need to step up his game to be in the mix but that's without considering Josh Sargent, who is in camp but is coming off a foot injury and did not play against Bolivia.
The inconsistencies add up to a somewhat underwhelming attacking show overall for the USMNT. They took 20 shots and put eight on target, a respectable showing by some measurements but there were several occasions where the U.S. could have padded the scoreline but did not. It leaves a less-than-ideal impression of the team's opening match, which should have come with a dominant scoreline to match the mismatched opposition.
Tyler Adams may have been limited to a 45-minute cameo, but his ability to play one half is a strong signal for the USMNT's prospects at this summer's tournament.
He was an active part of the team's first-half efforts, taking 46 touches and posting an 86% passing accuracy during an exciting opening to the match that allowed the USMNT to showcase their offensive abilities. Adams partnered well with Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna, demonstrating the promise of Gregg Berhalter's first-choice midfield when the option is available to him.
The USMNT is undoubtedly better with a fit Adams on the pitch and the fact that he will be an option means they have a chance to play their best soccer for stretches of this tournament. His limited cameo is also a double-edged sword, though -- his cameos mean Berhalter will have to continue to find a way to strike the midfield balance without Adams. It's something the head coach has struggled with for a year-plus, during which Adams has mostly struggled with hamstring issues.
The USMNT open the Copa America on a winning note thanks to goals from Pulisic and Balogun. The good news is that it was an attack-minded performance, which was expected against an inferior opponent, but the hosts were wasteful in front of goal and might rue their missed chances.
87' The USMNT keep searching for the third goal but it's a repeat of what we've seen time and time again today -- one player plays a stellar ball, but a teammate in prime position to finish can't get that final touch. In this case it's Pepi who's unable to score, and he's still waiting for his first international goal since November.
78' De La Torre comes on for McKennie, who's on a yellow, while Algaranaz and Vaca come on for Miranda and Fernandez in the last few minutes for Bolivia.
72' The USMNT keep going for goal and are now up to 13 shots today, with Pulisic and Pepi taking some of the more meaningful recent shots. Terceros, meanwhile, adds a fifth shot to Bolivia's count in the last few minutes but it's a tame shot from distance that Turner easily scoops up.
66' Robinson makes a smart run down the left flank and plays a well-taken cross into the box, allowing Pepi to take a promising shot with his first touch of the game. The ball just rolls past the the goal, though.
64' Berhalter makes two substitutions with just under a half hour left to go -- Cardoso for Reyna and Pepi for Balogun.
59' Pulisic seems intent on only scoring bangers, this time taking a shot from distance that looks certain to score. Viscarra was up for the task, though, and makes an equally impressive save.
53' Weah and Musah combine to score a goal that quickly is ruled out through an offside call, but it's just the latest example of Weah's strong second half so far. A few minutes earlier, he made a nice run and took a shot from distance that could've turned into a goal but he failed to get the shot on frame.
49' McKennie fouls Fernandez as the Bolivian makes his way towards goal, and so the USMNT midfielder picks up his team's first yellow card of the game.
48' Both teams are already on the hunt for a goal in the second half, with Bolivia getting close to Turner but the USMNT defense sniffing it out. Pulisic almost immediately ends up with the ball and makes his way towards the opposite goal but he's unable to get a promising shot on frame.
Both teams make some changes to start the second half. For the USMNT, Musah comes on for Adams in a planned substitute while Bolivia make three -- Terceros for Menacho, H. Cuellar for Medina and Ramallo for Justiniano.
It may not have been the most stylish first half, but the USMNT have a well-deserved multi-goal advantage. Theres still some room for improvement, though -- the U.S. are attack-minded but could be more clinical as they make their way towards goal, and it will be fascinating to see if they aim to improve on those points for the second half.
44' The USMNT finally have their second goal, courtesy of Balogun. It's a great build up form the U.S., which results with a smartly played pass from Pulisic to his left. After making a well-timed run, Balogun finds his spot and strikes for his first international goal since October.
35' The USMNT's pursuit for another goal continues, but it hasn't been easy doubling the lead. The latest attempt saw Weah play a promising cross into the box in hopes of finding Balogun, but the Bolivian defense is able to crowd the box enough and clear the ball out of trouble.
31' Justiniano goes in for a tackle on Reyna, which forces the players to huddle up and enjoy a heated exchange of words. The moment ends quickly but not before the referee shows the Bolivia player a yellow card, while teammates Haquin and Villamil pick up cards in subsequent minutes. A quick primer on the yellow card rules at the Copa America -- players will be suspended if they pick up two yellow cards, with bookings wiped out after the group stage.
22' After a high-energy start to the game, things have calmed down since but it's not like the USMNT have stopped going for goal. McKennie and Balogun are amongst those who got close to goal in the last few minutes, with the U.S. posting five shots and putting two on frame so far. Bolivia just have one.
10' The USMNT have done what they can to maintain that hot start, spending much of the opening minutes looking for another goal and forcing Bolivia's defense to scramble to avoid conceding again. The opponents have had a couple of moments, though, forcing a save out of Turner and two turnovers out of Ream. The USMNT are still very much in charge of this one as things stand.
3' The USMNT kick off their Copa America campaign with a goal in the opening three minutes, courtesy of Pulisic. The team earn a set piece and the captain takes a strike from distance that rockets its way in the back of the net. Pulisic scored his first-ever goal for the USMNT eight years ago against Bolivia in a friendly before the team's last Copa America appearance, and he's already made it another memorable outing against the opposition.
The game is underway and the USMNT already have eyes for goal with a couple of shots in the opening seconds of the match.
A youthful Bolivia team eyes their second Copa America win in their last 30 games at the competition, though they are very much the underdogs considering both their inexperience and the fact that the squad is comprised almost entirely of players who are based in the domestic league. Here's Jonathan Johnson's scouting report on today's USMNT opponent.
While much has been made of the USMNT's promising attacking options, the impressive talent is not limited to the offense. Center back Chris Richards, who starts again today, has quietly had one of the best seasons in Europe of an American player after becoming a mainstay at Crystal Palace, first under Roy Hodgson and later as new manager Oliver Glasner soft-launched his exciting project. Here's James Benge on Richards' impressive rise in the Premier League.
Goals are the name of the game for the USMNT as they aim for a strong start to their Copa America campaign, but the center forward position has been a tricky one in recent years for the team. Balogun has been entrusted with the responsibility of playing in that position today after an eight goal season for Monaco, but he has not scored for the national team since October and the last center forward to score for the USMNT was Pepi in a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in November.
Here, the Morning Footy crew preview the game and discuss the players who need to make a difference for a successful showing against Bolivia.
The USMNT's opponents will begin their Copa America journey with their captain Haquin but not necessarily with a ton of goalscoring talent -- no one in the lineup has more than two goals. Here's a look at their lineup.
Bolivia starting XI: Viscarra, Jesus Sagredo, Jose Sagredo, Medina, Haquin, Fernandez, Saucedo, Villamil, Justiniano, Menacho, Miranda
Substitutes: Lampe, Almada, Jusino, Terceros, J. Cuellar, Vaca, Algarañaz, Chavez, Tome, Cespedes, Ramallo, H. Cuellar, Suarez, Rocha, Terrazas
Berhalter makes two changes from the team that tied 1-1 with Brazil 11 days ago, starting Adams and Balogun in the place of Musah and Pepi. Neither comes as a particular surprise outside of fitness concerns for Adams, who has spent much of the last year and change out with injury, but the lineup looks as close to Berhalter's first choice as it gets.
USMNT starting XI: Turner, Scally, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson, Reyna, Adams, McKennie, Weah, Balogun, Pulisic
Substitutes: Horvath, Johnson, Carter-Vickers, Musah, Pepi, Aaronson, M. Robinson, de la Torre, Cardoso, Moore, Tillman, Wright, Lund, McKenzie, Sargent
Expectations aren't just high for the USMNT today -- many hope the Copa America hosts will find a way to compete with some of the world's best teams and truly establish themselves as an exciting team on the rise as they count down to the 2026 World Cup. Statement-making performances are glaring omissions on Gregg Berhalter's resume, five-plus years after first taking the job, and it feels like now-or-never time for him to realize this talented group's potential.
Here's Chuck Booth on why advancing out of the group stage is not enough to consider the Copa America a success for the USMNT.
The USMNT's Copa America opener is finally here, and so are the high expectations that tend to accompany this team. The hosts are a talented and aspirational group but a year and a half removed from competing as the youngest squad at the 2022 World Cup, the Copa America is a perfect place to demonstrate their progress -- or showcase just far they have to go before the 2026 World Cup on home soil. As a result, a dominant performance is perhaps the bare minimum expectation from the USMNT as the oddsmakers' favorites against Bolivia as the countdown to the World Cup in two years' time begins.
