Christian Pulisic scored in the third minute and assisted on Folarin Balogun’s goal in the 44th as the USMNT cruised past Bolivia 2-0 in their Copa América opener on Sunday night.
Against an overmatched, youthful Bolivia side, the US were comfortable winners. Ten of Bolivia’s starters entered the opening game of the tournament with 10 caps or fewer, and an experienced US side wasted no time in showing the gulf in quality.
“We came out flying with a lot of intensity. Obviously, that early goal helped us a lot,” Pulisic said. “All around, a pretty dominant performance. I think we could have put it away and had more goals there.”
Pulisic put the US ahead two minutes into the game, the fastest American goal in 34 competitive matches against South American opponents. He played a short corner to Timothy Weah before running toward the penalty area. Weah returned the ball to Pulisic, who took a touch and from just inside the area curled a right-foot shot off the outstretched fingertips of goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra and into the far upper corner for his 30th international goal.
Christian Pulisic delivering with a beauty 🤩
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 23, 2024
(via @FOXSoccer)pic.twitter.com/rrzAULFWAl
Balogun doubled the lead when he received a pass from Pulisic, took several touches and threaded a low, left-foot shot along the ground, past defender Jesús Sagredo and inside Viscarra’s far post for his fourth goal in 13 appearances for the national team.
Pulisic joined Clint Dempsey as the only US players with a goal and an assist in a Copa América match.
Balogun had the ball in the net again in the 53rd minute thanks to a tidy through ball from Weah, but Weah was whistled for offside when he received the ball from Weston McKennie in the buildup, a decision confirmed in a VAR review.
Midfielder Tyler Adams, regaining fitness after a back injury, played the first half in his first start for club or country since 30 March. Adams and Balogun were drafted into the starting lineup in place of Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi in the two changes from the lineup for the USMNT’s final tune-up game against Brazil. Musah replaced Adams at the start of the second half and Pepi entered in the 65th.
Viscarra pushed Pepi’s 79th-minute shot over the crossbar, then stopped Pepi in the 90th on a point-blank initial attempt and another off the rebound.
The US had 18 touches inside the attacking penalty area in the first half to Bolivia’s zero. Chances continued to flow throughout the game but the US could not extend their two goal lead.
“It’s a start that’s massive for us. Build the confidence,” Antonee Robinson said after the game. “If we were being picky, we could have been a lot more clinical, We could have put another two, three goals away.”
It was Bolivia’s 13th straight Copa América defeat dating to 2015, and they have now won just once in their last 31 games.
A crowd of 47,873 attended the match under the retractable roof at the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, which will host a World Cup semi-final in 2026.
The US will continue their campaign against Panama on Thursday in Atlanta, before closing out the group stage against Uruguay on 1 July in Kansas City. Bolivia will meet Uruguay on Thursday in New Jersey, and then play Panama on 1 July in Florida.
