Christian Pulisic dazzled as the USA kicked off their Copa America 2024 campaign with a commanding 2-0 win against Bolivia at AT&T Stadium in Texas on Sunday. Pulisic scored one goal and assisted another, leading his team to an impressive start in Group C.
From the outset, Pulisic made his intentions clear. Just three minutes into the game, he received the ball from a corner, darted to the edge of the box, and unleashed a powerful shot that sailed past Bolivia’s goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra, who could only watch it hit the net. The early goal set the tone, and the American fans erupted in celebration.
US coach Gregg Berhalter, wary of complacency against a struggling Bolivian side, emphasized the need for focus. Bolivia’s poor record in past Copa America tournaments didn’t offer much threat, but Berhalter wasn’t taking any chances. Pulisic echoed this sentiment on social media, tweeting, “We came out strong and stayed focused. Great start, but we have more work to do.”
Bolivia’s aggressive play resulted in three yellow cards within the first 31 minutes, with Leonel Justiniano, Gabriel Villamil, and Luis Haquin all booked. Despite dominating possession, the USA found it challenging to break through Bolivia’s defense.
The breakthrough came just before halftime. Pulisic, once again at the heart of the action, made a brilliant run from midfield and set up Folarin Balogun. Balogun skillfully dragged the defender wide and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner, doubling the USA’s lead.
After the break, the USA continued to pressure. Tim Weah nearly extended the lead in the 50th minute, but Balogun’s close effort was ruled offside. Pulisic almost scored his second goal, forcing a spectacular save from Viscarra at the hour mark.
Substitute Ricardo Pepi, brought on for Gio Reyna, missed a golden opportunity in the 65th minute and was denied again in the 90th minute by Viscarra’s double save.
The USA now looks ahead to their next challenge against Panama on Thursday, hoping to build on this strong start in Copa America 2024.
