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After months – years, really – of hype and hubbub about the state of the program at this momentous juncture in the buildup to the 2026 World Cup, the US men’s national team began their Copa America campaign with a straightforward 2-0 win over Bolivia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday evening.
The Yanks completed their initial task of the tournament with a performance that was no more, and no less, than was required. A beautifully-struck goal from Christian Pulisic off a short corner kick provided a dream start. Pulisic also helped provide the calming second by assisting on Folarin Balogun’s calm left-footed finish just before halftime, and a tenacious but limited opponent was unable to post much threat of a turnabout.
“The biggest thing was, there wasn’t any doubt,” Gregg Berhalter told FOX’s Jenny Taft afterward. “To get the early goal really took a lot of pressure off. And then we knew they were going to be high pressing, we knew they were going to be aggressive. [The plan] was actually to play beyond their press and try to put long balls behind their back line, try to contest some balls higher in their end, and then play for second balls and try to attack from there.
“When we did that, I think we were able to create enough chances,” added the coach, for whom so much hinges on this event, the Yanks’ only real competitive barometer of the 2026 World Cup cycle. “The message to the team is, it’s always important to win your first game. We talked about progressing our performance, improving our performance throughout the tournament, so I think it was a good starting point.”
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