Christian Pulisic Records A Goal, Assist As USMNT Earns 2-0 Win Over Bolivia To Open Copa América Campaign

The United States men’s national soccer team wanted to come out with a bang in its first match of the Copa América tournament, and it did just that against Bolivia.

At AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the USMNT faced Bolivia to open play in Group C (the teams are ranked 11th and 84th in the world, respectively). That difference in class showed itself throughout the match, as the United States rolled to a 2-0 victory to win a crucial three points.

In most soccer matches, it can take a while for the action to build up. That was not the case Sunday, as team captain Chris Pulisic bent a shot from the top of the box to give his team the lead in the third minute.

After a so-so 40 minutes of play largely controlled by the United States, Folarin Balogun gave his team some breathing room by slotting a nifty left-footed shot in the far post (Pulisic got credit for the assist).

The second half saw Bolivia create more sustained pressure, but it couldn’t find a way to get the ball past goalkeeper Matt Turner, who made three saves.

Despite a solid performance from the USMNT, the game could have easily been 5-0 had several players converted close-range opportunities, including Ricardo Pepi in the 90th minute.

Regardless, the United States got the win, and it could not afford to take anything less than a victory in this match. The next two opponents - Panama and Uruguay - pose challenges to close out group play.

Kickoff against Panama is set for 6 p.m. on June 27 in Atlanta.