June 24, (THEWILL) – The United States kicked off their Copa América 2024 campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Bolivia at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.
Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun scored first-half goals, giving the hosts a perfect start in their quest to become the first non-South American country to win the prestigious tournament.
Pulisic, the USA captain, opened the scoring early in the match with a stunning curled effort from the left side of the box. The goal not only set the tone for the game but also saw Pulisic draw level with Brian McBride as the fifth-highest goalscorer in US national team history. Balogun doubled the lead just before half-time, capitalising on a Pulisic assist to slot home clinically.
Bolivia, a team in transition after losing several experienced players to retirement, struggled to keep pace with the energetic US side. Despite making a triple substitution at half-time, the visitors could not find a way back into the match. USA’s goalkeeper Matt Turner was largely untested throughout the 90 minutes, reflecting the home team’s dominance.
The victory marks USA’s first winning start in the Copa América since 1995 and extends their unbeaten run at the AT&T Stadium to six matches. The performance builds on the confidence gained from their recent spirited draw against tournament favourites Brazil in a warm-up match.
Looking ahead, the US team will travel to Atlanta for their next group stage match against Panama, while Bolivia will need to regroup quickly if they hope to avoid a twelfth consecutive Copa América group stage defeat. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on the hosts to see if they can maintain this momentum and make history in the world’s oldest continental football competition.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
