It’s go-time for the United States Men’s Team (USMNT).
For the first time since 2016, they will be playing in the Copa America. It could be the last time this group of players is able to test themselves against quality opposition before the 2026 World Cup.
They’ll be opening the competition against Bolivia in Texas.
USMNT form
For the pair of friendlies prior to the tournament, Gregg Berhalter called in 27 players. Only Timmy Tillman was cut from the tournament roster.
2024 has been a mixed bag for the USMNT coming into this tournament. They dropped a friendly to Slovenia in January. Then, in March, they won another Nations League title by beating Jamaica and Mexico.
Funnily enough those games, along with the Copa America opener against Bolivia, were at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.
Immediately prior to the tournament, Colombia hammered the US 5-1. Things looked quite bleak, but the US was able to bounce back and earn a 1-1 draw against Brazil with a goal from Christian Pulisic. That was only the second time in 20 meetings that Brazil had failed to beat the US.
Huge Opportunity
For the US, this Copa America is a huge opportunity.
That means that it’s go-time. These games figure to be the toughest tests faced by the US since the last World Cup. They also figure to be the toughest test the US will face until the next World Cup.
The messaging out of the US camp may be all about preparing for the 2026 World Cup. But it should not be forgotten that the USMNT has made the semi-finals of the Copa America twice in their last three appearances at the tournament.
They finished fourth at Uruguay in 1995 and again finished fourth as the hosts in 2016 (they were a disastrous last place in Venezuela back in 2007). Failure to match those performances would have to be seen as just that: failure.
USMNT kickoff their campaign against Bolivia
Bolivian form
As is their habit, Bolivia are not performing well at the moment.
They currently sit ninth out of ten teams in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying with three points from six games. They have lost ten of their last twelve games overall. In the lead-up to the tournament, they lost all three friendlies.
First was a 1-0 loss to Mexico in Chicago. That was followed by a comprehensive 3-1 loss to Ecuador in Philadelphia. Their last time out was a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Colombia, which saw a player for each team sent off in the 68th minute for Violent Conduct.
The Bolivian roster is also very light on goal-scoring. Of the 26 players on the roster, none have scored double-digit international goals.
Only four of the 26 players have scored more than one goal for La Verde. The best of the bunch is 33-year-old Rodrigo Ramallo with seven goals in 40 caps.
Notes:
- Kickoff is set for 6pm ET from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will air on FOX in English and Univision in Spanish.
- The game against Bolivia will be the third USMNT game at AT&T Stadium this year. It is also the fourth USMNT game in Texas this year out of six games.
Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire.
