But the second-term coach and his young team also have short-term ambitions, knowing that a strong performance over these three weeks will not only strengthen belief but also begin to capture the public’s attention before football’s spectacular showdown in two summers .
The first step on Sunday was small but decisive. Christian Pulisic scored a sensational goal in the third minute and assisted Folarin Balogun’s strike just before halftime as the Americans won 2-0 over Bolivia, one of the weakest sides in the 16-team competition.
“People never put it in doubt,” Berhalter said. “We were really focused from the beginning – a lot of intensity, a lot of hard work – and were able to achieve the goal. For us, it is just about taking this performance forward.”
Group C play continues on Thursday in Atlanta against Panama – one of six guests from outside South America – and on July 1 against group favorite Uruguay in Kansas City, Mo. expires in. Two players will advance to the quarterfinals, a threshold the U.S. team is widely expected to cross before possibly facing Brazil or Colombia.
Pulisic, the 25-year-old star forward from Hershey, Pa., wore the captain’s armband even though 2022 World Cup leader Tyler Adams was in the starting lineup. Pulisic was dynamic with the ball, determined on every touch and continued to display the leadership qualities that had begun to emerge last year.
“He is a selfless leader,” Berhalter said. “He goes out and competes and works really hard. And then you add the fact that he’s highly skilled and he can play on the offensive end, it’s a great combination.
Pulisic scored from the top of the penalty area for his 30th American goal, becoming the second youngest player in program history to get there behind Landon Donovan. Later, in front of an announced crowd of 47,873 at AT&T Stadium, Pulisic set up Balogun for a goal that secured the result against the harmless Bolivian side.
“Key moments of the game – early in the game, right before halftime,” Pulisic said. “Those goals can really hurt you or help you. And today we scored in those moments.”
However, the American team was not able to take advantage of many opportunities in the second half. Substitute Ricardo Pepi had four golden chances.
Berhalter played down the scoreless second half, saying, “It’s about chance creation. …We believe closure will come.”
Launched in 1916, the Copa América is the oldest competition between the countries, predating the World Cup by 14 years and the European Championship by 44 years. South American football’s 10 leading nations are perennial partners, and barring a pandemic-hit competition in 2021, at least two guests have joined in on the fun.
This is the second time this year that the tournament has been held outside South America. (The United States also hosted in 2016.) The timing of this summer coincides well with U.S. preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
With regional competition taking up most of the international dates next year, the Copa America will provide some tough tests for the World Cup. The opening batsman did not seem to be one of them.
Ranked last in the South American Confederation and 73 places behind the world No. 11 United States, Bolivia has not qualified for the World Cup since 1994 and has not advanced beyond the Copa quarterfinals since 1997.
The first goal started from a corner kick. Pulisic played it short to Tim Weah, who immediately returned it. To create the proper shooting angle, Pulisic pulled the ball back to the top of the penalty area before unleashing a right-footed gem on the run. It flew over goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra, spinning and bending.
“I haven’t even touched the ball yet,” teammate Gio Reyna said, smiling. “It’s almost like starting (the game) 1-0. It took some pressure off and it was a beautiful goal. …We can’t expect him to do something like this every time, but he has stepped up in big moments.
As he celebrated in front of the American bench, Pulisic discovered Gianni Vio, the American assistant in charge of set pieces, in the crowd. Berhalter and assistant BJ Callaghan pulled him out, and Pulisic gestured with both hands. On 12 June, Pulisic’s goal in a friendly against Brazil came from a direct free kick from outside the box.
“Vio told me before, if I get in that position, I’ll basically shoot at the back post,” Pulisic said. “I just wanted to give him some credit.”
Sunday’s goal came just over eight years after his first – also against Viscara and Bolivia, when Pulisic was 17. In doing so, he tied Brian McBride for No. 5 on the American career scoring list.
Balogun became active in the 44th minute. Pulisic made a strong central run before pushing the ball to his left. Balogun pulled it wide before firing a low, 16-yard shot through the box to the far corner.
Comment: With his fitness improving after recovering from injury, Adams started in defensive midfield, but was replaced at halftime. He was not happy about it, saying later that Berhalter had said “we’ll check in at halftime and see how you feel.” I said I feel good. Still he took me out. So this is his plan.”
Asked about the replacement for his oft-injured midfielder, Berhalter smiled and said: “Guess what they said at halftime. Want to guess? We’ve gone down this road. …He’s a guy we want on the field, but we just have to be careful.”
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