Copa America Preview: USA vs. Bolivia (June 23, 6:00 PM EST)
The 48th edition of football’s oldest continental tournament is set to kick off in the coming days, and the United States will open as hosts against Antônio Carlos Zago’s Bolivia at AT&T Stadium. Colombia dominated the stars and stripes 2-0 in their opener the last time the competition was hosted in the US, so Berhalter’s men have ample motivation to come out swinging.
Since that centenary edition of the Copa América in 2016, US Soccer has undergone radical changes at every level after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and earning the right to co-host football’s biggest tournament in 2026. Their by-passing of qualification for the next World Cup puts added pressure on their performance in this Copa América. The US must show they have taken significant strides as a footballing nation when they compete with the best there is on the American continent.
- Matchup: USA vs. Bolivia
- Date: Sunday, June 23, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 6:00 PM EST
- Referee: Mariani M. (ITA)
- FIFA World Ranking: USA (11); Bolivia (85)
- Stadium: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- TV Viewing Options: FOX, TUDN, Univision
- Streaming Options: FOX Sports, Fubo, ViX
- Head to Head: USA-Draw-Bolivia (2-4-2)
USA vs. Bolivia - Game Preview
Head to Head
Though the US has been incredibly dominant in recent years, winning the last two matchups 4-0 and 3-0 respectively, the only time these two teams have previously met in the Copa América, Bolivia came away victorious. Marco Etcheverry scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for la Verde in the 1995 Copa América group stage, though both Bolivia and the US qualified for the next round. Bolivia also lifted the trophy in 1963 as hosts, while the USA's best finishes came in 1995 and 2016, ending in 4th place both times.
Injuries and Suspensions
The US will be without their starting right-back Sergiño Dest, as he suffered a torn ACL in March while on loan at PSV Eindhoven from Barcelona. Forward Josh Sargent was included in the squad but has been nursing a foot injury, which kept him out of both pre-tournament friendlies against Brazil and Colombia. Midfielder Tyler Adams has been working back to full fitness after a torn right hamstring kept him out of action for much of this past season, but it remains uncertain if he will be available to start against Bolivia.
Bolivia lost 2 key players from their squad to injury just weeks before the commencement of the Copa América. Henry Vaca, a midfielder for Bolívar was injured in late May, while his club teammate Jairo Quinteros, a defender, tore his ACL in training for the national team in early June.
Neither team has any suspensions going into the tournament.
Team Overviews
USA: The pre-tournament friendlies have been something of a mixed bag for the USMNT. The 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Colombia was a reality check after flying high in previous international breaks. The 1-1 with Brazil was reassurance that the States can still grind out tough games against more talented opponents, though this is certainly not one of the stronger Brazilian sides in recent memory.
The player to watch out for as always is Christian Pulisic, the captain and most talented on the team. He is coming off a fantastic debut season for AC Milan. Following a €20 million from Chelsea, the Hershey native bagged 21 goal contributions in 36 league appearances for i rossoneri. The US’s number 10 showed up for his country in Qatar, and will be looking to add to his 28 goals and 15 assists for his national team.
Keep an eye out for defensive midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who has had a quietly strong season for Real Betis since his move from Internacional in Brazil. He started his career as a right back, but he has really stepped up since his move to central midfield, and could grow into the tournament as an important depth piece in a search for redemption following a poor showing against Colombia in that 5-1 loss.
A weakness for this team is in the coaching department. Many fans felt that the team had reached its ceiling with Greg Berhalter in charge during the 2022 World Cup, and were even more keen to part ways with him due to the drama with Gio Reyna that followed.
Bolivia: A win against Peru in World Cup qualifying may lift spirits around the camp, along with a 1-0 win over Andorra in March. Their other pre-tournament friendlies weren’t terribly impressive, as they conceded 10 goals in 4 games, only managing to score 3. It won’t help that they are coming in as the lowest ranked team by FIFA that is participating in this tournament.
The squad is inundated with players from Bolívar, with 9 in the final 26-man roster. The most exciting to watch is undoubtedly Ramiro Vaca, an attacking midfielder who had 2 goals and 2 assists in 6 Copa Libertadores matches, as Bolívar unexpectedly won a formidable group. At
only 24 years old and with European club experience in Belgium, Vaca will be the key to generating any scoring chances for Bolivia in this game.
One to keep an eye out for is César Menacho of Blooming Santa Cruz, who has been given the number 9 shirt for this tournament which was previously worn by the all-time leader in caps and goals for the national team, Marcelo Moreno. The 24 year-old Menacho is averaging a goal contribution in every appearance in this year’s Bolivian Clausura, and he may prove vital coming off the bench for Zago given his height, which is otherwise absent from the Bolivian frontline.
Their strength may come from most teams not seeing them as any kind of threat. Bolivia’s recent record is tragic, but they’re due for a win in the Copa América for the first time since 2015.
Game Predictions and Expectations
The US will look to open with goals, as this team has an incredible attacking lineup. The US hasn’t even lost without scoring a goal since before the 2022 World Cup. Bolivia may struggle defensively with the absence of Quinteros who often starts at right back and Henry Vaca in the midfield. At this tournament, with home field advantage, it’s hard to see the US losing to Bolivia in Arlington.
That being said, Bolivia may put up a fight, and have scored in 4 of their last 7 games including their triumph in Peru. La Verde may nick one against a US defense that has been leaky in its past few games, conceding 6 goals in its 2 pre-tournament friendlies.
Ultimately, the US’s firepower will be too much for Bolivia to deal with, and they will likely run many goals in, but the South Americans may manage to grab one as well in all the mayhem.
Our picks for the USA vs Bolivia are:
Both Teams to Score in Regular Time:
- Yes +150
- No -225
Match Result after Regular Time:
- USA -500
- Tie +575
- Bolivia +1400
Player to Score and their Team Win the Match:
- Christian Pulisic +120
Match Result and Total Goals:
- USA and over 3.5 combined goals scored +170
Author: Venuse, Inc.