USA vs Bolivia predictions: Pulisic can score again for USMNT
- USA were fourth in Copa America in 1995 and 2016
- Bolivia enter this tournament off the back of three straight defeats
- Recommended bet: Christian Pulisic to score anytime
USA play their first game at the 2024 Copa America in front of a packed crowd at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, where they are expected to brush aside Bolivia.
The South Americans are in wretched form, with La Verde currently ninth after six games, in the 10-team CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group.
Team news
Coach Greg Berhalter will likely field his US team in a 4-3-3 formation, with skipper Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah flanking striker Ricardo Pepi in attack.
Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest is the major omission to Berhalter’s squad, having suffered a serious knee injury while on loan at PSV Eindhoven.
Bolivia’s hopes of calling up the 16-year-old forward Moises Paniagua were dashed, after the player failed to receive full parental authorisation to enable his US entry visa.
The stats
USA are ranked as the 11th best team in the world by FIFA.
Of the nations involved in the Copa America only Argentina and Brazil are ahead of them.
Since 2015, Bolivia have lost 11 consecutive group games at this tournament.
Though Bolivia were unbeaten in their first six games against this opponent, USA have won the two most recent encounters, in 2016 and 2018.
Prediction
The USMNT enter this home Copa America with the weight of expectation on them, at a time when their head coach is under serious pressure.
Due to USA’s lofty ranking, home advantage and the overall quality of the players at his disposal, Berhalter seems expected to guide his side through to the semi-finals as a must by an expectant public.
While the US have twice achieved that feat in the past, it looks a difficult task this time out, with the likes of Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay on the same side of the draw.
Colombia thrashed Berhalter’s team 5-1 in a pre-tournament warm up and though USA bounced back with a 1-1 draw against Brazil, the coach remains under scrutiny.
Berhalter began his second spell in charge back in August 2023, with the team winning six of 11 games since then, drawing once and losing four times.
Yet this looks like a stellar record compared to that of the Bolivia manager Zago, who has lost five of his seven games in charge and won just two since his appointment in 2023.
Bolivia have played three friendly matches in June to prepare for this competition and were beaten by Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia, conceding a total of seven and scoring just once.
USA are also struggling to score, but in Pulisic they have some star quality, with the AC Milan forward scoring in the recent draw with Brazil.
The United States captain can lead his side again here by finding the net in Arlington to delight the home crowd.
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