Christian Pulisic’s third-minute goal set the stage for a convincing 2-0 victory for the United States over Bolivia in their opening Group C match at the Copa America.
Folarin Balogun, with an assist from Pulisic, added another goal to the tally just before the halftime whistle, ensuring the 11th-ranked US lived up to expectations against the tournament’s lowest-ranked team.
The US adopted an aggressive strategy from the start against Bolivia, who have just one win in their past 31 Copa America matches.
A missed opportunity by Balogun in the first 20 seconds was soon forgotten when Pulisic, dubbed “Captain America”, scored a spectacular goal from the edge of the box, beating Bolivian keeper Guillermo Viscarra.
This marked Pulisic’s 30th goal in 69 international matches. His first international goal came against Bolivia back in May 2016.
The US found their second goal in the 44th minute when Gio Reyna set up Pulisic, who in turn found Balogun. The striker ended his six-match goal drought in international matches with a low shot into the bottom corner.
The hosts continued their onslaught, with Ricardo Pepi, who came on as a substitute in the 65th minute, having four shots on target, all denied by a resilient Viscarra.
Goalkeeper Matt Turner held the fort at the other end, with three saves ensuring a clean sheet.
The US will face CONCACAF rivals Panama on Thursday (local time)in Atlanta, while Uruguay will take on Bolivia in New Jersey.
Source Agencies
