PREVIEW: USMNT Begins Copa América 2024 Campaign against Bolivia on Sunday
USA KICKS OFF GROUP C PLAY AT 6 P.M. ET ON JUNE 23 AT AT&T STADIUM IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS; BROADCAST COVERAGE ON FOX, UNIVISION, TUDN, AND FDP RADIO
ARLINGTON (June 22, 2024) — The U.S. Men’s National Team opens its Copa América 2024 campaign against Group C counterparts Bolivia on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The match kicks off at 6 p.m. ET, with broadcast coverage available on Fox, Univision, TUDN, and FDP Radio.
After Sunday’s match, the USMNT will continue Group C play against Panama on June 27 in Atlanta, Ga., followed by a meeting with Uruguay in Kansas City, Mo. on July 1.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS)
The USMNT enters Sunday’s Group C opener coming out of a pair of pre-tournament friendlies against Colombia and Brazil.
Most recently, the U.S. came away with an exhilarating 1-1 draw against fifth-ranked Brazil in the 2024 Allstate Continental Clásico at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium on June 12. After Brazil’s Rodrygo opened scoring in the 17th minute, Christian Pulisic equalized with his first-ever direct free kick goal for the United States in the 26th minute.
Prior to that match, the U.S. fell 5-1 to Colombia at Commanders Stadium in Landover, Md in the Summer Showdown presented by Marriott Bonvoy. Tim Weah got the lone goal for the United States in that match, the sixth of his international career.
USA HISTORY IN COPA AMÉRICA
The U.S. has participated in Copa América four times since the tournament’s inception in 1916. After its inaugural appearance in 1993, the USA surprised the world with a 3-0 win against Argentina in the group stage in 1995 en route to a fourth-place finish, losing to Brazil in the semifinal. After not advancing from the group stage in 2007, the U.S. shone in the 2016 Copa América Centenario, again finishing fourth after falling to a No. 1-ranked Argentina team led by Lionel Messi in the semifinal.
The United States is one of six guest teams in the CONMEBOL confederation championship. No invitee from outside South America has ever won the tournament. Since 2011, only two of 12 have even reached the knockout rounds, with the USA and Mexico both advancing at the 2016 Copa America Centenario.
AGAINST BOLIVIA
These two teams have met eight times, with the all-time series tied at 2-2-4.
The Americans, who have outscored the Bolivians 10-6 in the series, began with a six-game winless streak against their South American counterparts (0-2-4), before emerging victorious in the last two meetings.
The U.S. has met Bolivia in Copa América play once before. On July 11, 1995, Marco Etcheverry tallied in the 24th minute past goalkeeper Brad Friedel to lift Bolivia to a 1-0 win in Paysandu, Uruguay.
IN DALLAS
The USMNT is no stranger to AT&T Stadium, bringing an unblemished 5-0-0 record back to Arlington.
The first three games took place during the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup – two semifinals (2013, 2017) and a quarterfinal (2021) – and each time the U.S. went on to win the tournament.
The USMNT has already played two matches there this year, using extra time to defeat Jamaica 3-1 in the Concacaf Nations League Semifinal, before another 2-0 victory against Mexico to claim its third-straight CNL crown.
Overall, the United States is 13-1-5 in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
The roster will have an average age of 25 years, 230 days as of the team’s opening match against Bolivia on June 23. It is the second-youngest squad the USA has sent to five editions of the Copa América, behind only the 2007 roster (24 years, 280 days).
The squad has an average of 27 caps and 16 in official competition.
The 26 players represent clubs in 11 different countries: England (8), Italy (5), Netherlands (3), Germany (2), Spain (2), USA (2), Belgium (1), Canada (1), France (1), Scotland (1), Wales (1).
All 26 players that were named to the Copa América squad were included on the June training camp roster for the Summer Showdown, presented by Marriott Bonvoy, between the USA and Colombia, and the 2024 Allstate Continental Clásico pitting the United States against five-time World Cup champion Brazil. LAFC midfielder Timmy Tillman was the 27th player on the roster and has returned to his club.
Forward Christian Pulisic and goalkeeper Ethan Horvath make their second Copa América rosters, with the duo having been part of the 2016 Copa América Centenario squad.
Pulisic, who has three Copa América appearances, is also the leading cap-winner on the roster (68), followed by Tim Ream (58), Weston McKennie (53), Antonee Robinson (43), Matt Turner (41), Tyler Adams (39), Tim Weah (39) and Yunus Musah (37).
Eighteen of the 26 players were on the 2022 FIFA World Cup roster.
Nine players are age 23 and younger: Brenden Aaronson (23); Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso, Kristoffer Lund and Malik Tillman (22); Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna and Joe Scally (21).
Set to be 36 years, 263 days as of the opening match against Bolivia, veteran defender Tim Ream is the oldest field player ever named to a USMNT Copa América roster, coming in ahead of Fernando Clavijo who was 36 years, 145 days at the start of the 1993 edition.
All 26 players have been part of at least one tournament roster for the USMNT (World Cup, Gold Cup, Copa América, CNL Finals): Sean Johnson (9); Christian Pulisic and Tim Ream (7); Weston McKennie and Matt Turner (6); Brenden Aaronson, Ethan Horvath, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson and Tim Weah (5); Tyler Adams and Joe Scally (4); Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso, Luca de la Torre, Mark McKenzie, Shaq Moore, Ricardo Pepi, Chris Richards, and Haji Wright (3); Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kristoffer Lund and Malik Tillman (2).
These teams have played eight times, with the all-time series tied at 2-2-4. The U.S. has outscored Bolivia 10-6 in the series all-time.
The U.S. has met Bolivia in Copa América play once before. On July 11, 1995, Marco Etcheverry tallied in the 24th minute past goalkeeper Brad Friedel to lift Bolivia to a 1-0 win in Paysandu, Uruguay.
The all-time series began with a six-game winless streak for the U.S. against their South American counterparts (0-2-4), before they emerged victorious in the two most recent meetings: a 4-0 result in Kansas City, Kan., on May 28, 2016, and a 3-0 triumph in Chester, Pa., on May 28, 2018.
Four players have registered at least one international first against Bolivia. Christian Pulisic (17 years, 253 days) became the youngest player to score for the USMNT when he tallied in the USA’s 4-0 win against Bolivia on May 28, 2016, in Kansas City, Kan.
In a friendly played against Bolivia exactly two years later in Chester, Pa., 18-year-old Josh Sargent scored in his USMNT debut, and fellow 18-year-old Tim Weah also scored his first goal in his second cap, receiving the assist from another debutant, 20-year-old Antonee Robinson, to push the USA to a 3-0 win.
BOLIVIA OF LATE
Like the USMNT, Bolivia also competed in a series of pre-Copa América friendlies as part of their preparation for the tournament.
First, Bolivia dropped a 1-0 loss to Mexico in Chicago on May 31, as Mexico’s Efrain Alvarez tallied the lone goal two minutes into the second half.
La Verde then conceded two goals in the opening 25 minutes to Ecuador en route to a 3-1 defeat in Chester, Pa. on June 12. Miguel Terceros scored a consolation goal for the Bolivians in the 88th minute.
Most recently, the Bolivians also found themselves in a two-goal hole by the 25th minute in what became a 3-0 loss to Colombia in East Hartford, Conn. on June 15.
Since the start of the year, the Bolivians have accumulated a 1-4-0 record, with their lone win coming on March 25 in a 1-0 finish against Andorra. Ramiro Vaca scored the game-winning goal, and goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra was credited with the shutout.
AT THE HELM
Antônio Carlos Zago, who played with Brazil's Copa America side as a defender in 1999, was named manager after the sacking of Gustavo Costas on Oct. 31, 2023. Since the 55-year-old Zago took over the reins, Bolivia has recorded a 2-5-0 mark.
Nicknamed the "Terminator" as a player, Zago was also a member of Sao Paulo's Copa Libertadores winning side in 1992, and performed for Roma when it captured Italy's Serie A title in 2001. He played 37 times for the Brazilian National Team from 1991-2001, scoring three goals.
Since making his debut as a manager with Sao Caetano (Brazil) during the 2009-10 campaign, Zago has led 15 teams. His coaching resume includes Juventude, Red Bull Bragantino II, Palmeiras and Bolivar, leading that side to the First Division title in 2022. He was also an assistant with Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk.
BOLIVIA ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS)
GOALKEEPER (3): Guillermo Viscarra (The Strongest/BOL; 21/0), Carlos Lampe (Bolívar/BOL; 55/0), Gustavo Almada (Universitario de Vinto/BOL; 0/0).
DEFENDERS (8): Diego Medina (Always Ready/BOL; 13/0), Roberto Carlos Fernández (Baltika Kaliningrad/RUS; 35/1), Marcelo Suarez (Always Ready; 8/0), Jesús Sagredo (Bolívar/BOL; 10/0), José Sagredo (Bolívar/BOL; 54/1), Luis Haquin (Ponte Preta/BRA; 34/1), Adrián Jusino (The Strongest/BOL; 36/0), Yomar Rocha (Bolívar/BOL; 3/0).
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