Christian Pulisic found the net in the third minute then set up Folarin Balogun’s goal in the 44th minute, guiding the United States to a 2-0 win against Bolivia in their Copa América opener on Sunday night.
Pulisic gave the U.S. the lead just 2 minutes and 23 seconds into the game, marking the fastest American goal in 34 competitive matches against South American opponents.
He initiated a short corner kick to Tim Weah and made a run towards the penalty area. Weah passed the ball back to Pulisic, who then took a touch and from just inside the area, curled a right-footed shot past the outstretched fingertips of goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra and into the far upper corner of the net.
Christian Pulisic inking his name in the history books
The U.S. men's national soccer team captain became the second U.S. player, alongside Clint Dempsey, to record both a goal and an assist in a Copa América match. Pulisic also tallied 30 goals in just 69 international appearances, the fastest among American players.
Pulisic's goal also made him the sixth player to score 30 goals while representing the United States internationally.
A crowd of 47,873 gathered under the retractable roof at the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, home to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, which will also host the World Cup semifinal in two years.
“We came out flying with a lot of intensity. Obviously, that early goal helped us a lot,” Pulisic said via the Associated Press.
“All around, a pretty dominant performance. I think we could have put it away and had more goals there,” he continued.
US Men's National Soccer Team's domination of Bolivia
On the eve of his 30th birthday, goalkeeper Matt Turner celebrated with three saves and his 25th international shutout. The U.S. team's victory extended their undefeated streak at AT&T Stadium to 6-0, marking their successful start to their fifth Copa América appearance. This tournament marks their return to the competition since reaching the semifinals as co-hosts in 2016.
Folarin Balogun extended the lead to 2-0 by converting a pass from Pulisic, making a series of touches, and driving a low left-footed shot into the far corner beyond Viscarra's reach and past defender Jesús Sagredo. This goal was Balogun's fourth in 13 matches for the team.
In the first half, the United States had 18 touches inside the attacking penalty area, while Bolivia had none.
Balogun scored once more in the 53rd minute after receiving a pass from Weah. However, Weah was deemed offside when he got the ball from Weston McKennie earlier in the play, a ruling that was upheld after a video review.
What's on the road ahead for Team USA
Among the six invited teams to South America's championship, the U.S. is anticipated to advance from Group C to the quarterfinals alongside Uruguay.
The United States, currently ranked 11th, will face Panama on Thursday in Atlanta and will conclude the group stage against Uruguay on July 1 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Meanwhile, Bolivia, ranked 84th, will take on Uruguay on Thursday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and then face Panama on July 1 in Orlando, Florida.
Bolivia has extended its losing streak in the Copa América to 13 matches dating back to 2015 and has secured just one win in its last 31 matches.
The USMNT captain faced immense pressure entering the tournament, but Pulisic's performance was a fitting response so far to the expectations placed on him.
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