The United States men's national team will do just that on Sunday Kick-off of the Copa America against Bolivia. It is a tournament with high expectations for the USMNT, especially as Gregg Berhalter is about to enter his second World Cup cycle as manager, despite only reaching the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A poor performance in a Copa America on home soil could be a reason for US Soccer to re-evaluate who should lead the team to a long-awaited World Cup.
Considering where the USMNT is, this changes expectations somewhat. They are not alone in a group Uruguaybut dropping out of that group would likely result in an encounter with him Colombia or Brazil, which are difficult to beat. The USMNT need to show they can compete with the world's top teams, but they are moving in the right direction after getting Brazil in a mood.
“I have confidence in the group. I know that if there is a game that will be tough and if we have to fight, I know the boys will be there and we have a lot of players who are at the top.” before,” Folarin Balogun said about the team's mentality. “That was the biggest disappointment with Colombia, but looking ahead we know we will put that right in this tournament.”
Balogun's words are important because while the USMNT are used to physical play in Concacaf, CONMEBOL is a completely different animal. The Copa America is chock full of fouls and almost every team has technical players playing in Europe's top leagues. While this doesn't dampen expectations for the United States in the tournament, what does success look like for the Red, White and Blue?
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday June 23 | Time: 6:00 PM ET
- Place: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
- TV: FOX | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Chances: United States -570; Sign +550; Bolivia +1700
Leaving the group is not enough
Although the USMNT are in a tough group, alongside Bolivia and Panama, it would be quite a shock not to advance to the knockouts. The bare minimum is progress and while that is not something to be taken for granted as major teams bow out in the group stages of tournaments year after year, the expectation is that they will progress. Once that's safe, it's time to analyze the players' performance. If doubts remain after the Copa América about whether they can keep up with the top teams, this will not have done enough to move the needle and will go down as a disappointing tournament even if we are out of the group ascended. While the United States doesn't have to beat Uruguay, Brazil or Colombia, they do have to be competitive in those games and feel like there is a chance to get past them. Berhalter must show that he is a coach whose talent belongs on the field of the best in the world. As of now, the USMNT are a big fish in a small pond in Concacaf, but there is still a long way to go to catch the rest of the world, but they will have a chance in the Copa America.
Integrate Balogun
Balogun has quickly racked up thirteen caps for the United States, scoring three goals and providing three assists. While it's not a bad return for him, the USMNT and Monaco both need him as a top striker. The time could be over when the way to describe the team was: “They're great, if only a striker could put the ball in the back of the net.” Balogun is that man and he will now spend the longest consecutive time with the team since declaring for the USMNT. It will be a critical time for building chemistry, and good exchanges between Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Balogun will keep the teams in place. The expectation is that they will still be the main players at the World Cup in 2026 and now there is a stepping stone to build for that.
